Henry Percy ( Harry Hotspur )

[Duke of Northumberland]

That picture looks to me like a relatively recent creation. The likeness made me suspect that no one knows for sure what he actually looked like and that a Spurs fan was involved in the creation of the image. The picture also appears on the website of Hotspur Gin, who are based in Alnwick and also host the Alnwick Official Spurs Supporters Club - see https://www.hotspurgin.com/pages/harry-hotspur-history . They may well know more about it!

There is a statue of Harry Hotspur in the town of Alnwick. According to a blog post about it, the face was modelled on George Percy, Earl Percy, the son and heir to the current Duke of Northumberland. Apparently, all the depictions of Harry Hotspur from his time showed him with his visor down. (Incidentally, that picture does not look much like George Percy.)

Please note, Sloop is not in any way associated with Hotspur Gin and other gins are available

That gin is excellent btw- especially the plum and ginger one, and comes in an attractive bottle.

 

[Delboy75]

The painting was an official portrait it was on house of Percy site stating that.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

The painting was an official portrait it was on house of Percy site stating that.

Great info Delboy, so we are back in Twilight Zone territory again ???
Any idea when it was painted?

 

[Duke of Northumberland]

That's quite a journey ? Certainly if the club was ever to start putting up statues Bobby Buckle would be a prime contender. So important to the very existence of this club. But for various reasons I don't think the club are too keen on statues

Statues are a bit overrated. I like the Bobby Robson one at Newcastle, which has a warmth to it, and the Bobby Moore at Wembley as a symbol of (too little) success, but can take or leave others.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Statues are a bit overrated. I like the Bobby Robson one at Newcastle, which has a warmth to it, and the Bobby Moore at Wembley as a symbol of (too little) success, but can take or leave others.

Yep, and there's always the worry they might be attacked by oppo fans
What might be nice would be holograms. You could have lots of them and only have them materialized under secure conditions

 

[Ravenyonaz]

Great post, and of course further confirmation that our name comes from Harry Hotspur and his hot spurs in battle. Not that there was the slightest doubt in my mind. ?
If the picture is based on a modern creation and not historical likeness, it is tempting to think one Sir Harold Kane the hot footed striker played a part in the artists vision ??

From Wikipedia: "The name of one of England's football clubs, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., acknowledges Henry Percy, whose descendants owned land in the neighbourhood of the club's first ground in the Tottenham Marshes."

 

[Delboy75]

The thing I find slightly odd is Bobby buckle was 14 when he founded the club I believe with a group of school friends. There was no google. So I’m just imagining a group of school boys sitting around trying to come up with the name of a football club and they go “ have you heard about Henry Percy he owned land round here let’s name the club after him “

Oh they took the name from the cricket club. So I wonder who named the cricket club and when ?

 

[Sloop]

The painting was an official portrait it was on house of Percy site stating that.

Does it state that? It refers to it as a "commissioned painting" but I can't see anything claiming any official status - and no info about who commissioned it, who painted it, or when.

 

[Scissors&Tape]

The entire Jewish population of about 2-3000 were expelled from England more about 100 years before Henry Percy's birth. Edict of Expulsion. I highly doubt that any hebrew words were a part of the northern lexicon when he was given the nickname Hotspur.

 

[worcestersauce]

The thing I find slightly odd is Bobby buckle was 14 when he founded the club I believe with a group of school friends. There was no google. So I’m just imagining a group of school boys sitting around trying to come up with the name of a football club and they go “ have you heard about Henry Percy he owned land round here let’s name the club after him “

Oh they took the name from the cricket club . So I wonder who named the cricket club and when?

I don't think there's any doubt it's the Duke of Northumberland link with the area and Shakespeare's character, definitely the warrior role model young men would want to name their team after and as you say, the boys played for the cricket club first.

 

[bigfrooj]

The entire Jewish population of about 2-3000 were expelled from England more about 100 years before Henry Percy's birth. Edict of Expulsion. I highly doubt that any hebrew words were a part of the northern lexicon when he was given the nickname Hotspur.

They wouldn’t have spoken or recognised any Yiddish at all mate.

 

[bigfrooj]

I don't think there's any doubt it's the Duke of Northumberland link with the area and Shakespeare's character, definitely the warrior role model young men would want to name their team after and as you say, the boys played for the cricket club first.

Was it known as Hotspur Cricket Club or did Bobby and the boys come up with the name when forming the football club?

 

[Delboy75]

Was it known as Hotspur Cricket Club or did Bobby and the boys come up with the name when forming the football club?

It was Hotspur cricket club and they were 14. So I’d presume it was named Hotspur cricket club before they started playing there. Who’s that woman on Twitter that wrote a book on the club forgot her name ?

Oh the cricket club was set up just 2 years before so that might have been Buckle as well.

 

[HNIM]

Does it state that? It refers to it as a "commissioned painting" but I can't see anything claiming any official status - and no info about who commissioned it, who painted it, or when.

When in doubt, go to the source, folks. It's not difficult.

"Dear Mr **********,
It was completed in the 90's and was painted by Elizabeth Kyle.
With kind regards.

Charles Percy.



On Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 6:56 AM XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:

Mr. Percy:
Out of curiosity, to when does the commissioned portrait of Harry Hotspur shown on your website date? Do you know who painted it?

***************"

 

[Delboy75]

When in doubt, go to the source, folks. It's not difficult.

"Dear Mr **********,
It was completed in the 90's and was painted by Elizabeth Kyle.
With kind regards.

Charles Percy.




On Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 6:56 AM XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:

Mr. Percy:
Out of curiosity, to when does the commissioned portrait of Harry Hotspur shown on your website date? Do you know who painted it?

***************"

Was still pre Harry Kane so she didn’t just nick his likeness. I guess she must have had some sort of reference and not just made it up but who knows. Still I admire your commitment to the cause.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

When in doubt, go to the source, folks. It's not difficult.

"Dear Mr **********,
It was completed in the 90's and was painted by Elizabeth Kyle.
With kind regards.

Charles Percy.



On Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 6:56 AM XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:

Mr. Percy:
Out of curiosity, to when does the commissioned portrait of Harry Hotspur shown on your website date? Do you know who painted it?

***************"

Great info HN ?
As said above though, still spookily like our Harry Hotspur, though she surely wouldn't have known of him when doing the painting

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

From Wikipedia: "The name of one of England's football clubs, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., acknowledges Henry Percy, whose descendants owned land in the neighbourhood of the club's first ground in the Tottenham Marshes."

Don't know is this'll work. But this a conversation between my (now ex) father-in-law & myself back in 2012.

Him & his wife Julie spent years doing their family tree, and it turns out I actually married into the family of direct descendants of Sir Henry.

Unfortunately & rather ironically, they're from Islington & are Gooners.

 

[Sloop]

Was still pre Harry Kane so she didn’t just nick his likeness. I guess she must have had some sort of reference and not just made it up but who knows. Still I admire your commitment to the cause.

Yes, my suspicions were wrong about Spurs fan involvement!

I guess she may have based him, at least partially, on Henry George Alan Percy, the 9th Duke of Northumberland. He was killed in action in Belgium in May 1940, at the age of 27, during the retreat to Dunkirk. He would seem a fitting Percy to base the likeness on. He is the uncle of the current and the previous duke.