Guide to the Papers of the Upton Family (as filmed by the AJCP)

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M2008 - M2009

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2018

Collection Summary

Creator
Upton (Family)
Title
Papers of the Upton Family (as filmed by the AJCP)
Date Range
1865 - 1930
Collection Number
M2008 - M2009
Extent
21 items
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Australian Joint Copying Project
Sponsor
The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The material filmed by the Australian Joint Copying Project includes: Letter-diary 1865-1866 of Thomas Everard Upton kept on the voyage to New Zealand; Letters 1865-1906 of Thomas and Eunice Upton in New Zealand to the Upton Family in England, including family news, appointment as a gardener to F. Napier Broome, gold discoveries in New Zealand, railways, sheep breeding, and association with Broome, Lady Barker and Sir Cracroft Wilson; Papers 1885-1900 of T.E. Tichborne Upton and Robert H.B. Upton referring to sporting events in Christchurch and death of Robert in Johannesburg; Diary 1875-78 of Arthur Begbie describing his voyage on Otago to New Zealand, his work as a farmer and labourer in Otago and Canterbury, and his return to England.

Conditions Governing Access

Available for Access.

Conditions Governing Use

Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.

Preferred Citation

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)

Archival History

Filmed at the private residence of Mrs Francesca Upton, England, as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1986 (AJCP Reel: M2008-09). Original microfilm digitised as part of the NLA AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.

Existence and Location of Originals

The private residence of Mrs Francesca Upton. Shropshire, England.

Existence and Location of Copies

The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn765798] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.

Finding-aid Notes

This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2018. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.

Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.

Subjects

Begbie, Arthur; Broome, Mary Ann, Lady; Broome, Sir F. Napier; Canterbury, New Zealand; Christchurch, New Zealand; Emigrant voyages; New Zealand: immigration to; Gold and goldfields: New Zealand; Farms and farming: New Zealand; New Zealand; Otago (ship); Otago, New Zealand; Railways: New Zealand; Sport; Upton Family; Upton, Eunice; Upton, Robert; Upton, T.E. Tichborne; Upton, Thomas; Wilson, Sir John Cracroft; Wool and woolgrowing: New Zealand

Bibliography

Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 471, pp183-184.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Everard Upton emigrated to New Zealand in 1865 and worked for F. Napier Broome and Sir John Cracroft Wilson. In 1870 he married Eunice Adams and settled near Ashburton.

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Letter-Diary of T. Everard Upton on voyage to New Zealand, September 1865 - January 1866

Brief entries referring to the weather, sighting of ships, 'crossing the line' celebrations, books, Christmas festivities, arrival at Lyttelton, meeting with F. Napier Broome and his wife Lady Barker, activities of fellow-passengers.

(contemporary copy, 14pp)

Series 2. Letters of T. Everard Upton to his family in England, 1865 - 1906

The early letters were written to his parents at Market Drayton, Shropshire, and also to his first wife Eunice, who visited England in 1877-78. The 1885-1906 letters were written to his brother Jack. There is also one letter to Lady Barker in England (1869). The first two letters were written on the voyage from England and the remainder from Malvern Hills, Broomielaw, High Peak and Cashmere stations and Ashburton in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The subjects include family news; deaths of sister and brother; appointment as a gardener to F. Napier Broome; work on Broomielaw Station (1866-68); association with Broome and Lady Barker; English news; mutual friends; visits to Christchurch; clothes; financial matters; floods; return of Broomes to England (1869); gold discoveries in New Zealand; association with Sir Cracroft Wilson and Lady Wilson; work on High Peak Station (1868-81); marriage to Eunice Adams (1870); birth of sons; illnesses of Eunice; efforts to secure loans; visit of Eunice and sons to England (1877-78); friendship with Arthur Begbie; extension of railway and effect on land values; Ashburton Hunt; schooling of sons; arrangements for son Tichborne to live in England (1890); sheep breeding; work as a sheep judge at agricultural shows; visit of daughter Ethel to England (1902); marriage of Tichborne (1906) Some of the letters are contemporary copies which were circulated among the Upton Family. Many of the others are photocopies.

