The ancestry oy the Upton family of Devon and Cornwall is as well documented as it is legitimate (a rarity), and deserves a seperate notice than is given hereinafter. Suffice it for now to state the existence of three brothers, sons of John Upton:

1. John Upton.
1.1. William Upton, of Treslake, Cornwall.
1.2. Thomas Upton of Treslake, who m. Joan, dau. of Richard Palmer, of Launceston.
1.3. John Upton, of Frome, Somerset, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Edmond Leversedge, of Vallis, juxta Frome.
1.3.1. Jeffrey Upton, b. 1510, of Warminster, juxta Wells, Somerset; Will pr. May 1, 1583, by son, George.
1.3.1.1. George Upton, b. 1552, d. 1608, fought against Spanish Armada. His monument is in Mayor’s Chappel, Bristol. He m. Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Bamfield, of Hardington, Somerset. Died without male issue.
1.3.2. Richard Upton, b. ca. 1515.
1.3.2.1. Richard Upton; Will pr. October 27, 1596, without male issue.
1.3.2.2. George Upton.
1.3.2.2.1. Nathaniel Upton, gent, of Fitzhead, Somerset, 3 miles E. of Wiveliscombe. Will proved May 8, 1651, by Katherine, the relict. Catherine Upton of of Fitzhead, widow, bequested in her Will of 1665 to the poor of Fitzhead, Wilscombe (Wivelscombe), and of Milverton, and to her dau., Elizabeth Blake, relict of Humfry Blake, gent.; and to her kinsman, Henry Upton, gent, of Burlescombe, Devon. His Will, proved July 7. 1675, bequested his lands in Stawleigh, Somerset, to his son, William; a London merchant, whose Will, proved Oct. 8, 1685, left a bequest to “Mrs. Paris Sloughter”.*
1.3.2.2.1.1. Nathaniel Upton, bapt Dec. 20, 1620.
1.3.2.2.1.2. George Upton, bapt. May 28, 1626, m. Ann Sellicke, Feb. 9, 1647.
1.3.2.2.1.3. Elizabeth Upton, m. Humfry Blake.
1.3.2.2.2. Elizabeth Upton, m. Simon Cannon, July 11, 1617, Wiveliscombe
1.3.2.2.3. John Upton, eldest son. Upton v Rogers. Plaintiffs: John Upton. Defendants: Katherine Rogers widow. Subject: manors of Kingsbury and Pennard, Devon and Porlock, Somerset and property in Huntspill, Somerset and Netheway, Devon etc. 1625. (C 3/417/7). Marriage Settlement. Estates in Worlington, Devon and Launceston, Cornwall. Sir Francis Drake of Worlington; John Pym and his daughter Dorothy; John Upton,* John Bampfeild, William Strode, Trustees. Jan. 15, 1640. (Somerset Heritage Centre. DD\BR\ely/1/3).

1. John Blake bapt. Oct. 19, 1521, in Over-Stowey, Somerset (10 miles fr. Fitzhead); bur. Dec. 10, 1576, in the chancel of Over Stowey Church.
1.1. William Blake.
1.2. Richard Blake, bapt Jan. 1, 1563.
1.3. Robert Blake, bapt May 1566.
1.3.1. Robert Blake. Blake v Sellicke. Plaintiffs: Robert Blake. Defendants: John Sellicke, Joan Sellicke widow, John Cridland, John Pratt, John Oliver, *John Upton, and others. Subject: property in Spaxton, and Nether Stowey. 1654 (C 6/126/8).
1.3.2. Elizabeth Blake, m. (in 1624) Thomas Harris Sr., in Wiveliscombe. It is where the parents of Bartholomew Owen m. in 1619. Thomas Harris appointed his relict Alice Newman his Extx. R. Nov. 13, 1672. Security, John Newman, Edward Brantley. John Newman, 150 ac. in James City Co., near the head of Grays Creek. (B. 2, p. 2). John Newman assigned part or all of this patent to Luke Mizell Sr. His son, Luke Mizell Jr., on Feb. 14, 1677, with William Foreman and Jno. Moring, witnessed the inventory of Bartholomew Owen’s estate, signed by Jane Owen. William Foreman was the guardian of Luke Mizell Jr. John Upton’s headright was Christopher Lewis, Godparent of Katherine Owen, Bartholomew’s dau.
1.3.2.1. Thomas Harris Jr., d. 1672, in Virginia.
1.4. Humphrey Blake, bapt. Nov. 13, 1580, d. 1628.
1.4.1. Humphrey Blake, cousin of the wife of Thomas Harris Sr., m. (Sept. 23, 1639), Elizabeth Upton, dau. of Nathaniel and Catherine Upton of Fitzhead, Somerset; and niece of *John Upton.

