Career
Henry Percy was born 20 May 1364 at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, and Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph de Neville, 2nd Lord Neville of Raby, and Alice de Audley. He was knighted by King Edward III in April 1377. In 1380 he was in Ireland with the Earl of March, and in 1383 travelled in Prussia. He was appointed warden of the east march either on 30 July 1384 or in May 1385, and in 1385 accompanied Richard II on an expedition into Scotland. 'As a tribute to his speed in advance and readiness to attack' on the Scottish borders, the Scots bestowed on him the name 'Haatspore'. In April 1386 he was sent to France to reinforce the garrison at Calais, and led raids into Picardy. Between August and October 1387 he was in command of a naval force in an attempt to relieve the siege of Brest. In appreciation of these military endeavours he was made a Knight of the Garter in 1388. Reappointed as warden of the east march, he commanded the English forces against James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, at the Battle of Otterburn on 10 August 1388, where he was captured, but soon ransomed for a fee of 7000 marks.
During the next few years Percy's reputation continued to grow. He was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cyprus in June 1393, and appointed deputy to John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, in the Duchy of Aquitaine. He returned to England in January 1395, taking part in Richard II's expedition to Ireland, and was back in Aquitaine the following autumn. In the summer of 1396 he was again in Calais.
His military and diplomatic service brought Percy substantial marks of royal favour in the form of grants and appointments, but despite this the Percy family determined to support Henry Bolingbroke, the future Henry IV, on his return from exile in June 1399. Percy and his father joined Bolingbroke's forces at Doncaster, and marched south with them. After King Richard's deposition, Percy and his father were 'lavishly rewarded' with lands and offices.
Under the new king, Percy had extensive civil and military responsibility in both the east march and in north Wales, where he found himself under increasing pressure as a result of the rebellion of Owain Glyn Dŵr. In March 1402 Henry IV appointed Percy royal lieutenant in north Wales, and on 14 September 1402 Percy, his father, and the Earl of Dunbar and March were victorious against a Scottish force at the Battle of Homildon Hill, taking prisoner among others Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas.
Read more about this topic: Henry Percy (Hotspur)
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