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.
John Devereux of Bodenham and Decies
John Devereux was born about 1193, the son of Walter Devereux and Cecilia de Longchamp. His father was a member of the retinue of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, and upon Walter's death about 1197 his estates were taken into de Braose's hands for the king. Walter Devereux's sons were fostered for training as knights: John Devereux with William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber; Stephen Devereux, with William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke; and Nicholas Devereux, with Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath. The three brothers would sire the three Devereux families that would play an integral role in controlling the Welsh Marches during the thirteenth century.