Thomas Percy Lord Egremont was born on 29 November 1422 at Leconfield. He died at the Battle of Northampton in July 1460. Thomas, Lord Egremont waa one of the key protaganists in the escalation of the Percy-Neville feud in the North East and Yorkshire, taking an aggressive lead role in these clashes. 

Thomas Percy, Lord Egremont

Thomas Percy was the second son of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland. As a young man, he demonstrated a violent aptitude. He and a band of his men became renowned for troublemaking in the north. In 1447, this led to Thomas and a group of his men being imprisoned in York gaol because of their repeated misconduct.

Created Lord Egremont

Upon release from gaol, Thomas soon found himself fighting again. This time, however, it was defending Cumberland against a Scottish raid. He performed this task well and, as a result, was created Lord Egremont on 10 November 1449. The grant of a title provided him with an annuity that he used to form a group of retainers.

Violence in the Percy-Neville Feud

With these men, Lord Egremont then began a series of raids against the family’s fierce rivals, the Neville [of Middleham] family. These raids raised tensions in Yorkshire and the North East, driving a wedge between the two most powerful landholders in the region and contributing to the factionalism regionally and nationally.

The most significant of Egremont’s attacks were the Battles of Heworth Moor (1453) and Stamford Bridge (1454). His troublesome nature led to demands that he appear in court and prepare to fight in Gascony, neither of which he did.

Lord Egremont in the Wars of the Roses

As the Wars of the Roses began, Egremont and the rest of the Percy family fought on the Lancastrian side. He was present at the First Battle of St. Albans and was summoned to the Great Council and Loveday. As war erupted again, he fought at the Battle of Northampton, where he was killed in the fighting.

Links on Thomas Percy, Lord Egremont

History of War – Thomas Percy 1422-60

Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogucal Society – Thomas Percy, Lord Egremont