Stephen Upson

 

AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT

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Stephen Upson
                               see FAMILY TREE
Born: Between 1653-1655 Hartford, CT

  History of Waterbury by Henry Bronson 1858 says Stephen Upson died in 1735 aged "80 or over."
On April 1, 1674 Stephen Upson, a minor son of Thomas Upson, made choice of Samuel Wyllys to be his Guardian.
Married: 29 Dec 1682 Farmington, Hartford, CT

 

   
Died: 05 Nov 1735 Waterbury, New Haven, CT

 

  His will was dated Nov. 8, 1713, and proved July 3, 1735.  Estate, £520, 17s.  He had, during his lifetime, given much of his property to his children.
Buried: Grand Street Cemetery, Waterbury, CT    

FATHER

Thomas Upson

MOTHER

Elizabeth Fuller

WIFE

Mary Lee

CHILDREN

1. Mary Upson b. 05 Nov 1683

2. Stephen Upson b. 30 Sep 1686

3. Elizabeth Upson b. 14 Feb 1688/9

4. Thomas Upson b. 01 Mar 1692/3

5. Hannah Upson b. 16 Mar 1694/5

6. Tabitha Upson b. 11 Mar 1697/8

7. John Upson b. 13 Dec 1702

8. Thankful Upson b. 14 Mar 1705/6

"The Upson Family in America" compiled by the Upson Family Association; p. 193; Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company; New Haven,Connecticut; 1940 (929.2 UP7U ACPL)

The father, Thomas Upson, was early in Hartford.  He was one of those, not proprietors, enumerated in 1638, who had the privilege of getting wood and keeping cows on the common.  In that year, he (with others) was "censured and fined for unseasonable and immodeerate drinking at the pinnace." 20s.  He was an original proprietor and settler of Farmington, and m. in 646, Elizabeth Fuller.  He died July 19, 1655, and a daughter named Elizabeth died the next day.  The widow married Edmund Scott.  The estate, which was small, was distributed in 1671, to the remaining children, Thomas, Stephen, Mary, Hannah, and to Edmond Scott in right of his wife.
Stephen Upson was not one of the first company of proprietors and settlers of Waterbury.  He was accepted, (or rather signed the articles by a mark,) Dec. 29, 1679, not as the substitute of another, but as the record say, "on the account of a new lot."  He had a £50 propriety and an allotment in the second and fourth divisions of fence; but he had not one of the old town plot lots, these being divided among the original thirty subscribers, or their substitutes and successors.  In 1680-81, he was "straitened" for land, and the committee on petition granted relief.  He does not appear to have faltered inexcusable in his duty as a subscriber of the articles.  His name does not frequently appear on the earlier records, (before 1700,) except as the grantee of lands.  He signed the £60 agreement with Mr. Peck and was one of a committee to settle bounds with Woodbury in April, 1702.  He was surveyor, school committee, grand juror, often townsman, and three times deputy to the General Court--in May, 1710, Oct. 1712, and Oct 1729.  He became a sergeant in 1715, and in 1729, he had a seat with the veterans in the new meeting house.
Stephen Upson, "carpenter," lived on the east side of Bank street, near where the house of E. E. Prichard now stands.  His lot contained four acres and was bounded, Feb. 10, 1687-8, southerly on Samuel Scott's land, northerly on parsonage lot, west and east on highways.  In Dec. 1697, he exchanged with the town two acres at the east end of his lot for the two acres lying next him on the north called the parsonage lot.
Stephen Upson married December 29, 1682, Mary daughter of John Lee, Sen., of Farmington, and died in 1736, aged 80, or over.  His wife died Feb 15, 1715-16.  His will was dated Nov. 8, 1713, and proved July 3, 1735.  Estate, £520, 17s.  He had, during his lifetime, given much of his property to his children.

Will of Stephen Upson

In the name of God, Amen. The twenty eight day of November in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and thirty three. I STEPHEN UPSON of Waterbury in the County of New Haven and Colony of Connecticut in New England, Husbandman, being far advanced in years but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God, and calling to mind the mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed to all men once to Dye do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, and my Body to the earth to be buried in Decent and Christian Manner at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the Generall Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the Almighty Power of God. And as touching such worldly estate as it has pleased God to glorify me for this Life, I give devise and dispose of same in the following Manner and Form:

Imprimis: Unto my beloved Son Stephen Upson, whom I constitute, ordain and make my sole Executor of this my last will and testament, I give and grant my Bever Meadow Lott estimated two acres and three roods, butted to the east on Pritchard's land, to the west on Hop Meadow Hill, to the north on land that was John Welton's deceased, to the south on land belonging to the heirs of Daniel Porter, deceased. Also I give him four Acres of Land lying in the Horse Pasture, so called, butting south on his own Land, to the east on Thomas Upson's Land, to the west and to the north on Common Land. These two pieces of Land as above described, be it more or less than six acres and three quarters of an Acre, I give unto him as an acknowledgement of his being the eldest son, to have and to hold the sd Land with the appurtenances thereunto belonging unto Him and His Heirs and Assigns forever. Also I give him four acres more of Land lying in the Horse Pasture, so called, butting west on Thomas Upson's Land to the north, east and south on Common Land. Also I give him two Stears which he has already received, to have and to hold the same to Him and His Heirs forever, to His and their own sole benefit forever and none of the above given Premises to be counted in the following distribution:

Item--I give unto my well beloved Daughter, Mary Welton, one piece of Land south of Buck's Meadow called Upson's Island which piece of Land is Estimated Twelve acres but be it More or Less as it is, butted and bounded, I give the whole to her and her heirs forever and with what she has already received to be the whole of her Portion.