(73 letters)

Series 3. Letters of Eunice Upton to the Upton Family in England, 1871 - 1890

Most of the 1871-81 letters were written to her parents-in-law at Market Drayton, while the later letters were written to Everard's brother Jack and his sisters Alice and Mary. They were mainly written at High Peak Station and also at Cashmere Station, Christchurch and Ashburton in New Zealand and Deptford and Dover in England They are usually very detailed and often reproduce conversations. The principal subjects are the activities of Everard and their children Tichborne (born 1871), Robert (born 1874) and Ethel (born 1881) and her own activities and frequent illnesses. Other subjects include her family background; difficulties of sheep-farming; gardening; visits to neighbouring properties; visits to Cashmere and relations with Sir Cracroft and Lady Wilson; condition of roads; cost of living; relations with shearers; receipt of gifts and photographs; snowstorms and floods; visit of Arthur Begbie and his search for coal (1876-78); plays and concerts at Christchurch; voyage to England on Sea Eagle and return on Waikato (1877-78); hopes of purchasing property; extensions to house at High Peak; opening of railway to Dunedin (1879); economic conditions in Canterbury; education of children; horse races, cricket matches, hunts; death of Sir Cracroft Wilson (1881); award of scholarships to Christchurch Cathedral School; purchase of property 'Sherwood' (1884); Ashburton show; departure of Tichborne for England (1890); marriage of Jack Upton. Many of the letters are contemporary copies circulated among the Upton Family.

(96 letters).

Series 4. Papers of T.E. Tichborne Upton, 1885 - 1887

5 items

T.E.T. Upton (Christchurch) to Eunice Upton, 14 February 1886 (File (i))

Swimming races; change of teacher.

T.E.T. Upton (Christchurch) to Eunice Upton, 25 September 1887 (File (ii))

Visit to theatre; impending sports events and holidays.

T.E.T. Upton (Christchurch) to Jack Upton, 5 November 1887 (File (iii))

Horse-riding; success in athletics; cricket; Cathedral Choir.

Reports on Tichborne and Robert Upton, Christchurch Cathedral School, 1885 (File (iv))

Cutting on performance of cantata 'The daughter of Jairus' by Christchurch Cathedral Choir (File (v))

Series 5. Papers of Robert H.B. Upton, 1900

2 items

Biographical / Historical

Corporal Robert Henry Bramley Upton (1874-1900) died of illness at Johannesburg, South Africa on 13 June 1900 whilst serving in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) with the 3rd Contingent, No. 5 Company, New Zealand Mounted Rifles.

Two photographs of Corporal Robert H.B. Upton (File (i))

Photographs of grave and memorial plaque of Robert Upton (File (ii) (iii))

Images of the grave of Robert Upton, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, and memorial plaque in Ashburton Church, New Zealand.

Series 6. Papers concerning F. Clive R. Upton, 1916 - 1917

2 items

Biographical / Historical

Second Lieutenant Francis Clive Ramsden was killed in action on 2 October 1916, whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Extracts from letters of Sergt. Gilchrist to his mother referring to death of Lieut. F.C.R. Upton (1891-1916) at Battle of Somme (File (i))

Lieut. G. Hovey (London) to J. Upton (Market Drayton), 21 March 1917 (File (ii))

Award of Military Cross to late F.C.R. Upton. (copy)

Series 7. Papers concerning T. Everard Upton, 1929 - 1930

3 items

Kathleen Upton (Ashburton) to Jack Upton, 5 January 1929 (File (i))

Heart attack suffered by Everard Upton; inheritance; activities of children.

Kathleen Upton (Ashburton) to Jack Upton, 21 April 1930 (File (ii))

Death and funeral of Everard Upton.

Obituary of Everard Upton (File (iii))

Series 8. Miscellaneous letters, 1870 - 1895

5 items

W. Karslake (Kowai Pass, N.Z.) to Rev. R. Upton, 14 January 1870 (File (i))

Meeting with Everard Upton; economic conditions; voyage to New Zealand; mutual friends.

W. Karslake (High Peak) to Rev. R. Upton, 1 March 1874 (File (ii))

Everard, Eunice and Tichborne Upton; work as surveyor; difficulty of making money; land sales; shortage of servants.

Arthur Begbie (High Peak) to Eunice Upton, 7 December 1877 (File (iii))

High Peak news; Everard Upton.

Sir Cracroft Wilson (Cashmere) to Eunice Upton, 4 January 1878 (File (iv))

Thanks for Christmas cards; Everard Upton.

J. Roberts (Sydney) to Everard Upton, 2 July 1895 (File (v))

Marriage; success as butcher.

Series 9. Diary of Arthur Begbie, 2 August 1875 - 13 December 1878

Small diary containing brief entries describing his voyage on Otago from Gravesend to Port Chalmers, August-October 1875; work as a farmer, labourer and coal surveyor in Otago and Canterbury; service with Sir Cracroft Wilson including visits to High Peak Station; travels in North Island; voyages from Auckland to San Francisco and from New York to Liverpool, February-March 1878.


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