Henry Algernon George Percy was born by the name of Earl Percy in 1871. He was the son of Henry George Percy, Earl Percy, and became the seventh duke of Northumberland upon his father’s demise in 1899. In 1895, Earl Percy visited Ottoman soil in Turkey which later led to several more trips across the Middle East with various other members of Parliament. In 1898, Percy published his work Notes of a Diary in Asiatic Turkey. It is at this time that his love for the history and art of the Middle East became very present and geared his focus in later works. In 1899, Earl Percy, along with his cousin Mr. Algernon Herber Percy, made a trip through Asia Minor, along the Euphrates, Bitlis, Kurdistan, the Tigris, and then onto Baghdad. Earl Percy published his writings in his most important work, The Highlands of Asiatic Turkey in 1901.

Throughout his book, Percy makes it quite clear that he is in disfavor of the Jewish population of Asia Minor in addition to the Russian and Armenian populations. He instead leaned towards agreeing with Ottoman and Germanic affairs. In 1902, while in Macedonia, Earl Percy was appointed the parliamentary under-secretary of India and had to return home. While most people respected and agreed with his thoughts on Macedonian and Ottoman affairs, some who sided with the Raya Nationalists did not. Earl Percy was thought to be a strong leader and an eloquent speaker, making him an excellent choice for the next leader of his party; however he died of pneumonia on December 30, 1909. (Biography written by Alexandria Holder, December 2013).

 

 

A digital copy of Henry Algernon George Percy’s book, Highlands of Asiatic Turkey, can be found here.

 

Access Percy’s itinerary here.

 

View Percy’s itinerary in a Google map: View History of the Geography of Asia Minor Alexandria Holder in a larger map

 

 

To read more about Percy’s travels, please read Alexandria Holder’s essay, which can be found here.