Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland, (29 May 1846 – 14 May 1918), styled Lord Warkworth between 1865 and 1867 and Earl Percy between 1867 and 1899, was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician. He served as

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief ...

under

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

between 1874 and 1875 and was Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations from 1879 to 1883.

Background

Percy was the eldest son of

Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland, (20 May 1810 – 2 January 1899), styled Lord Lovaine between 1830 and 1865 and Earl Percy between 1865 and 1867, was a British Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and pol ...

, by his wife Louisa, daughter of Henry Drummond. Lord Algernon Percy was his younger brother. He became known by the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...

Lord Lovaine when his grandfather succeeded in the dukedom of Northumberland in 1865 and as Earl Percy when his father succeeded in the dukedom in 1867.

Political career

Percy was returned to parliament for Northumberland North in 1868. In 1874 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed

under

, a post he held until 1875. From 1879 to 1883 he was Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations. The Northumberland North seat was abolished in 1885 and Percy was not elected for another constituency. Two years later he was summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

through a

writ of acceleration A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, is a type of writ of summons that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with more than one peerage to attend the British or Irish House of Lords, using one of his fathe ...

in his father's barony of Lovaine. From 1909 he was made an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

Middlesex County Council Middlesex County Council was the principal local government body in the administrative county of Middlesex from 1889 to 1965. The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888, which also removed the most populous part of the cou ...

Civic and military appointments

Percy succeeded in the dukedom in 1899 upon his father's death and was made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

the same year. He later served as

Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Northumberland. Since 1802, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northumberland. Lord-lieutenants are the Crowns representative in every County. Dr Caroline Pryer ...

from 1904 until his death in 1918 and was

Lord High Steward The Lord High Steward is the first of the Great Officers of State in England, nominally ranking above the Lord Chancellor. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, and is now an ''ad hoc'' office that is primarily ceremonial and ...

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

George V's

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

in 1911, where he bore

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the coronation crown of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13t ...

. He was President of the Board of Governors of Durham University College of Science (in Newcastle) in 1902, and from 1913 he also served as the second

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...

. He was president of the

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

Agricultural Association from 1902. He was honorary colonel of the 2nd Northumberland (Percy) Artillery Volunteers until it was disbanded in October 1902.

Family

Northumberland married Lady Edith Campbell, daughter of

George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll George John Douglas Campbell, 8th and 1st Duke of Argyll (30 April 1823 – 24 April 1900; styled Marquess of Lorne until 1847), was a Scottish people, Scottish polymath and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal statesman. He made a significant geological ...

, on 23 December 1868. They had 13 children: *Lady Louisa Elizabeth Percy (7 November 1869 – 29 November 1893), unmarried. *Lady Edith Eleanor Percy (7 November 1869 – 2 April 1937), unmarried. * Henry Algernon George Percy, Earl Percy (21 January 1871 – 30 December 1909), unmarried. *Lady Margaret Percy (30 August 1873 – 29 January 1934), unmarried. *Lady Victoria Alexandra Percy (12 February 1875 – 18 January 1958), married Sir Robert Tidmarsh. *Hon. Josceline Percy (26 January 1876 – 31 January 1898), unmarried. *Hon. Ralph William Percy (9 March 1877 – 28 March 1889), died in childhood. *Lady Mary Percy (30 August 1878 – 18 March 1965). Married Aymer Edward Maxwell and was the mother of author and naturalist

Gavin Maxwell Gavin Maxwell FRSL FZS FRGS (15 July 19147 September 1969) was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his non-fiction writing and his work with otters. He became most famous for '' Ring of Bright Water'' (1960) and its sequels, which ...

.Gavin Maxwell, ''The Rocks Remain'' (1963) *

Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland, (17 April 1880 – 23 August 1930) was a British peer, army officer, and newspaper proprietor. Military career Percy was a second lieutenant of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion the Queen's (Royal West ...

(17 April 1880 – 23 August 1930). *Lord William Richard Percy (17 May 1882 – 8 February 1963), married Mary Swinton, daughter of Captain George Sitwell Campbell Swinton. *Lord James Percy (6 January 1885 – 20 May 1903), died unmarried. * Eustace Sutherland Campbell Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle (21 March 1887 – 3 April 1958). *Lady Muriel Evelyn Nora Percy (14 July 1890 – 23 November 1956), unmarried. The Duchess of Northumberland died in July 1913, aged 63. Northumberland survived her by five years and died in May 1918, aged 71.

References

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Northumberland, Henry Percy, 7th Duke of 1846 births 1918 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society Chancellors of Durham University 307 Knights of the Garter Lord High Stewards Lord-lieutenants of Northumberland Percy, Henry Percy, Earl Percy Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Percy, Henry Percy, Earl Percy Percy, Henry Percy, Earl Percy Percy, Henry Percy, Earl Percy Northumberland, D7 Henry Percy, 07th Duke of Northumberland Treasurers of the Household 19th-century British landowners Members of Middlesex County Council 19th-century British businesspeople Surtees Society Presidents of the Royal Archaeological Institute