John Upton
Encyclopedia
John Upton was born in Petworth
, Sussex
, England
. He was a civil engineer
and contractor
working on roads, canals and ports first in England
and later in Russia
.
at Petworth House
. The Earl took a great interest in road and waterway improvements. It seems probable that the young Upton gained basic engineering skills partly from his father and from working on schemes sponsored by the Earl. In 1815 he was working on the stalled project to build a canal from Gloucester
to join the river Severn at Berkeley. He published a plan that the canal should join the river at Sharpness
rather than Berkeley - a plan that was eventually adopted.
He was also working as a construction contractor, principally in South Wales. By 1819 he had become surveyor for part of the London to Holyhead
road running from Stoney Stratford, near Milton Keynes
, to Dunchurch
, Warwickshire under the overall direction of Thomas Telford
who seems to have had a high regard for Upton's engineering skills.
road construction work in early 1826 showed that he had defrauded the project of over £1000. He was charged to appear at Northampton Assizes but was allowed bail. The day before his trial in July 1826 he absconded and made his way to the Russian legation in London who were keen to recruit engineers for their Black Sea expansion. Upton's assistant, Clement Clarke, stood trial but was sentenced to a modest 6 months imprisonment because he worked under direction. Not only had Upton defrauded the road project but he had also obtained £3000 from his wife's relations which he did not repay and had defaulted on his franchise for the Daventry post office leaving his surety to pay £300.
harbour accessible to large ships where others had failed. He designed the water supply, road layout and many features of Sevastopol
town and harbour including the Grafskaya Quay, He had been commissioned as an engineering officer and rose to the rank of Colonel Engineer. In Odessa he built the Potemkin Stairs
designed earlier by a Russian architect. In Russia he was assisted by his sons John, William, Thomas and Samuel who went on to become an architect and Russian academician. During the Crimean War
William Upton was held for a short time by the British military who hoped he would reveal details of Sevastopol
harbour defences.
Petworth
Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 east-west road from Heathfield to Winchester and the A283 Milford to Shoreham-by-Sea road. Some twelve miles to the south west of Petworth along the A285 road...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
working on roads, canals and ports first in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and later in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
English career
His father, John Upton, was a surveyor to the George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of EgremontGeorge Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont
George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont was a British peer. A direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, he succeeded to his father's titles in 1763 at the age of 12, inheriting estates at Petworth, Egremont, Leconfield and land in Wiltshire and Somerset. He later inherited the lands of the Earl...
at Petworth House
Petworth House
Petworth House in Petworth, West Sussex, England, is a late 17th-century mansion, rebuilt in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s by Anthony Salvin...
. The Earl took a great interest in road and waterway improvements. It seems probable that the young Upton gained basic engineering skills partly from his father and from working on schemes sponsored by the Earl. In 1815 he was working on the stalled project to build a canal from Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
to join the river Severn at Berkeley. He published a plan that the canal should join the river at Sharpness
Sharpness
Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West. It is on the River Severn at , at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream , is still large .The village of Sharpness is pronounced with the...
rather than Berkeley - a plan that was eventually adopted.
He was also working as a construction contractor, principally in South Wales. By 1819 he had become surveyor for part of the London to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
road running from Stoney Stratford, near Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, to Dunchurch
Dunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
, Warwickshire under the overall direction of Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
who seems to have had a high regard for Upton's engineering skills.
Criminal dealings
In 1818 he was dismissed from the Gloucester and Sharpness canal project for improper procurement of construction materials. An audit of the DunchurchDunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
road construction work in early 1826 showed that he had defrauded the project of over £1000. He was charged to appear at Northampton Assizes but was allowed bail. The day before his trial in July 1826 he absconded and made his way to the Russian legation in London who were keen to recruit engineers for their Black Sea expansion. Upton's assistant, Clement Clarke, stood trial but was sentenced to a modest 6 months imprisonment because he worked under direction. Not only had Upton defrauded the road project but he had also obtained £3000 from his wife's relations which he did not repay and had defaulted on his franchise for the Daventry post office leaving his surety to pay £300.
Russian career
Upton was able to make SevastopolSevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
harbour accessible to large ships where others had failed. He designed the water supply, road layout and many features of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
town and harbour including the Grafskaya Quay, He had been commissioned as an engineering officer and rose to the rank of Colonel Engineer. In Odessa he built the Potemkin Stairs
Potemkin Stairs
The Potemkin Stairs , is a giant stairway in Odessa, Ukraine. The stairs are considered a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the sea and are the best known symbol of Odessa....
designed earlier by a Russian architect. In Russia he was assisted by his sons John, William, Thomas and Samuel who went on to become an architect and Russian academician. During the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
William Upton was held for a short time by the British military who hoped he would reveal details of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
harbour defences.