Lieutenant Phineas Upham (John), of Maiden, Mass.,was the only son of John Upham that left posterity; consequently he, as well as his father, was the ancestor of all the American Uphams.

In 1673 he was appointed with three others to survey a road from Cambridge to Maiden. In 1674 his name is signed to two inventories made by him, and to a petition in regard to lands in Worcester; he was also on a committee to alter highways, in April of that year.

As early as 1672,116 was interested in the settlement of the town of Worcester, which fact appears from the following extract from Lincoln’s History of Worcester :

‘*A lot granted to Phineas Upham, July 8th, 1673, was now described and located; and although it should contain more than fifty acres, yet the committee have confirmed it to him for a fifty acre lot, more or less; and this they did, upon a rule of equity, in consideration of the labor, travel and activity of the said Upham, from time to time, in furthering, advancing and encouraging the settlement of the plantation.

“In April, 1675, the lot of fifty acres, granted to Phineas Upham, of Maiden, was surveyed, confirmed and recorded, and it was described as lying in the west squadron, or division, on the south side of the country road.”

The author of the History of Worcester, in speaking of the progress of that settlement, states that “‘ Ephraim Curtis, who had already built; Thomas Hall, Simon Meyling, Phineas Upham,” etc. “had arrived in the month of April, 1765.” It seems, however that in June of that year — as per the Supreme Court Records Phineas Upham was one of the jury for trials in the court held at Charlestown.

About this time he must have received a commission as a lieutenant, though the record of his appointment has not been found. He certainly held that rank as early as September, 1675, which is proven by the following extract from a postscript of a letter to Major John Pynchon, dated Sept. 4, 1675:

” Sir: We have ordered Lieut. Upham to lead up to you thirty men; and do farther order that Lieut. Seill be dismissed home to his family, and his soldiers to make up ye companies as the chief commander shall order, and the above named Lieut. Upham to be under Captain Wayte.” (Military Records, Liber I, p. 280.)