Family and Education

b. c.1664, o. s. of Price Devereux (d.v.p. 1666, 1st s. of George Devereux† of Sheldon, Warws. and Vaynor Park) by his 3rd w. Mary, da. of one Stephens of Bristol, Glos.  m. 3 Dec. 1683, Mary (d. 1729), da. of Samuel Sandys† of Ombersley, Worcs., sis. of Edwin Sandys*, 1s. 1da.  suc. gdfa. 1682; cos. Edward Devereux as 9th Visct. Hereford 9 Aug. 1700.1

Offices Held

Freeman, Welshpool 1678; ld. lt. Mont. 1711–14; steward, manors of Mavon, Card. and Mynydd Mallaen and Talyllychau, Carm. 1713–Dec. 1714.2

Biography

Devereux, whose father was killed fighting the Dutch, was brought up by his paternal grandfather, a (politically) Presbyterian Member of Parliament in 1647–8. Devereux himself was a staunch Anglican, a great supporter of charity schools in his native county, who in 1688 had given negative answers to King James’ ‘three questions’ on the repeal of the Penal Laws and Test Act. As one of the ‘chief of the gentry’ in Montgomeryshire, he had apparently entertained some hopes of the Boroughs seat at the 1690 general election, but agreed ‘not to molest’ the outgoing Member, Charles Herbert*, whom he eventually succeeded the following year at a by-election. He was included in the forecast for the divisions of 31 Jan. 1696 on the proposed council of trade, as likely to oppose the Court, but was ‘ill’ in the country in March and unable to subscribe the Association. His explanation, accompanied by a declaration that he was willing to sign, was accepted by the House, but he may still have been purged from the Montgomeryshire commission of the peace. He was one of a number of MPs ordered, on 2 Nov. 1696, to attend within a week to be sent for in custody for unlicensed absence, and was up in time to vote on the 25th against the attainder of Sir John Fenwick†, but the following year, on 16 Dec. 1697, he was again ordered into custody for defaulting at a call of the House. He was discharged four days later. Classed as a supporter of the Country party in a comparative analysis of the old and new House of Commons in September 1698, the following month he was listed as likely to oppose the standing army. He was again largely inactive in his last Parliament, before going to the Upper House in 1700 on succeeding a cousin as Viscount Hereford.3

A staunch Tory under Queen Anne, and associated with the Earl of Rochester (Laurence Hyde†), Devereux remained loyal to the ministry over the peace in 1711–12, urging the vengeance of God on its enemies. Jacobite intelligence, albeit of dubious provenance, considered him in 1721 ‘a worthy man and fit to be relied on’. Devereux died at Vaynor, 3 Oct. 1740, aged 76, and was buried at Berriew, Montgomeryshire. His heir (and namesake) had sat as a Tory knight of the shire since 1719.4

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

Notes

• 1. Mont. Colls. xii. 320; xxvii. 196–7, 199–201, 206–7; Duncumb and Cooke, Herefs. iv. 70; Nash, Worcs. ii. 220; IGI, Worcs.
• 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. xxvii. 295, 325, 327; xxxviii. 209–10.
• 3. Mont. Colls. 199–201, 207; SPCK Corresp. ed. Clement (Univ. of Wales Bd. of Celtic Studies, Hist. and Law ser. x), 87; Duckett, Penal Laws and Test Act (1882), 384; Cal. Herbert Corresp. ed. Smith (Univ. of Wales, Bd. of Celtic Studies, Hist. and Law ser. xxi), 346, 352–3, 355; A. Browning, Danby, iii. 213; L. K. J. Glassey, Appt. JPs, 123.
• 4. G. Holmes, Pol. in Age of Anne, 276, 428; HMC Portland, v. 132; P. S. Fritz, Ministers and Jacobitism 1715–45, p. 154.