Author: Upton, William
Biography:
UPTON, William (fl 1781-1802)
William Upton was a singer, actor, and composer of songs for the London stage for over twenty years, but there are few clues as to his identity. O’Donoghue includes him as “probably” an Irishman; however, no records have been found to provide his birthdate and parentage. He is first registered as a singer at Astley’s Amphitheatre, Westminster Bridge, on 27 Feb. 1781, and his last publication appears to have been an edition in 1802 of “the most favorite songs, duets, &c.” sung there (the songs are mostly not by him) and dedicated to Mrs. Astley. He identifies himself on the title-page of that collection as the author of several spectacles for Astley’s: The Black Castle; The Inquisition, or, The Maid of Portugal; and Fair Rosamond. Some of his own songs were published as broadsides, but he was not the author of “The Lass of Richmond Hill” (by Leonard McNally) which has sometimes been attributed to him. He must have been a fairly popular performer, for the subscription list of his Poems on Several Occasions (1788, 1791) runs to ten pages and contains, besides the names of well known actors and managers, the Duke of Leinster, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Hon. Charles James Fox. The first edition was dedicated to the Countess of Salisbury, the second to the Duchess of Devonshire. Upton notes that many of the poems had previously been published in the newspapers. (O’Donoghue; Highfill; ancestry.com 4 Apr. 2024; findmypast.com 4 Apr. 2024)
Other Names:
- W. Upton