Sir Walter Devereux was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1624 and became the 5th Viscount Hereford, a peer in the peerage of England.
Background
Devereux was the son of Sir Edward Devereux of Castle Bromwich Hall and his wife Catherine (née Arden) Devereux and the grandson of Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount Hereford. He succeeded his father in 1622 as 2nd Baronet and succeeded his first cousin twice removed, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex in 1646 as the 5th Viscount Hereford.
Career
In 1621 he was elected Member of Parliament for Marlborough, in 1624 Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and in 1625 Member of Parliament for Worcester. He served as High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1625. When Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex died in 1646, Devereux inherited his Hereford Viscountcy, but not the Earldom of Essex, which became extinct.
Devereux married twice, firstly, Elizabeth Baspole, daughter of Robert Baspole and secondly, Elizabeth Knightley, daughter of Thomas Knightley.
With the latter he had three sons:
Essex Devereux (1615—1639) who married Anne daughter of Sir William Courteen and Anne Tryon but drowned while boating leaving one daughter, Elizabeth. Anne remarried to Richard Knightley;
Leicester Devereux, 6th Viscount Hereford who succeeded him and
Walter Devereux (1621—1683) Member of Parliament for Orford.
Membership
Happy Parliament; Addled Parliament]
He was elected Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Stafford in 1614. He was named by the Lords as Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire in 1646 and a member of the Radnorshire militia committee in 1648.