Page "Henry Percy (Hotspur)" Paragraph 1

Henry Percy was born 20 May 1364 at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, and Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph de Neville, 2nd Lord Neville of Raby, and Alice de Audley.

He was knighted by King Edward III in April 1577.

In 1380 he was in Ireland with the Earl of March, and in 1383 travelled in Prussia.

He was appointed warden of the east march on either 30 July 1384 or in May 1385, and in 1385 accompanied Richard II on an expedition into Scotland.

' As a tribute to his speed in advance and readiness to attack ' on the Scottish borders, the Scots bestowed on him the name ' Haatspore '.

In April 1386 he was sent to France to reinforce the garrison at Calais, and led raids into Picardy.

Between August and October 1387 he was in command of a naval force in an attempt to relieve the siege of Brest.

In appreciation of these military endeavours he was made a Knight of the Garter in 1388.

Reappointed as warden of the east march, he commanded the English forces against James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, at the Battle of Otterburn on 10 August 1388, where he was captured, but soon ransomed for a fee of 7000 marks.