Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, English nobleman (died 1576)

Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantations of Ireland, most notably the Rathlin Island massacre. He was the father of Robert, 2nd Earl of Essex, who was Elizabeth I's favourite during her later years.