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.
Walter Devereux (died c. 1383)
Following the death of Humphrey de Bohun on 10 January 1373, Walter Devereux was shown holding 1 fee in Bodenham at his inquiry post-mortem. Devereux was granted the custody of all castles and keeping of all the forests, chases, and parks in Wales and the Marches, which had been held by the said Earl, while they remained in the king's hands. On 16 July Walter Devereux; John ap Rees, and Richard Sergeant were appointed to collect for one year the issues and profits of all castles, lordships and lands in England and the Welsh Marches of the earl of Hereford to be used for the payment of the debts of both Humphrey de Bohun and his father, William de Bohun, earl of Northampton.