Stephen Devereux

Stephen Devereux
Spouse(s) Isabel de Cantelupe
Issue
William Devereux
Daughters
Father Walter Devereux
Mother Cecilia de Longchamp
Born circa 1194
Died 1228

Stephen Devereux (c. 1194 – 1228) was a powerful Marcher Lord, and held Lyonshall Castle controlling an important approach to the border of Wales. As a key member of William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke retinue, he played a significant role in the Earl's support of King John during the First Barons' War, and during the minority of Henry III.

Birth and ancestry

Stephen Devereux was descended[1][lower-alpha 1] from William Devereux, a Domesday Landholder in Gloucester and Hereford under Tenant-in-chief Roger de Lacy. The Devereux were a prominent knightly family on the Welsh marches with their power centered on Lyonshall Castle. Their coat of arms was: "Argent, fess and three roundels in chief gules."[2] Stephen Devereux was born about 1194, the eldest of three sons of Walter Devereux[3] and Cecilia de Longchamp. Cecilia was the daughter of Sir Hugh de Longchamp[3] and sister to William de Longchamp, Lord Chancellor of England.

His father, Walter, died in 1198, and his lands passed into the King's hands and the custody of the sheriff of Hereford, William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. His mother, Cecilia, launched into a series of legal fights to preserve her dower rights and the Devereux properties.[lower-alpha 2] Stephen and his brothers, Nicholas[4][5][6][lower-alpha 3] and John[7][lower-alpha 4] came under the protection of William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and remained part of his retinue throughout their lives. As Braose fell out of favor with King John in 1206, the Devereux estates were transferred to other lords with Lyonshall Castle taken into the hands of Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath in 1209.[8] Stephen’s uncle and namesake, Stephen de Longchamp, granted him the manor of Frome Herbert (Halmond) in 1205,[9] which probably served as his first independent home.

Career

Devereux demonstrated a more active role as a Marshall supporter when the Earl was recalled from Ireland in 1207. Stephen defied the King’s orders and remained behind as his bailiff. The next year Devereux was among the Marshall’s followers rewarded with land grants. Stephen also served with William le Gros in 1214 as the Marshall’s attorney in a suit involving the Abbey of Abingdon and Faringdon.

By 1211 King John had confiscated the lands of Walter de Lacy, and William de Braose died. With the reconciliation of the Earl of Pembroke with the King, Steven Devereux was brought back into royal favor. This undoubtedly facilitated the restoration of his properties as he came of age. Stephen is pardoned 4 marks of scutage by King John in 1211, and two fees held of the Bishops of Worcester and Winchester in 1214. Walter de Lacy released ½ knight’s fee in the manor of Haymond’s Frome (Frome Halmond) to Stephen d’Ebroicis.[lower-alpha 5] Stephen participated in the King’s expedition to Poitou in France during the first part of 1214, and is present for the conquest of Anjou and the final withdrawal following the Battle of Bouvines. His reward included instructions to the royal forester, Hugh de Neville, to measure 40 acres at his manor of Crowle in the royal forest of Feckenham for assarting (clearance for agriculture) in accord with the license the King had granted Stephen. On 02 Aug. 1222, a writ was sent to the sheriff of Worcestershire involving Crowle. The order showed that Crowle had been given to the Prior of Wormsley by Stephen, but his original grant was being called into question. In 1224 Stephen’s position was strong enough to point out to the government that the 40 acres of assart granted him at Crowle were to be placed outside the regard, and they were for the three years.[lower-alpha 6]

As the first Barons’ War played out, William Marshall and Stephen Devereux stood firm with the King. The Earl of Pembroke was with John at Runnymeded on 15 June 1215 when he signed the Magna Carta. On 4 July 1215 King John wrote in a royal writ describing Stephen as ‘our dear and faithful’ when ordering a quittance of an annual render to Hereford Castle of 32 gallons of honey from Stephen’s manor of Ballingham. Devereux continued to support the King up to John’s death in 1216, and was among those entrusted with being in charge of the new King, Henry III, during his minority. It is probable Stephen was with the Earl of Pembroke at the Battle of Lincoln in 1217 when the French king was driven from England. Devereux was rewarded with many holdings forfeited by the rebels: Ballingham and Clehonger in Herefordshire (27 Jan 1216),[lower-alpha 7] L20 of land in Stanton, Worcestershire (30 July 1216),[lower-alpha 8] and lands at Rotherwas (1219).[lower-alpha 9] In 1219 he was appointed a forest commissioner for the Eyre in Hereford, and the following year a justice of gaol delivery for Hereford[lower-alpha 10] In June 1219 Stephen Devereux was assigned as inquisitor along with William Cantilupe Senior, Walter Muscegros, Gilbert Talbot, and Hugh Rigal (clerk) with instructions to travel through Hereford County reviewing the use of land, and insuring that all was being done by grant of the king.[10]

