The Duke of Northumberland | |
|---|---|
 Alan Ian Percy, in aGrenadier Guards uniform, byAlexander Bassano – 1900s | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland | |
| In office 19 July 1918 – 23 August 1930 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1880-04-17)17 April 1880 |
| Died | 23 August 1930(1930-08-23) (aged 50) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6, includingHenry,Hugh, andElizabeth |
| Parent(s) | Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland Lady Edith Campbell |
Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland,KG, CBE, MVO, TD (17 April 1880 – 23 August 1930) was a British peer, army officer, and newspaper proprietor.
Percy was born inLondon on 17 April 1880. He was the son ofHenry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland, and Lady Edith Campbell (a daughter ofGeorge Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll).[1]
Among his siblings were hisHenry Algernon George Percy, Earl Percy (who died unmarried), Lady Victoria Alexandra Percy (wife of Sir Robert Tidmarsh), Lady Mary Percy (who marriedAymer Edward Maxwell),[2] LordWilliam Richard Percy, Lord James Percy (who died unmarried), andLord Eustace Sutherland Campbell Percy (who was created 1stBaron Percy of Newcastle).[1]
Percy was asecond lieutenant of the 2nd Volunteer Battalionthe Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), when he was admitted as a second lieutenant in theGrenadier Guards on 24 January 1900.[3] He was part of a detachment sent to South Africa in March 1900 to reinforce the 3rd battalion during theSecond Boer War,[4] and served with his regiment there until the war ended. For his service, he received theQueen's South Africa Medal. Following the end of the war, he returned to the United Kingdom in August 1902.[5] During his time as ADC to the Governor General of Canada, he undertook a wager to walk 111 miles from one city to another in three days—despite blizzards and heavy snowfall, he completed the challenge and won the wager. During theFirst World War he served with the Grenadier Guards, working with the Intelligence Department to provide eyewitness accounts of battles and the front line. His brother Lord William Percy also served during the war; wounded in 1915, he spent the remainder of the war working as a military attorney. He was made a Chevalier of theLégion d'honneur. On 1 October 1918 he was appointedHonorary Colonel of the3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment).[1][6]
Politically Percy was a Torydiehard.[7] He was a staunch supporter of theHouse of Lords. He wrote for theNational Review on military matters.
From 1921, he funded the Boswell Publishing Company, and then in 1922 until his death, thePatriot, a radical right-wing weekly which published articles byNesta Webster and promulgated a mix ofanti-communism andantisemitism.[8]
In 1924, he acquired an interest inThe Morning Post.
The Duke was appointedLord Lieutenant of Northumberland. For one year before his death, he served asChancellor of theUniversity of Durham, a role his father had also held. His father, the 7th Duke, was analderman on theMiddlesex County Council up to his death. In July 1918, he was chosen to fill the vacancy on the council in his father's place.[9]
In 1930, the Duke wrote a short storyThe Shadow on the Moor, a fox-hunting ghost story in the manner ofM R James set in Northumberland, in which the hunter becomes the hunted. Originally privately published, the story remains in print as a short novella.[10]
On 18 October 1911, Percy marriedLady Helen Magdalen Gordon-Lennox (daughter ofCharles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond). They had six children:[1]
The 8th Duke died inLondon on 23 August 1930[1] and was buried in theNorthumberland Vault, withinWestminster Abbey.[12] He was succeeded in the dukedom and his other titles by his eldest son, George.[1]
Other
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Northumberland 1918–1930 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland 1918–1930 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the University of Durham 1929–1930 | Succeeded by |
| Professional and academic associations | ||
| Preceded by William Brown | President of theSurtees Society 1925–30 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
