Lord Henry Percy
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Lord Henry Hugh Manvers Percy VC
KCB
(22 August 1817 – 3 December 1877) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
(d 1867), by Louisa Harcourt, third daughter of the Honourable James Archibald Stuart-Wortley Mackenzie, was born at Burwood House, Cobham, Surrey, on 22 Aug. 1817, and educated at Eton
.
as an ensign
in the Grenadier Guards
on 1 July 1836, and was present during the insurrection in Canada in 1838. As captain and lieutenant-colonel of his regiment he served during the Crimean War
of 1854–5, including the battles of Alma, where he was wounded, Balaclava, Inkerman, where he was again wounded, and the siege of Sebastopol.
He was 37 years old, and a Colonel
in the 3rd Bn., Grenadier Guards
, British Army
during the Crimean War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC (Victoria Cross).
At the battle of Inkerman
, on 5 Nov. 1854, Colonel Percy found himself, with many men of various regiments who had charged too far, nearly surrounded by the Russians, and without ammunition. By his knowledge of the ground, although wounded, he extricated these men, and, passing under a heavy fire from the Russians then in the sandbag battery, brought them safe to where ammunition was to be obtained. He thereby saved about fifty men and enabled them to renew the combat. For this act of bravery he was, on 5 May 1857, rewarded with the Victoria Cross. For a short period he held the local rank of brigadier-general in command of the British-Italian legion in the Crimea.
From 29 June 1855 to 10 Feb. 1865 he was an aide-de-camp
to the Queen. On the occurrence of the Trent Affair
in December 1861, he was sent to New Brunswick
in command of the first battalion of the Grenadier Guards. He had been promoted to be major in 1860, and retired from active service on 3 Oct. 1862.
He was rewarded for his military services by his appointment to the colonelcy of the 89th regiment on 28 May 1874, and was made a general on 1 Oct. 1877.
(MP) for Northumberland North
from 1865
to 1868
.
On 24 May 1873 he was gazetted a K.C.B. He was found dead in his bed at his residence, 40 Eaton Square
, London, on 3 Dec. 1877, and was buried in the Northumberland vault in Westminster Abbey
on 7 Dec. He was unmarried.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(22 August 1817 – 3 December 1877) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Background
Lord Henry, fourth child and third son of George Percy, 5th Duke of NorthumberlandGeorge Percy, 5th Duke of Northumberland
George Percy, 5th Duke of Northumberland PC , styled Lord Lovaine between 1790 and 1830 and known as The Earl of Beverley between 1830 and 1865, was a British Tory politician. He served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard under Sir Robert Peel between 1842 and 1846...
(d 1867), by Louisa Harcourt, third daughter of the Honourable James Archibald Stuart-Wortley Mackenzie, was born at Burwood House, Cobham, Surrey, on 22 Aug. 1817, and educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Military career
He entered the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
on 1 July 1836, and was present during the insurrection in Canada in 1838. As captain and lieutenant-colonel of his regiment he served during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
of 1854–5, including the battles of Alma, where he was wounded, Balaclava, Inkerman, where he was again wounded, and the siege of Sebastopol.
He was 37 years old, and a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the 3rd Bn., Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC (Victoria Cross).
At the battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
, on 5 Nov. 1854, Colonel Percy found himself, with many men of various regiments who had charged too far, nearly surrounded by the Russians, and without ammunition. By his knowledge of the ground, although wounded, he extricated these men, and, passing under a heavy fire from the Russians then in the sandbag battery, brought them safe to where ammunition was to be obtained. He thereby saved about fifty men and enabled them to renew the combat. For this act of bravery he was, on 5 May 1857, rewarded with the Victoria Cross. For a short period he held the local rank of brigadier-general in command of the British-Italian legion in the Crimea.
From 29 June 1855 to 10 Feb. 1865 he was an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Queen. On the occurrence of the Trent Affair
Trent affair
The Trent Affair, also known as the Mason and Slidell Affair, was an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War...
in December 1861, he was sent to New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in command of the first battalion of the Grenadier Guards. He had been promoted to be major in 1860, and retired from active service on 3 Oct. 1862.
He was rewarded for his military services by his appointment to the colonelcy of the 89th regiment on 28 May 1874, and was made a general on 1 Oct. 1877.
Politics
As a conservative he was Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Northumberland North
North Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
North Northumberland was a County constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament...
from 1865
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
to 1868
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
.
On 24 May 1873 he was gazetted a K.C.B. He was found dead in his bed at his residence, 40 Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
, London, on 3 Dec. 1877, and was buried in the Northumberland vault in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on 7 Dec. He was unmarried.