Upon William Marshall’s death, Gilbert de Lacy granted Stephen Devereux 12 virgates of land in the manor of Staunton-on-Wye (part of the honor of Weobley also held by the Pichard’s) for which Stephen “should be in my familia.” As a supporter now of de Lacy, both Walter and Gilbert de Lacy witnessed and confirmed Stephen’s extensive grants to Wormsley Priory.[11][lower-alpha 11] The lands were located in Kings Pyon about 7.5 miles south-east of Lyonshall. Stephen granted the chapel and mills at Lyonshall, mills at Haymond’s Frome, rents from mills in Hereford, pasture at his manor of Cheddrehole, and gifts of grain and 10s per annum from his chamber for vestments. Stephen de Ebroicis (D'Evreux) gave the mill of Frome to the Canons of St. Leonards of Pyon with the business to it of all his tenants in Frome Haymond, and who of his tenants did not bring their business to that mill should fall into "misericordiam ejus." To this donation he added an additional one and a half acres (of meadow) situated among the waters near the Mill. One source indicates Frome herberti was among the lands transferred to the Priory. His letter to the Bishop of Hereford tells that he grants the priory “ the whole Church of Leonhals, reserving a reasonable endowment for the Vicarage,’ and expresses his regret that the urgency of his affairs prevents him from tendering his gift in person. In this grant there is also mention of his wife, Isabell, and mother, ‘the widow Cecilia’ (who was holding some of the lands involved in the grant).

In 1221 Stephen had a dispute with the Canon of Hereford, M. William de Ria, over a weir in the River Wye in Hereford.[12][13] This extended into October of 1222 when Stephen was also involved in further litigation against William, Archdeacon of Hereford.

In 1223 he participated in a military expedition again the Welsh. For this service he had scutage of all his tenants in the counties of Gloucester and Hereford, who held of him by military service. On 27 April 1223 from the Court at St. Albans an order to the sheriffs of Essex and Hertfordshire to cause the demand that the King makes from Stephen d’Evreux by summons of the Exchequer for several scutages from his land of Trumpington to be placed in respite until upon his next account. In 1225 he helped escort the collected fifteenth for that year from Hereford to Gloucester, and on 4 June 1227 he was granted a weekly market and yearly fair at Lyonshall in perpetuity.

Finally, in 1227 the 2nd Earl of Pembroke, William fitzWilliam Marshal, granted him Wilby Manor in Norfolk. The King confirmed this on 4 June 1227[lower-alpha 12]

Marriage

As Stephen came of age and assumed the title of Lord of Lyonshall, he married about 1215 Isabel de Cantilupe,[14] daughter of William de Catilupe Sheriff of Herefordshire and his wife, Mazilia Braci. She was also the aunt of Thomas de Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford. They would go on to have children: William (born 1219) who was his heir, and daughters (born ~1221 and ~1223).[15][lower-alpha 13][lower-alpha 14]

Principal landholdings

Stephen Devereux's principal seat was at Lyonshall Castle in Hereford. His manors included Ballingham, Frome Halmond (Herbert), and Whitchurch maund (Bodenham) in Herefordshire; and Cheddrehole (Cheddar) in Somerset; Lower Hayton in Salop; and Wilby in Norfolk. Additional lands included Clehonger, Trumpington, Staunton-on-Wye in Herefordshire; Crowle in the Royal Forest of Feckham, and Stanton in Worcester. Frome Halmond and Whitchurch maund were held by Isabel de Cantilupe in dower until her death.

Death

Stephen Devereux died on 17 Mar 1227/8. His wife, Isabel survived him, and married a second time to Ralph de Penbrugge[3] (between 1230 and 1242). On 17 March 1227/8 from the Court at Windsor a writ concerning lands to be taken into the King’s hand. Order to the sheriff of Herefordshire that, immediately after having viewed these letters, he is to take into the King’s hand the land that Stephen d’Evreux held of the King in chief near to Gillow and all other lands that he held in his bailiwick, and to keep them safely until the King is certain to whom the custody of the aforesaid lands pertains, whether to the King or to another.

