Deverau History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Deverau family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Herefordshire. This family was originally from Evreux, in Eure, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this place-name, D'Evreux, literally translating as "from Evreux." They claim descent from "the sovereign house of Normandy, deriving from Robert Count of Evereux, Archbishop of Rouen, son of Richard I of Normandy." 1 2

Early Origins of the Deverau family

The surname Deverau was first found in Herefordshire where Roger D'Evreux and his brother were listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was there that he married the sister of Walter de Lacy of Hereford. His widow, Helewysa gave lands to Gloucester Abbey and bore a son named Robert de Evrois. By 1165, there were two branches of the family in Hereford. 1

"Amongst the principal Normans who accompanied the Conqueror, and participated in the triumph and spoil of Hastings, was Walter de Evereux, of Rosmar, in Normandy, who obtained, with other considerable grants, the Lordships of Salisbury and Ambresbery, which (having devised his hereditary possessions and Earldoms to Walter, his eldest son,) he bequeathed to his younger son, Edward de Evereux, thenceforward designated of Salisbury. This potent noble, who possessed, at the General Survey, lordships in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Surrey, Hants, Middlesex, Hereford, Buckingham, and Wilts, bore the royal Standard at the battle of Brennevill, and eminently distinguished himself. His only son, Walter de Evereux, founded the Monastery of Bradenstoke, wherein, in his old age, he became a canon." 3

Sir John Devereux second Lord Devereux (d. 1393), "belonged to a family which takes its name, according to Dugdale, from the town of Evreux in Normandy. It is found in English annals so early as 1140. Sir John Devereux was the son of Sir Walter DeveDevereux, and grandson of William, summoned as Baron in 1298. He was one of the English knights who apparently accompanied Du Guesclin into Spain in 1366 to dethrone Don Pedro." 4

It was in Wiltshire that the Deverells permanently took root, and there they lived close upon four hundred and fifty years, and gave their name to a nest of adjacent hamlets, Kingston-Deverill, Longbridge Deverill, Monckton Deverill, Brixton Deverill and Hill Deverill, clustered along the little river Wiley; to Mount-Deverill, and Hussey-Deverill." 5

The name Deverill is not uncommon to fiction. In particular, Edward Deverill was featured in Agatha Christie's Poirot story "Evil under the Sun," and the fictional Deverill Hall in Hampshire, in the village of King's Deverill which is prominently noted in The Mating Season, a novel by P. G. Wodehouse.

Early History of the Deverau family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Deverau research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1339, 1362, 1367, 1372, 1374, 1376, 1383, 1411, 1431, 1449, 1451, 1459, 1463, 1485, 1489, 1501, 1550, 1558, 1566, 1578, 1591, 1601, 1614, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1646, 1658, 1660, 1676 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Deverau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Deverau Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Deverau has been recorded under many different variations, including Devereaux, Deverall, Deverell, Deverill, Devreux and many more.

Early Notables of the Deverau family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Devereux of Bodenham (c. 1315-1367), High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1362-1372); Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham (c. 1339-1383), High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1374-1376); Walter Devereux (1411-1459) was Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1449 to about 1451; Walter Devereux (son of Walter Devereux), jure uxoris 7th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (c.1431-1485), was a minor member of the English peerage, a loyal supporter of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field and his son, John Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (1463-1501)...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Deverau Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Deverau family to Ireland

Some of the Deverau family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Deverau family

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Deveraus were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Michael Devaraux, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1824; Nicholas Devaraus arrived in Philadelphia in 1855; Robert Deveaureoux arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1820.

The Deverau Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtutis comes invidia
Motto Translation: Envy is the companion of virtue.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3