Edward and Walter of Salisbury, father and son, D’Evreux, Sheriffs of Wiltshire, Earls of Sarum, Lords of Chitterne.

Walter D’Eureux or D’Evreux (1087 - 1147) was the first (post conquest) Earl of Sarum, or Earl of Salisbury, (Salisbury was (Old) Sarum then). He was also known as Gaulterus, Walter Salisbury, Walter Sheriff of Salisbury and Walter Fitzedward or Fitz Edward meaning son of Edward (de) Salisbury, Eduuard Saresberiensis, or (D’) Eureux, Sheriff of Wiltshire). He was Edward’s eldest son and had a half brother also known as Edward (de) Salisbury.

Walter was born in Salisbury, was Constable of Salisbury Castle (Old Sarum), served under Henry I and then his nephew, Stephen, with whom he spent Christmas of 1139 at (Old) Sarum. He was the founder of Bradenstoke Priory, just west of Lyneham, Wiltshire. As a widower he became a canon there and died and was buried there.

His father, Edward (c1040 to before 1120) had been a thegn (thane, a lord holding land directly from the king, in return for military service in war time) under Edward the Confessor, was probably the same Edward as Edward the Rich, was also Sheriff of Wiltshire and probably had some Norman ancestry.

Both were also known as D’Evreux, heureux (fr) is lucky or happy, but it could also refer to Évreux, capital of Eure, a Department (and river) in Normandy, the name eventually becoming Devereux.

Both were the richest tenants in chief meaning they held their lands, and more of them than any other, directly from the king.

Kerry O’Connor

Evreux town hall - Marc Ryckaert - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82632792

Sources.

For Gaulterus: Leland, John. 1540-1542. Itinerary. Vol II Journey Through Wiltshire

For Family Tree: “Tewars” 1872 Notes and Queries. A Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, General Readers etc 4th Series Vol IX April 20, 1872, p 315

For Edward Wikitree https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Salisbury-1615

For Walter Wikitree https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Salisbury-1729