In October 1569 Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland and Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland raised their standards in rebellion against the protestant monarchy of Elizabeth l. Their cause would fail ignominiously and they would find themselves seeking sanctuary with the Scottish Border Reivers.
One, Westmorland, had an ardent desire to re-instate Catholicism as the religion of the nation; the other, Northumberland, despised by the government and monarchy for his hold over the north of England and openly espousing the Catholic cause, had a more earthly motive. He owned a mine in west Cumberland which, when copper was found there, a rich source of the material required for coin of the realm and artillery, had promised to solve all his pecuniary problems. However, his loyalty was questioned by the English government led by Elizabeth's first minister, William Cecil. He had a great aversion to the northern earl because of his his standing in the north of England. Percy's open defiance of the new religion of Protestantism sat well with the common folk within his domain and provoked Cecil into a campaign which would bring down the great northern lord. The proceeds of the mine, a Percy holding for many generations, were sequestered by the government, leaving Percy bitter and resentful. He was ripe for rebellion.
The rebellion was known as the 'Rising of the North'. One of its aims was to free Mary, Queen of Scots from imprisonment in England and re-instate her on the English throne in place of Elizabeth. She was an ardent Roman Catholic and had the blood of the English royal family of Tudor coursing through her veins.
By December the Rising had failed in complete disarray, and after seeking succour at the hands of Leonard Dacre of Naworth Castle near Brampton in Cumberland, an erstwhile confederate who had defected from the Cause, the Earls, accompanied by the Lady Anne, Percy's wife, fled north and over the Border to Liddesdale in the Scottish Borders; into the hands of the Border Reivers.
Refuge with the Border Reivers
The Border Reivers of Liddesdale accepted the fugitive Lords with open arms. Any man on the run from the law, it has been said, whatever his nationality, was granted asylum within the valleys of Liddesdale, then the most dangerous place in Europe. The Borderers believed that 'it was a liberty incident to all nations to succour banished men'. It was a brave man who moved north into the valley of the river Liddel; but the rebels were accepted. Lady Percy stayed with Jock of the Side, one of many notorious Border Reivers of the time, in a hovel 'not fit for a dog kennel in England' it was said later, whilst her husband Thomas was taken in by Hector of Harelaw. Westmorland was sheltered by yet another of the Armstrong clan, the Laird's Jock, at Puddingburn Tower, a secluded site below the magnificent Tinnis Hill.
The Treachery of Hector Armstrong of Harelaw
When news reached the Earls that the English were preparing to chance their arm and invade Liddesdale in pursuit, Westmorland fled north to Hume castle where he was granted refuge before fleeing abroad. Northumberland was enticed from Harelaw Tower on the pretext of discussing some important news in total privacy and walked into an ambush orchestrated by his host, Hector Armstrong and Martin Elliot, both notable Border Reivers. Armstrong had come to an agreement whereby he would give up the illustrious Lord in exchange for money down.
Percy was taken without a fight, given over to the Scottish Regent, Moray, and eventually warded in the castle of Lochleven, a place where Mary, Queen of Scots had previously been confined. Even today there is a saying in the Scottish Borders, 'to take Hector's cloak'; meaning to betray a friend.
Aftermath
Westmorland would spend the rest of his life abroad and die in penury whilst his wife, who had previously thrown herself on the mercy of the English monarchy, would live in comparative comfort for the rest of her days. Lady Anne Percy was eventually taken in by the Kerrs of Ferniehurst and treated with kindness even though the Kerrs and Percys were at odds and had often been arch enemies and at feud for years. Eventually, pregnant with a child that Percy would never see or know, she moved on to Europe where she spent the next two years petitioning for her husband's release without success.
Percy would be duped yet again when, in 1572, he was put on board a ship which, he was told, would take him to Antwerp and exile. However it was bound for Coldingham and he for England. From there he was told he would now be escorted to London where he would make his peace with his queen, a ruse led by Sir John Forster, notorious for his double dealings in the 16th century Border lands. When they reached York, Percy was told that he should prepare to die. Next day he was beheaded in a street in York known as the Pavement. His head was spiked on Micklegate Bar for two years, his body buried in Holy Cross church which no longer exists;his grave unknown now.
The Rising of the North was to result in misery for most of the families concerned, including the great northern dynasties of Markenfield and Norton. The Percys and the Nevilles, two of the great families of Northern England, with a pedigree going back to the time of William the Conqueror would suffer for the Catholic religion. Percy would pay the ultimate price in his death.
The legacy of the Rising would have a more telling effect on the commoners who hurried to its cause. The villages and towns of northern England, especially of north Yorkshire and Durham would witness hanging after hanging. Followers of the failed rebellion, simple men from Newcastle to Wetherby were hanged, in all some 700. This was Elizabeth l's way of demonstrating that she ruled: She was the power. Needless to say there were many who died at the end of a rope that did not deserve it.
