Tag Archives: JOHN UPHAM

10/11/13

John Upham in 1640’s

In 1643 John Upham is mentioned as one of the selectmen ; and in 1644, power was given him by the General Court in connection with two others, to ” end small causes at Weymouth.”

His name is subscribed to the doings of the town, as one of the selectmen, for the years 1645, 1646, and 1647. The last entry of this kind to which his name is signed (p. 16, Weymouth Town Records, vol. I), is dated the 21st day of the twelfth month, 1647; and there is no doubt that he remained in Weymouth until the year 1648. Continue reading →

10/11/13

THE DESCENDANTS OF JOHN UPHAM AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH WEBB

I. John Upham was the first to bear his name in America, and so far as known, he was the ancestor of all who have since had the name in this country.* He was born in England, probably in Somersetshire; but of his origin, or ancestry, nothing is known.

He came to Weymouth with the Hull Colony, a record of which has already been given, and according to which, the family at that time consisted of the following members:

John Upham, age 35 ; John Upham, jr., age 7 ;
Elizabeth Upham, age 32 ; Nathaniel Upham, age 5 ;
Sarah Upham, age 26 ; Elizabeth Upham, age 3.

As will be observed, his age is given as thirty-five at that time, according to which he would have been born in the year 1600; the record on his gravestone would make his age three years more, but this is probably a mistake, for the age as given by himself, — as this must have been — in his early years, would without doubt be more reliable than one which was recorded after his death, and also the death of most of the members of his family. From other sources, we know that the name of his wife was Elizabeth, and so assume the Elizabeth above mentioned was his wife, per age at that time being thirty-two. Sarah Upham, age 26, was likely his sister; there is no further record of her in connection with the family, that has been discovered, John, Nathaniel, and Elizabeth were unquestionably his children, subsequent mention proves them to have been such. His wife, Elizabeth, was the there are some who have received this name through adoption, whom this does not in-clude of course mother of all his children, unless, which is not probable, and there is nothing: to indicate, there was an earlier marriage in England.

With regard to his wife: her name is assumed to have been Webb, for the will of Richard Webb has this : ” Also I appoint and design my loving friends, Deacon John Upham, of Maiden, Deacon Clapp and Lieut. Clapp, to be my executors,'”‘ etc. This dated July 21, 1659, while in the same record, and bearing the same date, is the following: “Joseph Webb being before me, the magistrate, declared that he chose his Uncle Upham, Lieut. Clapp, and Deacon Clapp, whom his father appointed executors of his will, to be guardians,” etc. John Upham, to have been the uncle of Joseph, the son of Richard Webb, must either have married the sister of the said Richard Webb, or Richard Webb must have married the sister of John L’pham. There is no record of the death of John Upham’s wife Elizabeth, though as will appear later, he contracted another marriage in his old age, in 1671.