Upston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Upston history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Upston history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Upston family originally lived in Cornwall, in the village of Upton. which literally means "higher farmstead or village," from the Old English words "upp" + "tun." 1

Early Origins of the Upston family

The surname Upston was first found in Cornwall at Upton, a hamlet that dates at least back to the Domesday Book of 1086. 1

"The manor of Trelaske [in the parish of Lewannick, Cornwall] belonged to the Upton family prior to the Reformation ; but in the reign of Henry VIII. it was carried by co-heiresses to two brothers of the Lower family." 2

While there are numerous place so named in England, it is in this area where "an ancient Cornish family, said to have been originally of Upton, in that county, or, according to Prince in his Worthies of Devon, named from Upton in parish of Collumpton in Devonshire." 3

Another reference postulates: "they were probably descended from Ralph Fitz-Stephen temp. Henry II, and from the arms appears to be of De la Folie of Normandy." 4

Early History of the Upston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Upston research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1218, 1308, 1400, 1453, 1457, 1590, 1598, 1599, 1620, 1623, 1625, 1641, 1653, 1661, 1670, 1687, 1706 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Upston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upston Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Upton, Uppeton and others.

Early Notables of the Upston family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Upton (1400?-1457), Precentor of Salisbury and writer on heraldry and the art of war. He is thought to have been the second son of John Upton of Portlinch, Devonshire, by his wife Elizabeth. From a collateral branch of the family, descended Arthur Upton. 5John Upton (died c.1453), was an English politician, Member of...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Upston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Upston family to Ireland

Some of the Upston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upston migration to the United States +

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Upston or a variant listed above:

Upston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elizabeth Upston, who arrived in Carolina in 1724 6

Upston migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Upston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Upston, aged 29, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Mary S. Upston, aged 24, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
William J. Upston, aged 5, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Sarah E. Upston, aged 3, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Charlotte A. Upston, aged 1, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Upston (post 1700) +

John Edwin Upston (b. 1935), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, 1985-87 7

The Upston Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper paratus
Motto Translation: Always prepared.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html