*Capt. John Upton of IOW was a member of he House of Burgesses, and obviously of high social standing. His Will was proved on December 16, 1652. (Virg. Mag. vol. vii., p. 220). His widow, Margaret Upton, had issue by a former husband (1) William, (2), Elizabeth, (3) Sarah, (4) Margaret and (5) Ann Underwood. She removed to Lancaster county, and m. (3), in 1657, Thomas Lucas, Sr. Of the daughters, Elizabeth married, first, Capt. Francis Slaughter, justice of of Rappahannock county, who d. ca. 1657. She m. (2) Col. John Catlett, of Rappahannock county. (Ibid., vol. iii., p. 64). Thomas Harris of Chippoakes, d. 1672, and wife Eleanor, sold land to Christopher Benn that he had purchased fom William Batte and Margaret Upton, Feb. 31, 1657. (Mr. Boddie, p. 597).

(William Merritt, headright of Margarett Upton, 1653, Lancaster Co.).

*The forename ‘Paris’ is almost singularly attached to the Slaughter family of Over Slaughter, Gloucestershire, where church monuments confirm that John Slaughter and his wife Elianor Baghott (dau. of Charles Bagehott of Holborn, gent), were the parents of Paris Slaughter Esq., d. February 26, 1597, aged 54; m. to Ann, dau. of Daniel Pert, Esq.

Thus,
1. Paris Slaughter Esq., d. February 26, 1597.
1.1. Chambers Slaughter, d. 1646, of Upper Slaughter Hall, co. Gloucester.
1.1.1. Chambers Slaughter.
1.1.2. Francis Slaughter, d. ca. 1657 in Essex Co. Virginia, m. a step-dau. of John Upton, and sister of Ann Underwood. (He was not named as a son of John Slaughter in the Will of John Carter, of Charlton Abbots, as follows).
1.2. John Slaughter, the emigrant to Virginia,
1.2.1. Paris Slaughter. Dolphin and Wife v. Haynes. Petition and Appeal of William Dolphin and Katherine his wife. The late Paris Slaughter, a merchant of London, being guardian of the appellant Katherine, who was left an orphan when about 7 or 8 years old, put her to board in 1680 (having then about £600 of her money in his hands) with his kinsman (cousin) Chambers Slaughter, who lived about 3 miles from Worcester. She remained there six years The appellant William, being about to marry Katherine, deferred his marriage until her guardian had made up his accounts with respondent. Appellants married on May 13, 1692, and Katherine’s guardian died about a year after. Respondent on 23 Nov 1695 brought a Bill in Chancery against appellants and Paris Slaughter, the guardian’s son. (HL/PO/JO/10/1/493/1176).
1.2.2. William Slaughter, sealed a bond in 1685 with the armorial of the Slaughter family; argent, a saltire azure (Rudder’s Gloucestershire, p. 666).

Paris Slaughter, merchant of London, is witnessed here: Slaughter v Carter. Plaintiffs: Anne Slaughter and Paris Slaughter. Defendants: John Carter. Place or subject: personal estate of John Carter, Charlton Abbots, Gloucestershire. 1670. (C 7/483/29). Pryme v White. Plaintiffs: Robert Pryme. Defendants: Jeremy White, George Underwood, Paris Slaughter, Thomas Norman and Edward Smyth. Subject: money matters, Middlesex. The plaintiffs were London merchants. 1690. (C 10/340/1). His son and namesake was a ship owner: Commander: Thomas Kent. Ship: Slaughter Galley. Owners: Paris Slaughter, Leonard Wessell, Thomas Lucas, Francis Hooper, William Lee, James Williamson, Nicholas Cooke, Jonathan Leigh, Nicholas Hillard and Thomas Kent. 1696. (HCA 26/3/111).

John Carter, of Charlton Abbots, left bequests to son John; grandchild Ann Slaughter, daughter of John by my daughter Mary; Thomas, George, Paris, William, John, children of John and Mary Slaughter; grandchildren John and Gyles Carter.

John Upton’s ancestry can not be known with the certainty afforded the modern age by extant documentation. However, he may have been he indicated in these notes. If so, he is noted in chancery proceedings in absentia in England, a common occurrence, or, on a return visit to England. Certainies of this era are rare, but when proof is not sufficient for the modern taste, other methods may be used to suggest the case – that of the foremost princple of the English kinship system, the continuation of associations. It is perfectly reasonable to suggest that Thomas Harris, d. 1672, purchased land from Margaret Upton as a consequence of him being kin of her husband, John Upton. Being locked into the search for ‘modern proof’ is like being stuck in the doldrums, with only an albatross for company.
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