William Devenish
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| Portrayed by Sam Crane | |
| Full Name | William John Devenish |
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| Title | Sir William Devenish |
| Associated Noble House(s) | No connections |
| Date of Birth | 29th March 1786 |
| Father | Sir John Devenish (deceased) |
| Father's Rank | Baronet |
| Mother | Fanny Devenish (nee Wilson) |
| Mother's Rank | Gentry |
| Town Residence | Cavisham House, 120 Mount Street |
| Income | £2000 p.a. |
| School | Eton |
| University | Oxford (Trinity). Degree not completed. |
Sir William Devenish (Will) is the squire of Applebrook in Yorkshire. He lives with his widowed mother Lady Devenish and his younger brother, Charlie, who is destined for the church. When his father Sir John died in 1807 leaving a mountain of debts, Will was obliged to degrade from Oxford in order to sort out the estate. He has been helped greatly in this by his neighbour Lord Rotherham who has purchased some of the estate, advised him on financial management and promised a living in Cheshire for Charlie once he takes orders.
As children, Will was always close to the Fitzgerald siblings at Rotherham Park, particularly to Viola. This friendship soon developed into romance on Will's side at least and they had a brief love affair in summer 1804. It ended when Will returned to school and Viola made her debut the following spring.[[1]]
More recently, Will became involved with Viola's younger sister Olivia who had always hero worshipped him. An engagement was formed in 1810 and kept secret due to Will's fears of disapproval from her parents.