Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick
Henry Percy by Anthony van Dyck
Died	1659 France
Allegiance	Royalist
Rank	General of the Ordinance
Battles/wars	Battle of Cropredy Bridge

Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick (who died in 1659) was an important figure in English history. He was the younger son of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland.

Henry Percy served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth in the Short Parliament. Later, he was an MP for Northumberland in the Long Parliament. He was involved in something called the "First Army Plot" in 1641. After this, he moved to France.

In 1643, he became a general in the King's army. He was also given the title Baron Percy of Alnwick. However, he lost favor in 1644 because he wanted to make peace during the English Civil War. He left his military role in 1648 and returned to France. There, he joined Queen Henrietta Maria's group. He passed away in France in March 1659.

Henry Percy's Early Life and Career

Henry Percy was the younger son of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland. He went to school at Isleworth. Later, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford starting in 1624.

In 1628, he was chosen as a member of parliament for Marlborough. He held this position until 1629. This was when King Charles I decided to rule without Parliament for eleven years.

Working for the Queen

Henry Percy became very close to Queen Henrietta Maria. He used his influence to help his brother, the Earl of Northumberland. He also helped his brother-in-law, the Earl of Leicester.

In 1639, he was made master of the horse for the Prince of Wales. This was a very important job. In 1640, he became the captain and governor of Jersey for life.

Political Life and the Army Plot

In April 1640, Percy was elected as an MP for Portsmouth. This was for the Short Parliament. In November 1640, he was elected as an MP for Northumberland in the Long Parliament.

The First Army Plot

Henry Percy was one of the people who started the "First Army Plot" in March 1641. He later said he only wanted the army to support the King's ideas. He claimed he didn't want the army to march on London to force Parliament to agree.

When the plot was found out, he tried to escape to France. But people in Sussex stopped him and he was hurt. He had to hide for a while. To help himself escape, he wrote a letter to his brother. This letter explained the plot. It gave Parliament proof of the plan. Some Royalists thought this was a betrayal of the King. For his part in the plot, he was removed from the House of Commons in December 1641.

Service During the Civil War

After leaving Parliament, Percy went to France. When the English Civil War began, he became useful to Queen Henrietta Maria. She sent him to King Charles I as an agent. She helped him get back into the King's good graces. The Queen wrote that she thought he was "very faithful."

Thanks to the Queen's support, he became general of the ordnance (in charge of weapons) in the King's army on May 22, 1643. On June 28 of the same year, he was given the title Baron Percy of Alnwick.

Battle and Disgrace

Percy fought at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge on June 29, 1644. He also went with the King into Cornwall. This was when the King was chasing the Earl of Essex.

However, Percy was part of a plan with Henry Wilmot. They tried to make the King agree to peace. Because of this, he lost favor and had to give up his military role.

On January 11, 1645, King Charles I arrested Percy and two other Royalist lords. The King said they were talking to his enemies and saying disrespectful things. But really, it was because they kept telling him to talk to Parliament about peace.

Escape to France

Percy was released a few weeks later. He got permission from the Earl of Essex to travel to the continent. On his way, he was captured by William Waller and Oliver Cromwell near Andover.

During his capture, there was a young person with Percy. This person had a very fair face. Cromwell wondered if they were a boy or a girl. He asked the person to sing. The person sang beautifully. Cromwell then joked to Lord Percy that he was wise to have "Amazons" (female warriors) with him. Percy then admitted that the person was a young woman in disguise. This story later became a joke about the King's party.

Percy arrived in Paris in March 1645. Even though the King had told the Queen not to trust him too much, Percy quickly became a favorite of Queen Henrietta Maria again.

Later Life and Death

In March 1648, Percy was wounded in a duel with Prince Rupert. In October of that year, he was arrested for arguing with Lord Colepeper in front of the Prince of Wales.

Henry Percy was part of the Queen's group. He was also friends with Secretary Robert Long. Because of this, some people, like Edward Hyde, didn't like him. They thought he was an atheist because he supported Thomas Hobbes. They also disliked that he advised Charles II to agree with the demands of the Presbyterians or any group that could help him get his throne back. When he became Lord Chamberlain and joined the Privy Council, they were very upset.

However, Hyde later made up with Percy. Percy helped arrange a meeting between the Queen and Hyde. Percy is praised in the History of the Rebellion for managing the King's household well and saving money. When Percy thought about making peace with the Protector, Hyde told him not to. Hyde said that few people were as good as Percy to be close to the King or involved in plans to bring him home.

Henry Percy died unmarried in Paris, France, in March 1659.]