Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Percy
Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland by Steven van der Meulen, 1566.
Born	1528
Died	22 August 1572 York, Kingdom of England
Noble family	House of Percy
Spouse(s)	Anne Somerset
Issue	Thomas Percy Elizabeth Percy Joan Percy Lucy Percy Mary Percy
Father	Sir Thomas Percy
Mother	Eleanor Harbottal

Arms of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, KG

Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, born in 1528, was an important figure in English history. He led a major rebellion known as the Rising of the North. For his actions against the queen, he was later put to death. The Catholic Church later recognized him as a saint.

Early Life and Family

Thomas Percy was the oldest son of Sir Thomas Percy. His mother was Eleanor Harbottal. His uncle, Henry Percy, was once close to Anne Boleyn. She later became the wife of King Henry VIII.

When Thomas was eight years old, his father was put to death. This happened because his father had a big part in the Pilgrimage of Grace. This was a large protest against King Henry VIII's changes to the church. Thomas and his brother Henry were then cared for by Sir Thomas Tempest.

Becoming an Earl

In 1549, Thomas Percy became an adult. A special law was passed to give him back his family titles and lands. Soon after, he was made a knight. Three years later, during the reign of Queen Mary I, he got back his family's honors and lands.

He became a Member of Parliament for Westmorland. He was also made governor of Prudhoe Castle. He successfully attacked and took Scarborough Castle from rebels in 1557. As a reward, he was given the title of Earl of Northumberland. Other family titles were also returned to him in 1557. He was also put in charge of the border areas with Scotland. In this role, he fought and defeated the Scots.

Life Under Queen Elizabeth I

When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, Thomas Percy's loyalty to the Catholic Church was known. He was kept in the North of England. This was while new laws against Catholics were being passed.

Queen Elizabeth still showed him favor. In 1563, she gave him the Order of the Garter. He had stopped being in charge of the border areas and was living in the South. But life became very hard for Catholics.

In 1569, Catholic nobles in the North started to plan. They heard rumors that Queen Elizabeth might be removed from the Catholic Church. They wanted to free Mary, Queen of Scots. They hoped to put her on the English throne. They also wanted freedom to practice their Catholic faith.

Earl Thomas and the Earl of Westmorland wrote to the Pope for advice. But before their letter reached Rome, events made them act quickly.

Marriage and Children

17th century stained glass showing the family symbols of Thomas Percy and his wife Anne Somerset. From Petworth House, Sussex

In 1558, Thomas Percy married Anne Somerset. She was the daughter of Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester.

Their children were:

• Thomas Percy, Baron Percy (died 1560), who died before his father.
• Elizabeth Percy, who married Richard Woodroffe.
• Joan Percy, who married Lord Henry Seymour.
• Lucy Percy, who married Edward Stanley.
• Mary Percy (born 1570, died 1643), who became a nun. She started a group of Benedictine nuns in Brussels. Many Benedictine nun houses in England came from her group.

Capture and Death

After the Rising of the North rebellion failed, Thomas Percy ran away to Scotland. There, he was captured by the Earl of Morton. He was held at Lochleven Castle.

After three years, the Earl was sold to the English Government. He was taken to York. On August 22, 1572, he was put to death in public. He refused to give up his Catholic faith to save his life. His body was buried at the now-destroyed St Crux Church, York.

Succession and Legacy

His wife and four daughters survived him. Some of his titles, like the earldom of Northumberland, were lost. But because of a special rule, some of his other titles were not lost. Since his only son had died without sons, the earldom went to his younger brother, Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland.

Thomas Percy was recognized as a saint by Pope Leo XIII on May 13, 1895. His special day is celebrated on November 14 in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.