Also, I give unto my Daughter, Thankful Blakeslee, twenty shillings in money to be paid or distributed to her out of my estate and this with what she has already received to be the whole of her Portion.

Item--I give unto my well beloved Daughter Tabitha Scoville fifteen pounds to be distributed or paid her out of my estate and this with what she has already received to be the whole of her Portion.

Also it is my will that all the remainder of my estate, real and personall, after my lawfull debts are paid, shall be equally divided between my Sons Stephen Upson, John Upson, Thomas Upson and my Daughters Elizabeth Bronson and Hannah Bronson in the following Manner and Form, that is to say, my Son Stephen Upson not to be accountable for the division for what I have already given him by Deed or Gift, nor anything above given Him in this my last will and testament; nor my Son Thomas Upson to be any way accountable for this division for what I have given him by Deed or Gift: nor my Son John Upson to be any ways accountable for what I have given Him by Deed or Gift; but my Daughter Elizabeth Brownson to be accountable in this division for what she has received and my Daughter Hannah Brownson to be accountable for what she has received, and for this manner and Division to be made of all the remainder of my estate of every kind between my three Sons and two Daughters Elizabeth and Hannah Brownson (having given my Daughters Mary Welton, Tabitha Scovill, and Thankful Blakeslee, their Portions in full already with what I have particularly given them and sot out to them in this my last will and testament and to my three Sons and Two Daughters to be equal in this Division, only the Daughters Elizabeth and Hannah are to have portioned to them what they have received as Portion out of my estate in my lifetime and I would Have it Known to be my will and pleasure and the design of the testator (though I think it might be conjured otherwise) that my Sons Deeds and Gifts and what I have particularly given any of them in this will or otherwise, shall never be reckoned anyways in the Distribution, but intend they shall have so much more than their sisters.

I do hereby disallow and disannul any other or former testaments, Wills and Executors by me in any ways before named, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament, in witness hereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

His
Stephen Upson
Mark
 

 

"The Upson Family in America" compiled by the Upson Family Association; p. 10; Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company; New Haven,Connecticut; 1940 (929.2 UP7U ACPL)

Stephen Upson's father died before he was five and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, Edmond Scott. His brother Thomas died early and Stephen inherited his estate.  Stephen was the only Upson to carry on the family name. The family moved early to Waterbury but continued to use the Farmington church until 1691 because church privileges had not been extended to Waterbury. Stephen was a carpenter. He was granted 12 acres on the Naugatuck River that was known as Upson Island for many years.
1679, December 29: Stephen was accepted as a proprietor. Stephen was grand-juror and held offices of surveyor, member of the school committee and was town officer in 1700.
1679, September 27: Stephen Upson was accepted as a proprietor. . . . He was accepted not as the substitute for another but "on the account of a new lot". He had a £50 property and an allotment in the second and fourth divisions of fence. He was not allotted one of the old Town Plot lotts, as these had been divided between the thirty-one original subscribers or their substitutes.
1679, November 27: " . . . after providing for the ministry, the committee's next act was to encourage an inhabitant by allowing an additional House Lott to what was formerly allowed to be laid out . . .
1681, Stephen Upson was "straightened for land" and the committee petition granted relief.
1691, May: Though the Reverend Mr. Peck was in Waterbury by 1683, it was . . . that a church organization was granted to Waterbury. Stephen Upson was one of twenty-five men who signed the Agreement by which Reverend Jeremiah Peck's salary of £60 became assured.
1700, He was grand-juror and held the office of surveyor, member of school committed, and town officer.
1702, He was appointed to a committee to lay out the highways to the mill.
1710, May: He was a Deputy to the General Court.
1712, October: He was a member of the committee of safely appointed by the General Court and was first mentioned as Sergeant at that time.
1716, Sergeant Stephen Upson and Abraham Andrews laid out the county road to the corner of New Haven Bounds.
1729, October: He was a Deputy to the General Court.
1710, He was a member of the committee of safety appointed by the general court and was first mentioned as sergeant at that time.
1715, He was re commissioned Sergeant.
1729, He was, again. commissioned as a Sergeant. He and his wife were buried in the Grand Street Cemetery which was later plowed under and the Bronson Library stands there.
1733, November 28: The Last Will and Testament of Stephen Upson was dated.
1735, Sergeant Stephen Upson died at Waterbury, Connecticut and is buried, with his wife, in the Grand Street Cemetery at Waterbury, Connecticut.
1735, July 3: The Will of Sergeant Stephen Upson was proved. He made his son Stephen Executor. Stephen was left much of the estate with his other sons also left land. He left his daughter Mary Welton a piece of land. He left Thankful 20 shillings. He left Tabitha £15. He stated that his other daughters had received their portion.

 

 

 

 

 

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