Roger Lupton

Dr Roger Lupton (1456–27 February 1539/40)[1] was an English ecclesiastic, lawyer-cleric, chaplain to Henry VIII and college head.[2][3][4]

Family origins

The Lupton family originated in Yorkshire and Cumbria, in and around the town of Lupton, near Kirkby Lonsdale.[5] The name was first recorded in the 15th century. The Lupton family would produce the famous surgeon Sackville B. Lupton[6] and the family were connected through marriage to the Gascoigne family, also of Yorkshire – (Gawthorpe). Lady Fairfax, née Agnes Gascoignes was herself the direct descendant of Edward III.[7][8][9]

Early life and career

The son of Thomas Lupton of 'Sadber' (Sedbergh),[10] Lupton was born in 1456 in the parish of Sedbergh, at that time situated in Yorkshire. He is first traced at Cambridge in 1479, when he graduated in 1484 as a Bachelor of Canon Law from King's College, University of Cambridge.[11] Lupton graduated as a Doctor of Canon Law in 1504.[12][13]

In 1484, shortly after his graduation, Lupton served in the Chancery Court, and went on to become Rector of Harlton, Cambridgeshire, and then a Canon of Windsor in 1500. He was elected a Fellow and then Provost of Eton College in February 1503/4, which post he retained until 1535.

Lupton was chaplain to both Henry VII and Henry VIII[14][15] and executor of Henry VII's will.[16] Henry VII granted Lupton his own coat-of-arms. The crest – "a wolf's head, erased" – continues to be borne by Lupton's collateral descendants.[17]

1525 is the accepted date when Roger Lupton began to provide for a Chantry School in Sedbergh; (Sedbergh School). A few scholars were gathered together under a Chaplain, one Henry Blomeyr. Lupton's intention was twofold: "for the maintaining and increase of learning in Christ's Church", and "for his soul's health"; an agreement was made that the Chaplain and Scholars should have free seats in the chancel of Sedbergh Church. Sedbergh School takes Lupton's coat-of-arms as its crest.[18]

In 1527, six Scholarships to St John's College, Cambridge were established, to be awarded exclusively to boys from the School. A document held at St John's says that the Scholars were "to be chosen from the grammar scole of Sedbare, wher the sayd Roger Lupton was borne and hath foundyd a perpetuall chauntry and the sayd grammar scole indued sufficiently with lyvelode and lands truly and suerly purchased and manciones sufficiently bylded". After purchase of land and building of a school, almost certainly on the site of the present School Library, the foundation deed was signed, binding the School to St John's College, Cambridge, which was to have the appointment of its Headmasters. In 1535, two further scholarships to Cambridge were established, with provision for two Fellowships also.

On his death, he was buried in the Lupton Chapel at Eton, which was named for a generous donation Lupton had made to the College. A bell tower and dormitory was also dedicated in his name, and the tower is perhaps the most famous building in the college. His death is commemorated each year on 27 February at Eton on Threepenny Day which he founded.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ According to a book about Lupton by R. Cann (2005), Lupton died in 1540.
  2. ↑ (Joseph Hurst Lupton – Editor), Dictionary of National Biography. "Dr Roger Lupton". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 January 2015. It seems certain that the provost of Eton (Dr R.Lupton) before 23 March 1510 resigned the prebend of St. Michael, Warwick, being then styled king's chaplain (ib. i. 967),
  3. ↑ History Online, British. "Henry VIII: May 1509, 1–14 Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1, 1509–1514. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1920". BHO. Retrieved 23 January 2013. The King's chaplains: Mr. Hobbys, Mr. Cosyn, Mr. Vaghan, Mr. Lupton, Mr. Lychfeld, Mr. Honywood, Mr. West, brother to the lord Dalaware, Mr. Wolsey, Mr. Oxenbrygge, Mr. Esterfeld, Mr. Fyssher, Mr. Rawlyns, Mr. Teylour, Mr. Hatton "profyce of Cambryge," Mr Petir of ye Closet
  4. ↑ Leach, Athur Francis. "Early Yorkshire Schools". Cambridge University Press, 18 April 2013 page xli. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Green, Carole. "Looking for Luptons". BBC york and North Yorkshire, 13 November 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Rivington, J.G.F.and J. "The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History and Politics of the Year 1840, Volume 82". London 1841, Printed for J. G. F. and J. Rivington, page 162. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. "Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, 2nd Edition". Copyright 2011, D. Richardson ISBN 1449966314 – page 142. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Urban, Sylvanus. "The Gentleman's Magazine – Obituary, Sackville Bale Lupton, surgeon". page 220 William Pickering, John Bowyer Nichols and Son, London 1840. Retrieved 14 February 2014. "....he (Sackville B. Lupton) was of the same stock as the Rev Dr Roger Lupton (Provost of Eton)...and connected by marriage (to) the Conyers ..and Gascoignes of that neighbourhood.
  9. ↑ Elston, Laura. "Kate's background is a mixed heritage". Sydney Morning Herald, 7 November 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  10. ↑ (Dr) Roger Lupton, Entry -. "DNB – 1885–1900". DNB Biographies. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Wright, Stephen. J. "Lupton, Roger (1456–1540)". ODNB – September 2004. Retrieved 23 January 2015. Lupton, Roger (1456–1540), college head and founder of Sedbergh School, was born in July 1456 in the parish of Sedbergh, Yorkshire, possibly the son of Thomas Lupton. He was at King's College, Cambridge, from 1479 until at least 1484; he was admitted BCnL in 1484 and in DCnL in 1504
  12. ↑ "Lupton, Roger (LPTN483R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  13. ↑ University, Cambridge. "Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students ..., Volume 1". Cambridge University, 2011 – Edited by John Venn – page 118. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  14. ↑ (Joseph Hurst Lupton – Editor), Dictionary of National Biography. "Dr Roger Lupton". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 January 2015. It seems certain that the provost of Eton (Dr R.Lupton) before 23 March 1510 resigned the prebend of St. Michael, Warwick, being then styled king's chaplain (ib. i. 967),
  15. ↑ History Online, British. "Henry VIII: May 1509, 1–14 Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1, 1509–1514. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1920". BHO. Retrieved 23 January 2013. The King's chaplains: Mr. Hobbys, Mr. Cosyn, Mr. Vaghan, Mr. Lupton, Mr. Lychfeld, Mr. Honywood, Mr. West, brother to the lord Dalaware, Mr. Wolsey, Mr. Oxenbrygge, Mr. Esterfeld, Mr. Fyssher, Mr. Rawlyns, Mr. Teylour, Mr. Hatton "profyce of Cambryge," Mr Petir of ye Closet
  16. ↑ BOEREMA, Jurgen. "Local author shares work". Washington Daily News – 22 December 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  17. ↑ Berry, William. "Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, Volume 2". Sherwood, Gilbert and Piper, 1828. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  18. ↑ School, Sedbergh. "Sedbergh School Foundation" (PDF). Sedbergh School Foundation Inc. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Past, Papers. "THREEPENNY DAY AT ETON.". Northern Advocate , 20 April 1914, Page 2. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Henry Bost		 Provost of Eton
1504–1535 		Succeeded by
Roger Aldrich