Lupton family

The Lupton family in Yorkshire achieved prominence in ecclesiastical and academic circles in England in the Tudor era through the fame of Roger Lupton, provost of Eton College and chaplain to Henry VII and Henry VIII. By the Georgian era, the family was established as merchants and ministers in Leeds. Described in the city's archives as "landed gentry, a political and business dynasty", they had become successful woollen cloth merchants and manufacturers who flourished during the Industrial Revolution and traded throughout northern Europe, the Americas and Australia. Members of the family contributed to the political life of the UK and the civic life of Leeds well into the 20th century. Several members were well acquainted with the British royal family and were philanthropists. Some were Lord Mayors of Leeds and M.P.s and progressive in their views. They were associated with the Church of England and the Unitarian church. The Lupton Residences of the University of Leeds are named after members of the family. Catherine, Princess of Wales is a great-granddaughter of Olive Lupton who married Richard Noel Middleton in 1914. Lupton is a placename surname connected with Lupton in Cumbria (formerly Westmoreland). The surname in Yorkshire is recorded in 1297 in Subsidy Rolls (Robert Lupton), in the 1379 poll tax in Thornton in Lonsdale (Thomas de Lupton), in Pateley Bridge (Leonard Luptonn) in 1551 and (George Lupton) in 1553 and in 1599 in Keighley (Judithe Luptonne). Father Robert Lupton was the Vicar of Skipton in 1430. Roger Lupton, Provost and benefactor of Eton College, was born in Sedbergh, Yorkshire in 1456 and graduated from King's College, Cambridge in 1483. Although he does not appear to have been educated at Eton, a number of his Yorkshire relatives were Etonians, including Ralph Lupton, with whom he had much in common; both were natives of Sedbergh and studied at King's (Ralph was admitted to King's in 1506), and were later benefactors to the college. Another Yorkshire relative was Thomas Lupton of Nun Monkton, an Etonian, who was admitted to King's in 1517.