Lord Henry Percy

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.

Biography

Lord Henry, fourth child and third son of George Percy, 5th Duke of Northumberland (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. He entered the British Army 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. At the battle of Inkerman, on 5 Nov. 1854, he 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 misunderstanding with the United States 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.

As a conservative he sat in parliament for North Northumberland from 19 July 1865 to 11 Nov. 1868. 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. 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.

The VC

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).

On 5 November 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman, Crimea, Colonel Percy was with a number of men from various regiments who had charged too far, were nearly surrounded by the enemy and without ammunition. Although wounded, the colonel extricated some 50 of the men passing under heavy fire from the enemy and bringing them to a place of safety, where they obtained fresh ammunition and were able to continue fighting.

He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant General, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Northumberland North from 1865 to 1868.

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/lonwest.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(W. London)"
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ncommons3.htm Historical list of MPs: N]

References

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