In Outlander season 7, episode 14, we met Percy Wainwright Beauchamp. While he is on the American side, he has a personal connection to Lord John Grey. He also made sure John could keep William safe despite being on the opposite side of the war.
Percy made himself known to Claire as Lafayette’s aid, at first. He then turned up later to share that he is Lord John Grey’s stepbrother, and he needs a word with John in private. It turned out that it concerned William, who was sent on a mission by Captain Richardson that was set to be William’s end. Percy couldn’t allow that to happen to John, even if it is one of the enemy.
Within this, he also shares that Richardson is an American spy. This is sure to change things up for Richardson, but it means John needs to find a way to save William because Jamie can’t.
Percy Wainwright Beauchamp is in the Outlander books
Percy does appear in the books, and I didn’t expect his story to be used in the TV series. To be honest, it doesn’t look like all of it will be.
Percy actually comes to John in An Echo in the Bone in search for a man named Claudel, who may have been taken from a brothel in Paris by Jamie Fraser 30 years earlier. Yes, he is looking for Fergus, and Percy believes that John knows the location of the man. In the conversation, he mentions William, but he doesn’t mention anything about the threat on William’s life.
It’s later on that Percy mentions this. It’s in Written in My Own Heart’s Blood that Percy turns up again, while Claire is treating John’s eye. He shares that William is in danger. So, it does look like this small part of Percy’s storyline is going to be used, and that’s likely because a part of the story in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone will need to be used in Outlander season 8.
Where do we leave Percy in the Outlander books?
While Percy has a bigger storyline in the books as he hunts down Fergus—believing Fergus to be the illegitimate son of Comte St. Germain—he turns up later as a prisoner of Captain Richardson. Richardson also captures Lord John Grey, with the attempt to force Hal’s hand to help the British win the war.
Wait, wasn’t Richardson an American spy? He’s a double agent, and he’s a man from the future. He wants the British to win the Revolutionary War. Threatening to expose John and Percy’s former relationship is his hope to stop Hal making a speech in Parliament that leads to the American victory. It’s a bit messy and we still don’t have all the answers.
It’s clear from leaked images of Outlander season 8 that Lord John Grey will be held captive for a while. Jamie and William are likely to save him, and it would make sense for the show to introduce Percy now if they’re going to bring this Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone storyline.
Outlander airs on Fridays on STARZ.
Stay up to date with the latest Outlander news with Claire and Jamie.