Category: Henry Percy

First Battle of St Albans

22/5/2017

22nd May 1455

Many believe that the First Battle of St Albans was as much about the ongoing squabble between the Percy and the Neville family, as it was about the wider squabble, that of the House of York and Lancaster. It cannot be doubted that this battle, for the individual members of these two northern families, was very personal, each trying to destroy the other under the guise of a greater cause.

The origins of Percy/Neville squabble had it roots in land, or the loss of it, bitterness turned to anger, discussion to litigation, skirmishes into outright warfare.

Henry VI, who had been battling with his own internal foes for the previous eighteen months had suddenly recovered and released the imprisoned Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset and dismissed the Duke of York from his post as Protector of the Realm, and as Henry and Somerset had left London and were making their way towards St Albans, they may or may not have known that York had chosen not to appear before the council in Leicester, but were in fact heading their way.

Warwick's troops at the Battle of St. Albans. Graham Turner http://www.studio88.co.uk/index.html

The clash of over five thousand men that took place on the 22nd May was a relatively small skirmish (in comparison to the following Wars of the Roses battles) that is considered by some to be the first battle of this period, however it certainly wasn't the cause.

Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, Thomas, Lord Clifford and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland along with just over three hundred men lost their lives that day.

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Henry Percy 1st Earl of Northumberland

10/11/2016

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Henry Percy, first Earl of Northumberland was, according to Shakespeare:

"the ladder upon which the mounting Bolingbroke ascends the throne.”

This statement reflects the rise of the Percy family during the reign of Richard II and the subsequent usurpation of the throne by Henry Bolingbroke.

Henry Percy was born on the 10th November 1341/2. The first two decades of Percy's life were unremarkable, however the twenty years following his father's death lead Percy to great heights of power and influence, not only in his own stamping ground but in the country as a whole. Henry Percy headed a family that included his sons Henry 'Hotspur' and Thomas, all three were guardians of the English boarder with Scotland. As Lords of the North, and as the previous statement states, they were involved in the future Henry IV taking the crown of England. However, siding with Henry had its problems, and the Percy's would soon regret helping Bolingbroke take his seat on the throne of England.

We cannot think of the Percy family without considering the part they played in the Wars of the Roses. Many believe that the First Battle of St Albans, in 1455, was as much about the ongoing squabble between the Percy's and their nemesis the Neville's, as it was about the wider squabble, that of the House of York and Lancaster. It cannot be doubted that this battle, for the individual members of these two northern families, was very personal, each trying to destroy the other under the guise of a greater cause.

The origins of Percy/Neville squabble had it roots in land, or the loss of it, bitterness turned to anger, discussion to litigation, skirmishes into outright warfare that initiated the

'the beginning of the greatest sorrows in England."

Henry Percy died a traitor at Bramham Moor, the last battle of the Percy's rebellion, on the 19 February 1408 and as was the norm for a traitor, his head was decapitated and sent to London, placed for all to see on London Bridge, it was reunited with his quartered remains and eventually buried in York Minster.

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Death of William Herbert.

26/7/2016

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Lewys Glyn Cothi a 15th-century Welsh poet wrote the following lines

The mightiest of Christendom,
And through a fault it was lost:
At Banbury the vengeance was exacted
Upon fair Wales, and the great fine.
There was heard all at once
Crying of battle between great spears.

He was referring to the deaths of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and his brother Richard who were executed following the Battle of Edgcote in 1469. Of the Herbert brothers death Guto'r Glyn, another Welsh poet wrote

"I was killed, I and my nation too."
The moment that this Earl was killed"

According to Guto'r Glyn's poem the battle took place on Monday 24th July, however 'history' claims the date as the 26th July 1469 the the Battle of Edgcote took place in Northamptonshire between the royal army of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and northern rebels under one Robin of Redesdale. History tells us that Pembroke’s army was weak due to the Earl of Devon withdrawing his troops taking the majority of the archers with him. This action culminated in a victory for the rebels.

On the day that followed the battle William Herbert was summary executed at Northampton on the order of the Earl of Warwick who was there to watch. His body was taken for burial at Tintern Abbey. In his will Herbert instructed his widow Anne, to betroth their daughter Maud to Henry Tudor, but this was not to be, Tudors mother would have other plans for him. However, William's son also William, did marry into the royal family (of sorts) his second wife was Kathrine, the illegitimate daughter of Richard III, he had been married to the sister of Elizabeth Woodville previous to that. Maud, went on to marry Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.

With regard to the execution of Richard Herbert contemporary sources state that he was executed on the day of the battle. His body was taken to Abergavenny and interred at St Mary’s Priory.

So why did Richard Neville have Herbert executed without trial? Well, they were rivals, this was due in part to Herbert’s influence with Edward IV, his increasing power in Wales and the relationship between Herbert and the family of Elizabeth Woodville, this Warwick saw as a threat to his influence in the royal court. Therefore, the answer is quite simply revenge.

You can read more on the subject of revenge in my blog Vengeance in Mine.

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/wars-of-the-roses-blog/vengeance-is-mine

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First Battle of St Albans

22nd May 1455

Henry Percy 1st Earl of Northumberland

Death of William Herbert.

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