John Devereux, 1st Baron Devereux

Coat of arms of John Devereux

John Devereux, 1st Baron Devereux KG († February 22, 1393 in London ) was an English nobleman, military man and courtier. After a military career, he served under King Richard II as a diplomat and administrator and finally as steward of the Royal Household until his death .

origin

John Devereux came from the Anglo-Norman family Devereux, a gentry family from Herefordshire . His exact ancestry is uncertain, presumably he was a younger son of William Devereux from Bodenham in Herefordshire.

Military career

As a younger son, Devereux served as a soldier during the Hundred Years War and was knighted before 1366. In 1366 he was part of the army of the Breton mercenary leader Bertrand du Guesclin , with whom he supported Heinrich von Trastamara in the dispute for the succession to the throne in Castile. However, on the orders of Edward of Woodstock , the Black Prince, he changed sides along with the other Englishmen and subsequently supported King Peter the Cruel . On the side of Peter he took part in the victorious battle of Nájera in 1367 . As a result, he took part in other fights in Spain and south-west France. Under the Black Prince he served as Seneschal of the Limousin from 1369 to 1371 and as Commander of La Rochelle in 1372 . In 1373 he was captured by du Guesclin near Chizé and was only released before 1375 on payment of a ransom. The Black Prince, who died in 1376, left him an annual pension of 200 marks from 1377 onwards for his services .

Courtier, civil servant and diplomat under Richard II.

When Richard, the young son of the Black Prince, became King of England as Richard II in 1377 , Devereux began his political career. A seasoned military man, he served as an advisor to the Black Prince's younger brothers who ran the government for the young king. In March 1378 Devereux was appointed constable of Leeds Castle in Kent and in 1380 he became the commandant of Calais . The importance of this office was increased in the following year, when Devereux was also responsible for the defense of Guînes . In this capacity he served seven times as envoy in negotiations with France and Flanders until 1390 . Duke Johann V of Brittany , who had fought with him in south-western France, promised him an annual pension of 100 marks, which, however, was only paid irregularly. In addition, the government gave him the management of confiscated land. In September 1384 he was raised by the king to Knight Banneret and appointed to parliament as Baron Devereux . In 1385 he was able to buy the lordship of Kilpeck with Kilpeck Castle in Herefordshire.

When it came from 1387 to the political crisis in England, Devereux supported the Lords Appellant , who revolted against the favoritism of the king. After the overthrow of Simon Burley and other unpopular favorites, Devereux was able to acquire Lyonshall in Herefordshire, and in February 1388 he was appointed Steward of the Royal Household . The following year he was also Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports . In April 1389 he was finally accepted into the Order of the Garter.

While preparing for another trip abroad as a diplomat, Devereux suddenly died in his London townhouse. According to his will, he was buried in the Franciscan Church in London.

Family and offspring

Before 1379 Devereux had married Margaret de Vere († 1398), a daughter of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford († 1360) and Maud Badlesmere. With her he had at least two children:

• John Devereux, 2nd Baron Devereux († 1396) ∞ Philippa Brian
• Joan Devereux , 3rd Baroness Devereux (1379–1409)

1. ∞ Walter Fitzwalter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter († 1406)
2. ∞ Hugh Burnell, 2nd Baron Burnell († 1420)

Before 1390, his son John was married to Philippa Brian, a granddaughter and co-heir of Guy Brian, 1st Baron Brian , as a child . After the childless death of his son in 1396, his sister Joan became his heir.

Web links

• Carole Rawcliffe: Devereux, John, Baron Devereux (d.1393). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004
• Sir John Devereux, 1st Lord Devereux on thepeerage.com , accessed September 2, 2016.

Individual evidence

1. ^ History of Parliament Online: DEVEREUX, Sir Walter (d.1402), of Weobley, Herefs. Retrieved August 2, 2016 . 

predecessor	Office	successor
New title created	Baron Devereux 1384-1393	John Devereux