Nicholas Upton (1400?–1457), was an English cleric, precentor of Salisbury, and writer on

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

and the art of war.

Life

He is thought to have been the second son of John Upton of Portlinch,

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Barley of Chencombe in the same county. Nicholas entered as scholar of

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

in 1408 under the name ‘Helyer alias Upton, Nicholas,’ and was elected Fellow of

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, in 1415, graduating bachelor of civil law. He was ordained

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

on 8 March 1421; but he entered the service of Thomas de Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury, and fought against the French in Normandy. He also served under

William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (16 October 1396 – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jackanapes, was an English magnate, statesman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He became a favourite of Henry VI of England, and consequent ...

, and John Talbot, later Earl of Shrewsbury. He was with Salisbury at the

Siege of Orléans The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) marked a turning point of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war, but was repulsed by F ...

in October–November 1428, when it was relieved by

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

and Salisbury was killed. Upton was appointed one of the executors of his will. Soon afterwards

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 1390 – 23 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV ...

persuaded him to continue his clerical career. On 6 April 1431 he was admitted to the prebend of Dyme in

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and the mother church of the diocese of Bath and Wells. There are daily Church of England services in ...

, and before 2 October 1434 was rector of

Chedzoy Chedzoy (alternatively Chedzey) is a civil parish village east of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. History The village is at the western end of King's Sedgemoor and lies on an 'island' of Burtle marine sands, close to King's Sedgemoor Drain. ...

, Somerset, which he exchanged on that date for the rectory of

Stapleford, Wiltshire Stapleford is a village and civil parish about north of Wilton, Wiltshire, England. The village is on the River Till, just above its confluence with the River Wylye. The village is on the B3083 road, which joins the A36 at the southern end ...

; he was also rector of

Fawley, Hampshire Fawley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated in the New Forest on the western shore of the Solent, approximately south of Southampton. Fawley is also the site of Fawley Refinery, operated by ExxonMobil, which is ...

. In 1438 he graduated bachelor of canon law from Broadgates Hall, Oxford, and on 11 April 1443 was collated to the prebend of Wildland in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

. He resigned his prebend on his election on 14 May 1446 as precentor of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

. In 1452 he went on a mission to Rome to obtain the canonisation of

Osmund Osmund (Latin ''Osmundus'') is a Germanic name composed of the word ''Os'' meaning "god" and ''mund'' meaning "protection." Osmund or Osmond may refer to: Pre-modern era :''Ordered chronologically'' * Osmund of Sussex (), a king of Sussex * Osm ...

, the founder of Salisbury. He reached Rome on 27 June, returning in May 1453 without accomplishing his object. He died in 1457 before 15 July, and was buried in Salisbury Cathedral.

Works

Upton was the author of ''Libellus de Officio Militari''; it was dedicated to

, and was therefore written before 1446. It consists of four parts: * "De Coloribus in Armis et eorum Nobilitate ac Differentia"; * "De Regulis et de Signis"; * "De Animalibus et de Avibus in Armis portatis"; * "De Militia et eorum Nobilitate". Upton quotes liberally from Bartolus of Sassoferrato and other jurists. The book circulated in manuscript for two centuries. Parts were incorporated in the '' Book of St. Albans''; it was transcribed by Robert Glover and it was extensively used by

Francis Thynne Francis Thynne (c. 1544 – 1608) was an English antiquary and an officer of arms at the College of Arms. Family background and early life Francis Thynne was born in Kent, the son of William Thynne, who was Master of the Household of King He ...

. It was eventually edited and published by Sir Edward Bysshe from Sir Robert Cotton's manuscript, and from another belonging to Matthew Hale, both procured for Bysshe by

John Selden John Selden (16 December 1584 – 30 November 1654) was an English jurist, a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law. He was known as a polymath; John Milton hailed Selden in 1644 as "the chief of learned m ...

: Bysshe's edition appeared in 1654, and was entitled ''Nicholai Vptoni de Studio Militari''.

References

* *J. P. Cooper, ''Ideas of Gentility in Early Modern-England'', Ch. 3 (pp. 43–77) in ''Land, Men and Beliefs: Studies in Early-Modern History'' (1983), edited by G. E. Aylmer and J. S. Morrill

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Upton, Nicholas 1400 births 1457 deaths 14th-century English Roman Catholic priests English writers British heraldists Alumni of Broadgates Hall, Oxford