Contents [hide]

Devereux History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Devereux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Devereux 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 Devereux family

The surname Devereux 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 Devereux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Devereux 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 Devereux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Devereux Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Devereaux, Deverall, Deverell, Deverill, Devreux and many more.

Early Notables of the Devereux 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...
Robert Devereux (1566-1601), 2nd Earl of Essex, led an abortive coup d'état against the government and was executed for treason, (ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II). Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (1...

Devereux Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Devereux is the 504^th most popular surname with an estimated 93 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Devereux family to Ireland

Some of the Devereux 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.

Devereux migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Devereux or a variant listed above:

Devereux Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Devereux of Suffolk, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet. 7
John Devereux, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 7
John Warren Devereux, who landed in Maryland in 1637 7

Devereux Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Devereux, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 7
John, Lawrence, Michael, Miles, Nicholas, Robert, Phillip, and William Devereux, who settled in Pennsylvania between 1844 and 1870
Thomas Herbert Devereux, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1871 7

Devereux migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Devereux Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Devereux, aged 28, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Lady Douglas" from New Ross

Devereux migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Devereux Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Devereux, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Thomas Devereux, aged 27, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"
Elizabeth Devereux, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"
Mr. William Devereux, English convict who was convicted in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th March 1863, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 9

Devereux migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Devereux Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Devereux, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 10
A. J. Devereux, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wyvern" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Devereux (post 1700) +

Arthur Forrester Devereux (1838-1906), American colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War, awarded the honorary rank of brevet brigadier general, United States Volunteers, by President Andrew Johnson
Helena Trafford Devereux (1885-1975), American founder of The Devereux Foundation
John Patrick Devereux (b. 1963), retired American soccer midfielder/defender
Nicholas Devereux (1791-1855), Irish-born, American financier and banker, founder of Utica Savings Bank, brother of John C. Devereux
John C. Devereux (1774-1848), Irish-born, American politician, 1st Mayor of Utica, New York
John Henry Devereux (1840-1920), American architect and builder best known for his designs in Charleston, South Carolina
George Devereux (1908-1985), born György Dobó, a French-American ethnologist and psychoanalyst
Brigadier General James Patrick Sinnott Devereux (1903-1988), American Commanding Officer of the 1st Defense Battalion during the defense of Wake Island in December 1941
J. W. Devereux, American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 5th District, 1873 11
Horace T. Devereux, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County 1st District, 1887 11
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Devereux family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Eric Gordon Devereux (1921-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Armadale, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 12

The Devereux 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
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp