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 (1411–1459)
On 22 May 1455, the first Battle of St. Albans was fought north of London, traditionally recognised as the first battle of the War of the Roses. A Yorkist victory that included the capture of the King, the Battle of St. Albans restored the Duke of York to complete power. Shortly after the victory Parliament pardoned Walter Devereux on 9 July. On 4 November 1455 he was appointed Sheriff of Gloucestershire. He was also appointed Justice of the Peace for Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, and would continue to hold one or both of these positions for the rest of his life.