UPTON, John (b.1718), of Middleton, Westmld. and Ingmire Hall, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1761 - 1768

Family and Education

b. 27 Dec. 1718, 1st surv. s. of John Upton by Elizabeth, da. of Thomas Boucher of Twickenham, Mdx.  educ. Eton 1730; King’s, Camb. 1737, fellow 1740-64; L. Inn 1741, called 1746.  m. 27 Dec. 1763, Mary, da. of George Noble of Weston, co. Dur.  suc. fa. 1767.

Offices Held

Biography

Upton was returned for Westmorland in 1761 after a contest on Sir James Lowther’s interest and as his colleague. In the House he was a regular Lowther follower, classed as such in Bute’s list, and was included by Fox among those expected to vote for the peace preliminaries. Upton supported the Grenville Administration; voted against the repeal of the Stamp Act, 22 Feb. 1766; for the reduction of the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767; and naturally against Sir George Savile’s nullum tempus bill, 17 Feb. 1768. His only recorded intervention in debate, 27 Apr. 1762, was to introduce a bill increasing the powers of justices of the peace.1

In 1768 John Robinson and Upton, the Lowther candidates, were opposed by Thomas Fenwick, the candidate of Lord Suffolk and the Duke of Portland. According to one of Portland’s agents, ‘Upton in his speech joined himself with Robinson, calling him his worthy colleague’, while Robinson seemed ‘very cool and indifferent about Upton’.2 Upton was defeated and apparently never again stood for Parliament.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

  • 1. Harris’s ‘Debates’.
  • 2. Hen. Brougham to Duke of Portland, 7 Apr. 1768, Portland mss.