Walter Devereux (died c. 1383)

Walter Devereux of Bodenham
Spouse(s) Maud

Issue

Walter Devereux of Bodenham and Weobley
Ann Devereux
Father William Devereux of Bodenham
Mother Anne Barre
Born c. 1339
Died c. 1383

Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham was a prominent knight in Herefordshire during the reign of Edward III. He was a member of Parliament, sheriff, and Justice of the Peace for Hereford.

Ancestry and Childhood

Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham was born about 1339, the son of William Devereux of Bodenham and Anne, daughter of Sir John Barre.[1] His great-grandfather was William Devereux, Baron Devereux of Lyonshall by his first wife, Alice de Grandison.

He was a close ally of his cousin, John Devereux, 1st Baron Devereux of Whitchurch Maund.[2] The Baron was a friend of the Black Prince and member of Richard II’s council of regency, and his influence promoted the career of Walter Devereux.[3]

His arms were: Argent a fesse gules, in chief three torteaux.

Career

An oyer and terminer commission was called in 1357 for a complaint by Sir Richard de Acton that Walter Devereux was among a number of individuals that broke into his park at Aily, county Somerset, and hunted therein.[4] Another commission was called in 1362 on a complaint by the abbot of Abbotesbury that Walter Devereux was among a number of individuals who tore up stones for metes and bounds in his lands in Tolpudele and caused other damage to his lands.[5]

He was a knight by the time he was nominated as attorney by Brother Thomas de Burley, prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in Ireland, preceptor of Dynemor, Carewy and Upledne, who was going to Ireland on the king's service.[6] Devereux was created justice of the peace for Gloucester in 1366,[7] 1368,[8] 1377,[9] and 1380;[10] for Hereford in December 1381,[11] and 1382;[12] and the Welsh marches in 1377.[13] He also was entrusted with keeping the peace in the city of Hereford, and ensuring that its people were armed and kept ready to resist the king's enemies in 1377.[14] Devereux served on commissions of oyer and terminer regarding complaints by Gilbert Giffard regarding the repair of a chapel in Kingshome, Gloucester in 1366,[15] Sir John de Burley regarding a break in at his park in Harsfeld, county Gloucester, in 1368,[16] and to determine who intruded upon the king's manors of Ribbesford and La Roke, county Worcester, in 1377.[17] He was also on the commission of array for Hereford in 1377.[18]

Walter Devereux was a retainer of the de Bohuns.[3][19] In 1369 he was granted protection and appointed an attorney for 1 year while he was overseas in France serving in the company led by Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford.[20] At the death of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, in 1373, he was granted the custody of all castles in Wales and in the Marches of Wales, which had been held by the said Earl.[21]

He was sometime sheriff of Somerset and Dorset.[3] In 1376 and 1377, he held the position of sheriff of Herefordshire.[22]

He obtained a licence for an annual fair of three days continuance in Bodenham on 12 July 1378. The days of the fair were to be those of the Assumption (15 August), the day preceding, and the day following. He also was granted a weekly market in Bodenham to occur on Tuesdays.[1]

He was also a member of Parliament for Herefordshire in 1378,[23][24] 1379,[25] 1381, 1382,[22][26] and 1383.[27] On 8 February 1382 he was attending Parliament with his son, also named Walter, and they both were appointed to a royal commission.[3][28]

In 1380 he was granted protection and appointed an attorney for 1 year while overseas in France serving in the company under Thomas of Woodstock, Earl of Buckingham.[29] During the Peasants' Revolt Walter Devereux was mandated on July 7, 1381 to issue a proclamation regarding the murder under pretext of royal authority of Simon, Archbishop of Canterbury; Robert de Hales, Prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem; Chief Justice John de Cavendish; and others by the rebels. He also was empowered to forbid unlawful assemblies, and to resist and punish the insurgents.[30] He then was placed on a commission on February 8, 1382 to arrest William de Solers who had been outlawed for not appearing before the king for disseising John ap William ap Jankin and his wife of Dorstone manor.[31] He also was placed on the commission of February 16, 1382 entrusted with arresting the individuals responsible for disseising John de Walleford of the manor of Brocton.[32]

Death

He died sometime about 1383.[lower-alpha 1][33]

Provided is an excerpt from Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire[34] describing his home, and burial in the church of Bodenham Devereux: The manor-house, formerly called “Devereux Court” and now the “Moat,” is situated near the Church, and is a timber mansion of great antiquity. It probably formed the residence of Sir Walter Devereux who was the Sheriff, 50 and 51 Edward III, and whose monument was to be seen in the church forty years ago. Dingley (Hist. from Marble. Part I, ccxxxvi.) gives a sketch of it, from which we gather that it represented a knight in chain-armour with a sleeveless surcoat over the hawberk. The sword is on the right side and attached to a jeweled belt. The hands are crossed above the breast, on which are depicted the arms of Devereux. These are repeated at intervals on the upper plinth, where a French inscription is partially legible. Sir Walter obtained licence for a market and fair at his manor of Bodenham, and probably contributed largely to the re-building of the church, in the windows of which were to be seen the arms of Devereux and the cognizance of Richard II – the white hart lodged – together with the arms of that monarch and those of Delabere, Lucy, and Brydges. All these memorials have now perished; the alabaster slab, on which the effigy of Sir Walter was incised, was broken into fragments at the restoration of the church in 1834.

