He was the fifth of six children baptised there for Huguenot peruke maker John Devaynes and his wife Mary, only surviving child of London's City Remembrancer, William Barker.
[4] Devaynes and his first wife, Jane Wintle, had a daughter (Harriott Augusta born 1773 who married Thomas Monsell).
They also had a son William Devaynes, born September 1783, who had children but died just 12 months after his father, 8 December 1810, aged 27.
After he had risen to senior partner his firm, which operated from 39 Pall Mall, London, was known as Devaynes, Dawes and Noble.
[4] Part of the litigation gave rise to the rule in Clayton's case still commonly applied in the 21st century arising from the judgment by Sir William Grant in Devaynes v Noble.
[10] Devaynes was active in the East India Company being chosen by his fellow members of the court of directors to be chairman five separate years.