Upton (Northamptonshire)

Upton is a municipality in the English county of Northamptonshire, a few kilometers west of Northampton.

History

Even in the Stone Age, the area of Upton seems to have been already settled, but also from the Roman period many finds are obtained, which indicate a settlement. The village of Upton takes its first documentary mention in the Domesday Book of 1086, it seems then to have been a fairly prosperous place. 1189 was a Robert Fitzewin new owner of manor house, village, about female descendants came to the possession of the family Chauncey, early 15th century, then finally into the possession of the Knightley family. Even in 1477, the village comprised 24 houses, but pretty soon the tenants were evicted and the village largely razed to the ground, the land was instead used for sheep farming. Beginning of the 16th century was probably rebuilt by Richard Knightley, who was married to a Jane Spencer of Althorp, the still existing manor house in its basic ingredient. As the family Knightley ran into financial difficulties, the property was finally sold in 1600 to William Samwell, whose daughter Jane was the mother of James Harrington, who was born in 1611 in Upton. Upton remained until 1831 owned by the Samwell family, and in that time the mansion was extended several times and rebuilt, until it finally had its present shape. As a result, several times changed hands, until finally in 1947 a school was housed in the house, " Upton Hall School ," today " Quinton House School ".

In addition to the manor house and outbuildings to be found from ancient times still a church dedicated to Saint Michael. It originates probably in the 12th century and was originally a branch church of St. Peter in Northampton. In the church is the tomb of Richard Knightley and his wife Jane, née Spencer, and various commemorative plaques for members of Samwell and James Harrington family.

Since the mid- 1990s, a large development area has been set up in the area of Upton, so that the population numbers have increased dramatically (2004: 590 inhabitants). Upton has therefore now given the status of a civil parish.