Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, (25 July, 1421 – 29 March, 1461) was the son of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland and Lady Eleanor Neville , daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his second wife Joan Beaufort.

His maternal uncles included Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury. His maternal aunts included Cecily Neville. Percy was first cousin to (among others) Edward IV of England, Margaret of Burgundy, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard III of England. He was thus closely related to the House of York.

Percy however followed his father in swearing allegiance to the House of Lancaster. On December 30, 1460, Percy is known to have fought on the Lancastrian side at the Battle of Wakefield. He commanded the Lancastrian van at the Battle of Towton, where he was killed.

Childhood

He was married to Eleanor Poynings , daughter of Richard Poynings, Lord Poynings. They had two children:

• Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (d. 28 April, 1489).
• Margaret Percy (born c. 1447). She was married to a younger Sir William Gasgoigne.

Further reading

• Rose, Alexander Kings in the North - The House of Percy in British History. Phoenix/Orion Books Ltd, 2002, ISBN 1842124854 (722 pages paperback)