Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
Walter Devereux was the eldest son of Sir Richard Devereux, who was created a Knight of the Bath on 20 February 1547 and died that same year, in the lifetime of his father, The 1st Viscount Hereford. Walter Devereux's mother was Lady Dorothy Hastings, daughter of The 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, said to have been a mistress of Henry VIII. Through his paternal ancestry he was related to the Bourchier family, to which previous Earls of Essex had belonged: John Devereux, son of Walter Devereux who died at the Battle of Bosworth, married Cecily Bourchier, sister of Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Edward Devereux, 11th Viscount Hereford
George Devereux was a namesake son of Sir George Devereux of Sheldon Hall (d. 1665) and his wife Blanch Ridge. The senior George was a younger brother of Walter Devereux, 5th Viscount Hereford who held the title from 1646 to 1658. The descendants of Walter held the title from 1658 to 1700. A senior line of descendants of Sir George had held the title from 1700 to the death of their last male-line member in 1748. The 11th Viscount then inherited the title as their closest male-line relative.