In March of 1228 the King issued a writ instructing the sheriff of Hereford to release the lands of Isabel Cantilupe’s dower that had been taken into his hands by the order of the king on Stephen’s death. On 21 February 1244, the king provided a further writ specifically restoring to her the manor of Frome Herbert (Frome Halmond), which was held in dower as part of the barony of Walter de Lacy. On 3 April 1228 the king further clarified that the sheriff was to take into his possession certain lands that Stephen held by fee of Gilbert de Lacy.

In 1242, Isabel Devereux held in Magene Album (Whitchurch maund in the parish of Bodenham) of the Honor of Weobley 2 hides from Roger Pichard by knight’s service in the Hundred of Brokesesse in Hereford.[8] On 21 February 1244 his widow, gave to the Hospital of St. Ethelbert for the souls of herself and her two husbands "unam ladum bladi" at the Feast of St. Andrew during her life to be received at her house in Frome. This Deed has a seal of white wax with the arms of Devereux and around it "Sigillum Isabell +" and was witnessed by Hugh de Kilpeck, John de Ebroicis, and Ricard de Chandos. The arms of Devereux was described as "a fess and in chief three torteauxes."[16]

Notes

  1. ↑ The descent from William Devereux of Domesday was as follows: William Devereux (died after 1110), Walter Devereux (died circa 1130), Walter Devereux (died about 1166), John Devereux (died 1187), and Walter Devereux (died 1198).
  2. ↑ Two examples: Curia Regis Roll: Michaelmas Term, 9 John 1207. Cicely Devereux was fined 3 marks for mercy in the suit over Putley. The matter was eventually settled when the canons produced the charter that William Devereux had conferred on them, and demonstrated they had possessed the right of patronage for the previous 60 years. An arrangement was made where Cecilia released her own claims and the future rights of her heirs and assigns in the contested portion of the advowson, for which concession she was paid eight marks of silver with the privilege of having her obit celebrated in the Cathedral at the annual thanksgiving to benefactors. Curia Regis Roll: Michaelmas Term, 13 John, 1211, Membrane 6, Page 144. Gloucester— Cecilia Devereux seeks against William de Lechlade six and a half hides of land and 6 acres of land with the appurtenances in Lech (Leach) as her right and inheritance. And so William Devereux, the grandfather of the aforesaid Cicely, was seised in the time of King Henry the Lord's father, etc. And William comes and defends his right to hold in the Lord's name, and he puts forward his great assize of the Lord King and seeks to have his seisin recognized, as is aforesaid, whether he should have the greater right of holding than Cicely the land of William Devereux, her grandfather and by whom she herself stakes her claim of the land, he (William Devereux) gave his mother, Orenge. Cicely received a marriage-portion to hold of him if she held this in the Lord's name. Day is given them on the octave of St. Martin, and then come the fourth. etc.
  3. ↑ Nicholas Devereux eventually holds the Devereux manors of Cheynestone (Hereford) and East Leach (Gloucester), and received lands in Ireland from William Marshall that may have included Ballymagyr Castle in Wexford. He was Steward of Meath under Walter de Lacy.
  4. ↑ John Devereux eventually is rewarded by William Marshall with the 'Decies,' lands in Waterford County, Ireland
  5. ↑ Later there was the following entry in the Book of Fees during the time of Henry III referring to an earlier charter involving lands held by his widow: “In the manor of Frome Haymond which contains four hides, Isabel Devereux holds from the Honor of Weobley from old; and the four hides formerly were responsible for one knight fee, and through this charter, Walter de Lacy releases Stephen Devereux from one half fee.”
  6. ↑ After his death there is reference on 30 December 1232 (Calendar of Charter Rolls, Tewkesbury, membrane 12) to an exception in the “Grant to the hospital of St. Wulstan, Worcester, without the gate of Suthbiri, and the brethren there, or the following gifts: … of the gift of Stephen de Ebroicis, the patronage of the church of Croul…”
  7. ↑ Forfeited by Walter de Stokes
  8. ↑ Forfeited by Peter of Stanton
  9. ↑ Forfeited by Peter of Welles
  10. ↑ Curia Regis Roll: Trinity Term, 4 Henry III, 1220, May 22, Membrane 29, page 198. Pleas of the Crown ‘gaolis’ Hereford deliberating before the M. de Pateshull, Stephen De Evreux dissesisin, new assize, and like manner and his associates, etc. the fourth year of the reign of King Henry, son of John.
  11. ↑ Stephen Devereux's brother, John, witnessed his grants.
  12. ↑ Calendar of Charter Rolls, Merton, membrane 8: as “Grant to Stephen de Ebroicis of all the land of Wyleby which he has of the gift of William Marshall, Earl of Penbroch, pursuant to a charter of the said Earl.”
  13. ↑ On May 2, 1234 (Reading, Close, 18 Hen III, membrane 25) indicates that as Walter de Lacy was on the King’s service in Ireland, the Sheriff of Hereford was commanded to respite till the Quizaine of Michaelmas the plaint in his county by the King’s writ between Walter de Baskerville, complainant, and the said Walter deforcient, touching the daughters of Stephen D’Evreux..
  14. ↑ Stephen Devereux may have had another son, Walter Devereux, who like Stephen's heir, William, participated in Henry III's expedition to Gascony, and had his lands confiscated after the Battle of Evesham. Walter Devereux would serve as sheriff of Herefordshire in 1265, and was stylized as 'Lord of Bodenham' when he borrowed money from Ysah the Jew in 1261.

