Born with a twin brother, Percy's first naval service began in February 1797, on Lord Hugh Seymour's flagship . Next he served on from 1801 to 1803 in the Mediterranean and - whilst in that theatre of war - transferred into. From there he was made 's acting lieutenant in August 1803, and his assistance in her capture of Spanish treasure ships on 5 October 1804 led to that commission being confirmed the following 30 April. He moved to sometime before 1806, for he was in that ship that year with Sir Home Riggs Popham during Cape Town's capture and was promoted from it to his first independent command came on 13 January 1806, over the brig. To reach that ship he was posted to the Dutch ship Bato, then thought to be in Simon's Bay, but - finding the Bato destroyed and that the Espoir had already sailed back to England - he had no choice but to return to the Diadem. The French 46-gun frigate Volontaire arrived in Table Bay on 4 March, and was seized, commissioned into the Royal Navy, and put under Percy's command, with orders to reach St Helena and head a convoy then returning to England. He also received confirmation of his two promotions of 1806, which were given the dates of 22 January and 25 September 1806 respectively. On arrival in England, he became the ToryMember of Parliament for Beer Alston, Devon, a role he held until 1820. He assisted at the occupation of Madeira by Sir Samuel Hood in 1807. To meet the terms of the convention of Cintra, requiring all defeated French forces to be returned to France, he transported the French general Junot from Portugal to La Rochelle in 1808, during his captaincy of the 36 gun. He commanded the frigate along the coast of France from November 1810 to the end of 1815, when he sailed back to England. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 26 September 1831, on the occasion of King William IV's Coronation Honours. On 23 November 1841, he was promoted to rear-admiral, acting as the Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station and Commander-in-Chief, Sheerness, having been promoted to vice admiral on 29 April 1851. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1851.
Marriage and issue
On 9 December 1820, he married Sophia Elizabeth Walhouse, daughter of Moreton Walhouse of Hatherton, Staffordshire, and sister of Lord Hatherton. One son and three daughters were born of the marriage. The only son Alan died young; of the daughters
Sophia Louisa Percy, author of Links with the Past married 7 July 1846 Col. Charles Bagot, of a prominent aristocratic family, and had issue, three sons, including Richard Bagot, their fourth and last child, and an only daughter and eldest child Alice Mary Bagot. The present Bagots of Levens Hall, Westmorland are descended from Josceline, the eldest son of Charles and Sophia Bagot.
Emily Percy married 17 July 1852, Gen. Sir Charles Lawrence d’Aguilar, G.C.B., and had issue, 1 daughter.
Charlotte Alice Percy who in 1858 married her first cousin Edward Percy Thompson, himself son of Ellen Percy, herself fourth youngest daughter of Hugh Percy, Bishop of Carlisle, and had issue, two sons and three daughters. The eldest daughter Grace Anne Thompson married 1892 her second cousin Capt. Josceline Hugh Percy, 7th and youngest son of Rev. Henry Percy, himself the second son of Bishop Hugh, and had issue two sons and two daughters.
