PERCY, Sir HENRY (known as Hotspur) (1364-1403). An English military leader, the eldest son of Henry Percy, first Earl of North umberland. He was knighted by King Edward_ III. at the same time as the future kings. 'Rich ard II. and Henry IV. The next year under his father's guidance he began that service on the Scottish border in which he won his ;greatest fame, and in 1385 became Governor of Berwick. Here his restless activity soon made him the terror of Scottish marauders and earned him the nickname of Hotspur. As this was the period of the Hundred Years' War, young Percy was several times sent across the Channel to take part in the Continental campaigns, but, though he earned the Garter by his achievements against the French. he always came back to the northern border, where be had been made warden of the marches, and it was there that in 1358 he met a host of Scotch invaders Douglas. .\ larch, and and fought VI idl them the famous !tattle of Otterburn, which has been immortalized by the ballad of Chevy Chase. Both claimed the victory. hut probably what advan tage there was lay with the who. though they lost in Douglas the most renowned of their leaders. succeeded in capturing Percy. In 1399 he joined Henry of Lancasur in kis successful rebellion against Richard 11.—indeed. the Percy.;
claimed that they made the rebellion successful— and after the coronation of the new King as Henry IV., he was rewarded by the gift of office, and lands which made the already powerful nobleman almost a rival to the King. It was not long before Henry began to feel that the Percys were too powerful for the well-being of his kingdom. and when. as a contrast to an un successfill eampaign of his 01111 against the Welsh, Hotspur won a brilliant victory over the Scotch at Thimbledon Hill. the King began to withdraw his favor from his formidahle vassal. The Pereys quickly resented this. and forming an alliance with Owen Glendower, the Welsh leader, the Douglases, and other Scotch families. raised the .tandard of revolt in favor of the young Earl of March, whom they proclaimed King of Eng land. Henry met the insurgents near Shrews bury. and a desperate battle was fought in which Hotspur was killed and his forces defeated. Con sult: Froissart, Chronicles; Walton, Richard II.; Ramsay. Lancaster and York; Wylie, History of Henry and Percy, Reliques of Ancient Eng lish Poetry.