Sir Thomas Percy (c. 1504 – 2 June 1537) was a participant in the 1537
Bigod's Rebellion in the aftermath of the
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
, a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
uprising against King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. He was convicted of
treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
and
hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under Edward III of England, King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the rei ...
at
Tyburn
Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone.
The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern Ox ...
. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) states that he "is considered a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
by many".
[ (Author Burton, Edwin)]
Origins
He was born in about 1504 at
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...
,
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
, the second son of
Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, KG (13 January 1477 – 19 May 1527) was an English nobleman and a member of the courts of both Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII.
Origins
Percy was son of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberlan ...
by his wife Lady Catherine Spencer.
Inheritance in his issue
His elder brother
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG (c. 1502 – 1537) was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now primarily remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn, whom he was forced to give up before she became ...
, who had long been failing in health, died after having been persuaded to leave all his estates to King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. However, the earldom was restored to Thomas's eldest son, who was succeeded in the title by his younger brother, from whom all later Earls and Dukes of Northumberland are descended.
Marriage and children
Percy married Eleanor Harbottle, daughter of Guiscard Harbottle of
Beamish,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
(d.
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...
), by his wife Jane Willoughby, with whom he had seven children:
[Adams, Arthur and Howard Horace Angerville. ''Living Descendants of Blood Royal'' London: World Nobility and Peerage, 1959. Vol. 4 page 417; (2) Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition)]
*
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, 1st Baron Percy, KG (152822 August 1572), led the Rising of the North and was executed for treason. He was later beatified by the Catholic Church.
Early life
Percy was the eldest son of Sir Thomas ...
,
*
Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, 2nd Baron Percy (153221 June 1585) was an English nobleman and conspirator.
Origins
He was born in about 1532 at Newburn Manor (Northumberland), the second of two sons of Sir Thomas Percy (c. 1504–15 ...
,
*Guiscard Percy
*Richard Percy
*Joan Percy
*Mary Percy, wife of Sir Francis Slingsby; progenitors of all
Slingsby Baronets
*Catherine Percy.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Percy, Thomas
1504 births
1537 deaths
People executed by Tudor England by hanging, drawing and quartering
Thomas Percy, knight, Sir Thomas Percy
Executed people from Northumberland
People executed under the Tudors for treason against England
People from Alnwick
People executed under Henry VIII
Younger sons of earls