One, Westmorland, had an ardent desire to re-instate Catholicism as the religion of the nation; the other, Northumberland, despised by the government and monarchy for his hold over the north of England and openly espousing the Catholic cause, had a more earthly motive. He owned a mine in west Cumberland which, when copper was found there, a rich source of the material required for coin of the realm and artillery, had promised to solve all his pecuniary problems. However, his loyalty was questioned by the English government led by Elizabeth's first minister, William Cecil. He had a great aversion to the northern earl because of his his standing in the north of England. Percy's open defiance of the new religion of Protestantism sat well with the common folk within his domain and provoked Cecil into a campaign which would bring down the great northern lord. The proceeds of the mine, a Percy holding for many generations, were sequestered by the government, leaving Percy bitter and resentful. He was ripe for rebellion.
The rebellion was known as the 'Rising of the North'. One of its aims was to free Mary, Queen of Scots from imprisonment in England and re-instate her on the English throne in place of Elizabeth. She was an ardent Roman Catholic and had the blood of the English royal family of Tudor coursing through her veins.
By December the Rising had failed in complete disarray, and after seeking succour at the hands of Leonard Dacre of Naworth Castle near Brampton in Cumberland, an erstwhile confederate who had defected from the Cause, the Earls, accompanied by the Lady Anne, Percy's wife, fled north and over the Border to Liddesdale in the Scottish Borders; into the hands of the Border Reivers.
Refuge with the Border Reivers
The Border Reivers of Liddesdale accepted the fugitive Lords with open arms. Any man on the run from the law, it has been said, whatever his nationality, was granted asylum within the valleys of Liddesdale, then the most dangerous place in Europe. The Borderers believed that 'it was a liberty incident to all nations to succour banished men'. It was a brave man who moved north into the valley of the river Liddel; but the rebels were accepted. Lady Percy stayed with Jock of the Side, one of many notorious Border Reivers of the time, in a hovel 'not fit for a dog kennel in England' it was said later, whilst her husband Thomas was taken in by Hector of Harelaw. Westmorland was sheltered by yet another of the Armstrong clan, the Laird's Jock, at Puddingburn Tower, a secluded site below the magnificent Tinnis Hill.
The Treachery of Hector Armstrong of Harelaw
When news reached the Earls that the English were preparing to chance their arm and invade Liddesdale in pursuit, Westmorland fled north to Hume castle where he was granted refuge before fleeing abroad. Northumberland was enticed from Harelaw Tower on the pretext of discussing some important news in total privacy and walked into an ambush orchestrated by his host, Hector Armstrong and Martin Elliot, both notable Border Reivers. Armstrong had come to an agreement whereby he would give up the illustrious Lord in exchange for money down.
Percy was taken without a fight, given over to the Scottish Regent, Moray, and eventually warded in the castle of Lochleven, a place where Mary, Queen of Scots had previously been confined. Even today there is a saying in the Scottish Borders, 'to take Hector's cloak'; meaning to betray a friend.
Aftermath
Westmorland would spend the rest of his life abroad and die in penury whilst his wife, who had previously thrown herself on the mercy of the English monarchy, would live in comparative comfort for the rest of her days. Lady Anne Percy was eventually taken in by the Kerrs of Ferniehurst and treated with kindness even though the Kerrs and Percys were at odds and had often been arch enemies and at feud for years. Eventually, pregnant with a child that Percy would never see or know, she moved on to Europe where she spent the next two years petitioning for her husband's release without success.
Percy would be duped yet again when, in 1572, he was put on board a ship which, he was told, would take him to Antwerp and exile. However it was bound for Coldingham and he for England. From there he was told he would now be escorted to London where he would make his peace with his queen, a ruse led by Sir John Forster, notorious for his double dealings in the 16th century Border lands. When they reached York, Percy was told that he should prepare to die. Next day he was beheaded in a street in York known as the Pavement. His head was spiked on Micklegate Bar for two years, his body buried in Holy Cross church which no longer exists;his grave unknown now.
The Rising of the North was to result in misery for most of the families concerned, including the great northern dynasties of Markenfield and Norton. The Percys and the Nevilles, two of the great families of Northern England, with a pedigree going back to the time of William the Conqueror would suffer for the Catholic religion. Percy would pay the ultimate price in his death.
The legacy of the Rising would have a more telling effect on the commoners who hurried to its cause. The villages and towns of northern England, especially of north Yorkshire and Durham would witness hanging after hanging. Followers of the failed rebellion, simple men from Newcastle to Wetherby were hanged, in all some 700. This was Elizabeth l's way of demonstrating that she ruled: She was the power. Needless to say there were many who died at the end of a rope that did not deserve it.
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