Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
A wealthy and powerful earl who navigated the English Civil War with cautious pragmatism, ultimately backing Parliament while seeking a moderate settlement.
1602–1668 (age 66)·English nobleman·Birthday: September 29
Biography
Algernon Percy, the 10th Earl of Northumberland, was one of the great magnates of 17th-century England, a man whose immense fortune and political influence placed him at the heart of the kingdom's constitutional crisis. Inheriting vast estates and a pivotal title, he served as Lord High Admiral and a key advisor to King Charles I. However, Northumberland was a constitutionalist at heart, often at odds with the King's more autocratic policies. When war broke out between Crown and Parliament, his decision was momentous; after much hesitation, he sided with the Parliamentary cause, though he never embraced its more radical elements. He commanded forces and served on governing committees, but his true aim was a negotiated peace that would preserve a reformed monarchy. His story is one of a conservative aristocrat trying to steer a crumbling state toward stability, a balancing act that defined many of his peers during England's most turbulent decade.
#1 When Algernon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1602
Algernon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1602Born
1607Started school
1615Became a teenager
1618Could drive
1620Could vote
1623Turned 21
1632Turned 30
1642Turned 40
1652Turned 50
1662Turned 60
1668Died at 66
Key Achievements
- Served as Lord High Admiral of England from 1638 to 1642.
- As a senior commander for Parliament, he was in charge of the forces besieging the King's headquarters in Oxford.
- He was a leading member of the Committee of Both Kingdoms, which directed the Parliamentary war effort.
- Used his immense wealth to maintain a famous art collection and library at his homes, including Syon House.
Did You Know?
He was the brother-in-law of Robert Devereux, the 3rd Earl of Essex, another senior Parliamentary commander.
Despite supporting Parliament, he was a guardian to the King's children during the war.
His daughter, Lady Elizabeth Percy, was known as 'the heiress of England' due to the fortune she inherited.
“A great estate is a ship to be steered, not a rock to stand upon.”