Marriage

He married a woman named Maud[3][35] and had children: Walter Devereux[36] of Bodenham and Weobley (c. 1361), and Ann Devereux (c. 1363) who married Rosser Vaughan of Lechryd.[37]

Notes

  1. ↑ Identified only as 'corson', he was bequeathed 20 pounds in the Will entered June 1385 by his distant cousin John Devereux of Whitchurch Maund. Other individuals identified in this Will had died as early as 1379.

References

  1. 1 2 John Duncumb. Collections Towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford, part I of Volume II. (Hereford: E.G. Wright, 1812). Page 37 and 49, Broxash Hundred
  2. ↑ Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Edward III, Volume 8, 1356-1368. London: Wyman and Sons. 1923. Page 384
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 The History of Parliament Online; Sir Walter Devereux (d. 1402), of Weobley, Herefs. Accessed 4 November 2013.
  4. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 10, page 616. 1357, September 11, Westminster, membrane 8d
  5. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 12, page 284. 1362, July 1, Westminster, membrane 42d
  6. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, volume 12, page 472. 1364, February 13, Westminster, membrane 36
  7. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 13, 283. 1366, May 6, Winchester, membrane 34d
  8. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 14, page 191 and 192. 1368, July 10, Westminster, membrane 29d
  9. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 16, page 490. 1377, March 8, Westminster, membrane 33d
  10. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, volume 1, page 515. 1380, May 26, Westminster, membrane 12d
  11. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard II, volume 2. University of Iowa digital library. Page 86, 14 December 1381, Westminster, membrane 3d
  12. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 2, page 138. 1382, March 8, Westminster, membrane 22d
  13. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 16, page 496. 1377, May 12, Westminster, membrane 13d
  14. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard II, volume 1. University of Iowa digital library. Page 5, 20 Jul 1377, Westminster, membrane 28
  15. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 13, page 285. 1366, May 15, Westminster, membrane 25
  16. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 14, page 196. 1368, August 8, Windsor, membrane 26d
  17. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 16, page 493. 1377, March 24, Westminster, membrane 24d
  18. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 16, page 499. 1377, April 29, Westminster, membrane 10d
  19. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, volume 2. H.C. Maxwell Lyte (editor). 1920. Pages 511 to 516, 22 December 1384, Westminster
  20. ↑ The Soldier in Later Medieval England website. University of Southampton. Walter Deveros. TNA C76/52, membranes 21 and 22,
  21. ↑ John Duncumb et al. Collections towards the history and antiquities of the county of Hereford. In continuation of Duncumb’s History. Hundred of Huntington. (Hereford: Jakeman & Carver, High Town, 1897). Page 58, Parish of Huntington
  22. 1 2 John Duncumb. Collections Towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford, volume 1. (Hereford: E.G. Wright, 1804) Page 139, 152
  23. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, Volume 1. H.C. Maxwell (editor). 1914. 16 November 1378, Gloucester, membrane 22d
  24. ↑ UK National Archives Petitioners: Walter Devereux; John (Clefford) Clifford; Robert de Whyteney (Whitney), sheriff of Herefordshire. [1378] Reference: SC 8/107/5303. Description: Datable by reference to Whyteney as sheriff of Herefordshire (November 1377-November 1378): see Rees, Petitions Relating to Wales, pp. 166-7. Devereux was knight of the shire for Herefordshire in the parliament of October 1378.
  25. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, volume 1. H. C. Maxwell (editor). 1914. 27 May 1379, Gloucester, membrane 3d
  26. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, volume 2. H.C. Maxwell Lyte (editor). 1920. pages 226-9, 24 October 1382, Westminster
  27. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, volume 2. H.C. Maxwell Lyte (editor). 1920. Pages 408-416, 26 November 1383, Westminster
  28. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 2, Page 132. 1382, February 8, Westminster, membrane 35d
  29. ↑ The Soldier in Later Medieval England website. University of Southampton. Walter Deveros. TNA C76/65, membranes 26 and 28,
  30. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 2, page 71. 1381, July 7, Havering atte Bower, membrane 35d
  31. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 2, Page 132. 1382, February 8, Westminster, membrane 35d
  32. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 2, page 134. 1382, February 16, Westminster, Membrane 34d
  33. ↑ Collectanea Topographica & Genealogica, Volume III. (London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1834). Page 100, 101
  34. ↑ Charles Robinson. A History of the Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire. (London: Longmans and Company, 1872). pages 30-31
  35. ↑ Calendar of Patent Rolls,Volume 14, page 367. 1370, February 10, Westminster, membrane 30
  36. ↑ Calendar of Close Rolls, Richard II, volume 2. H.C. Maxwell Lyte (editor). 1920. Pages 216 to 222, 25 October 1382, Westminster
  37. ↑ Charles J. Robinson. A History of the Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords. (Herefordshire: Logaston Press, 2002). Page 25.
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