How Henry Percy’s Horse Is Behind Tottenham Hotspur’s Name

English football is engrained in history, with some of which dating back thousands of years. That is no more evident that at Tottenham Hotspur, which has links back to the 1300s.

In fact, if it wasn’t for events in that period, the name of the club could be completely different to what it is known as in this modern era. But, what role did Henry Percy have in the club’s history?

Connections Between The Two

The Hotspur part of the Tottenham name is to give homage to Sir Henry Percy, who was better known by his nickname, Harry Hotspur. The nickname comes from Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, and he and his family owned land on the Tottenham Marshes where the club played their first games.

Links between the two don’t stop there, as Percy House, which is located directly next to the ground is the modern day home of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.  This was built in the 1740s by Sir Hugh Smithson, who inherited the lands of the Percy Family, and his ancestor was Harry Hotspur.

Who is Harry Hotspur?

Hotspur is undeniably a name that Tottenham have adopted in this modern era, and the man it was named after was an English knight. He would fight in wars against the Scottish army, as well as in the Hundred Years War against the French.

Harry Hotspur’s name was linked to his unbelievable ability on a horse, with the knight able to make the equine go extremely quick, which saw him nicknamed ‘hot spurs’. It is likely that if he was alive today he would be engaging in horse track betting.

The nickname was given to him by the Scottish, but it quickly gained traction when he returned to England, and the nickname stuck, leading to the Premier League club many years later being called after a man that could go lightning fast on a horse.

Hotspur’s Later Life

After fighting the Scots and French, Hotspur would continue to be ranked among the very best knights in the land, despite not yet turning 30. Soon after 1393, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cyprus and was appointed as the Lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine. His mission lasted for two years, before returning to England in 1395 and taking part in the expedition to Ireland.

However, connections between Hotspur and Richard II would nosedive in the late 1390s, as Hotspur and his family would join forces in the rebellion alongside Henry IV. After victory, he and his family were lavishly rewarded.

Life in the forces would continue under the new king, as Hotspur would have extensive responsibilities in the East March to Wales, and he was later appointed High Sheriff of Flintshire in 1399.

Later Life & Death

Relations would turn sour between Hotspur and Henry IV later, as the Percys would become aggrieved when it came to payment from the King and the demand that Henry IV ignored to end the Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion. Among other issues, the Percys would also take note that the king’s son was promoted through the ranks quickly, which was deemed unfair by many.

This would lead to the Percys rebellion in 1403, as they took up arms against the king and colluded with Glyndwr. Hotspur would come to his end in a surprise and bloody battle against the king’s army in the Battle of Shrewsbury. 

Hotspur’s death was met with sadness by King Henry, who reportedly wept after seeing the body. It was later taken for burial at Whitchurch. However, it was dug up again by the king soon after following rumours that he was still alive.

This led to the body being strung up in Shrewsbury, with the king later cutting off his head. Sickening still, four quarters of his body were separately dismembered and displayed in Newcastle, Bristol, Chester, and London before they were delivered to his widow and buried in York Minister.  

Legacy

As well as a close association to Tottenham Hotspur due to his descendents owning the land of the club’s first ground on Tottenham Marshes, Hotspur is well known for his love of cockfighting, with that paid homage to with the club’s page.

Aside from sport, the knight has also achieved a number of other honours in death. Among those include being one of Shakespeare’s best known characters in Henry IV, Part 1. His legacy has also ventured into video games, with the protagonist in Shadows of the Damned called ‘Garcia Hotspur’ in his honour.

A number of famous actors have also played him on screen and in theatres. Sean Connery played him in a production, while he was portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carner in the 2019 release of The King. Such has been his legacy, a statue was also erected of Hotspur in Alnwick, and it was opened by the Duke of Northumberland in 2010.