Biographical References

Specific References

  1. ↑ Morgan G. Watkins. Collections Towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford in continuation of Duncumb’s History, Hundred of Radlow. (High Town [Hereford]: Jakeman & Carver, 1902). Page 42 to 49. Parish of Castle Frome, Genealogy contributed by Lord Hereford
  2. ↑ Thomas Daniel Tremlett (editor), Hugh Stanford London (editor), and Sir Anthony Wagner. Rolls of Arms, Henry III; The Matthew Paris Shield c. 1244-59; Glover's Roll, c. 1253-8 and Walford's Roll, c. 1273; Additions and Corrections to a Catalogue of English Mediaeval Rolls of Arms. (Oxford: The University Press for the Harleian Society, 1967). page 123
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Evelyn Philip Shirley. Stemmata Shirleiana. (Westminster: Nichols and Sons, 1873). page 103
  4. ↑ The Deputy Keeper of Records. "Liber Feodorum. The Book of Fees Commonly Called Testa de Nevill, Reformed From the Earliest Mss; Part 1, AD 1198 - 1242." (London: Published by his Majesty's Stationery Office, 1920). Pages 631-2
  5. ↑ W. Holden Brook. "Lords of the Central Marches: English Aristocracy and Frontier Society, 1087-1265." (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). Pages 101, 113
  6. ↑ , Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 5, page 53. 1340, November 14, Reading, membrane 24 & 25
  7. ↑ Gabriel O'C Redmond. "An Account of the Anglo-Norman Family of Devereux, of Balmagir, County Wexford." (Dublin: Office of "The Irish Builder," 1891). Pages 5
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bernard. The Picards of Pychards; of Stradewy (now Tretower) Castle, and Scethrog, Brecknockshire. (London: Golding and Lawrence, 1878). page 15-16, 23
  9. ↑ , Rotuli Chartarum In Turri Londinensi Asservati: Pars 1. Ab anno MCXCIX ad annum MCCXVI, volume 1. Thoma Duffus Hardy. Printed by Command of His Majesty King William IV. 1837, page 156
  10. ↑ , Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III, volume 1. University of Iowa digital library. Page 215, 22 June 1219, membrane 3d
  11. ↑ Roger Dodsworth. Monasticon Anglicanum by William Dugsdale. (London: 1673). Vol. 3, Additions to Volume 2, Stephen Devereux Charters for Lyonshall, page 49, 53
  12. ↑ , Calendar of Patent Rolls, Volume 1, page 342. 1221, membrane 6d
  13. ↑ 'Prebendaries: Bartonsham', Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: volume 8: Hereford (2002), pp. 29-31. URL: Date accessed: 16 July 2014.
  14. ↑ , Calendar of Close Rolls, Volume 1. HC Maxwell Lyte (Editor). 1902. 31 March 1228, membrane 11
  15. ↑ , Calendar of Close Rolls, Volume 2. H.C. Maxwell Lyte (editor). 1905. 2 May 1234.
  16. ↑ John Gough Nichols (editor). Collectanea Topographica & Genealogica, Volume II. (London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1835). Page 250
Preceded by
Walter Devereux		 Lord of Lyonshall
1197–1228 		Succeeded by
William Devereux