The DeVere Family
The story of the De Vere family, and our Family relationship relation to them.The De Vere family has a great history as royalty in the English government going way back in time. Almost all (in our line) served as the Earls of Oxford, and several also served as the Lord Great Chamberlain of England.
Per the UK Parliament website, today “The Lord Great Chamberlain is the hereditary Officer of State to whom the Sovereign entrusts the custody and control of those parts of the Palace of Westminster not assigned to the two Houses, principally, the Queen’s Robing Room and the Royal Gallery.” In the past, The Lord Chamberlain is always a peer and a privy councillor, and before 1782 was of cabinet rank. Until 1924 the position was a political one. The Lord Chamberlain is the chief functionary of the court, and is generally responsible for organizing all court functions.
The Earl of Oxford was defined like this: Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, first created for Edgar the Atheling and held by him from 1066 to 1068, and later offered to Aubrey III de Vere by the empress Matilda in 1141, one of four counties he could choose if Cambridgeshire was held by the king of Scotland. On Aubrey’s acceptance, his family was to hold the title for more than five and a half centuries, until the death of the 20th Earl in 1703. The de Veres were also hereditary holders of the office of Master Chamberlain of England from 1133 until the death of the 18th Earl in 1625. Their primary seat was Castle Hedingham in Essex, but they held lands in southern England and the Midlands, particularly in eastern England. The actual earldom was called ‘Oxenford’ until at least the end of the 17th century. Medieval sources thus refer to ‘my lord of Oxenford’ when speaking of the earl. Source Earl Of Oxford
This is the linage of the Devere’s down to us
Sir Richard The 3rd, 11th Earl of Oxford de Vere (1385 - 1417)
17th great-grandfather
Sir (John) Robert De Vere (1408 - 1462)
Son of Sir Richard The 3rd, 11th Earl of Oxford de Vere
JOHN De VERE 14th Earl of Oxford (1433 - 1537)
Son of Sir (John) Robert De Vere
JOHN DeVERE 15th Earl of Oxford (1490 - 1540)
Son of JOHN De VERE 14th Earl of Oxford
John de Vere 16th Earl of Oxford, Lord Bolebec (1516 - 1562)
Son of JOHN DeVERE 15th Earl of Oxford
Edward 17th Earl of Oxford De Vere Lord Great Chamberlain of England (1550 - 1604)
Son of John de Vere 16th Earl of Oxford, Lord Bolebec
Countess Elizabeth DeVere (1575 - 1626)
Daughter of Edward 17th Earl of Oxford De Vere Lord Great Chamberlain of England
John Wakefield (1591 - 1631)
Son of Countess Elizabeth DeVere
John Wakefield (1615 - 1667)
Son of John Wakefield
Mary WAKEFIELD (1645 - 1698)
Daughter of John Wakefield
James Hillyer (1683 - 1769)
Son of Mary WAKEFIELD
Capt. James Hillyer (1711 - 1808)
Son of James Hillyer
Rev. Asa HILLYER (1738 - 1820)
Son of Capt. James Hillyer
Horace Melancton Hillyer (1767 - 1813)
Son of Rev. Asa HILLYER
Shaler Justin Hillyer (1799 - 1865)
Son of Horace Melancton Hillyer
Eunice Catharine Hillyer (1839 - 1908)
Daughter of Shaler Justin Hillyer
Alice A. Clay (1860 - )
Daughter of Eunice Catharine Hillyer
Daisy Laretta Hunt (1887 - 1962)
Daughter of Alice A. Clay
Donald Eugene VanHorn (1923 - 2014)
Son of Daisy Laretta Hunt