15930–2, Oxfordshire collections; 15936, Worsley letters, 1714–22; 15937–46, letters of foreign princes and English statesmen; 15947, Prior's papers while at Paris; 15952–15954, papers on the French army in Italy, 1799–1813; 15855 and 15955–7, Anson papers. The sketch-books of Ozias Humphry (Addit. MSS. 15958–69) were purchased by Thomas Rodd at the sale, but were at once resold to the British Museum.
The chief of Upcott's collections which were not acquired by the British Museum consisted of the correspondence of Ralph Thoresby (which was edited by the Rev. Joseph Hunter) and of Emanuel da Costa. A large series of autograph letters from Upcott's stores was purchased by Captain Montagu Montagu, R.N., and left by him at his death on 3 July 1863 to the Bodleian Library (Macray, Annals of Bodl. Libr. p. 299). Many of Humphry's finest works passed at Upcott's death to his friend, C. H. Turner of Godstone, and still belong to his family [see Humphry, Ozias].
Upcott published in 1818, in three volumes, a ‘Bibliographical Account of the Principal Works relating to English Topography,’ a work of great labour and utility. Unfortunately the compiler's intention of embracing Scotland and Ireland in a future work was never fulfilled, and his book is now to a large extent superseded by the ‘British Topography’ (1881) of Mr. John P. Anderson, who refers in his preface to Upcott's ‘excellent catalogue.’ Upcott revised for the press the first (quarto) edition of ‘Evelyn's Diary,’ brought out by William Bray in 1818, and for the (octavo) edition of 1827 he carefully collated the copy with the original manuscript at Wotton and made numerous corrections. In 1825 he further edited Evelyn's ‘Miscellaneous Writings.’ He reprinted in 1814 Andrew Borde's ‘Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge,’ and in 1819 Edmund Carter's ‘History of the County of Cambridge.’
Southey was indebted to Upcott for the transcript of Sir Thomas Malory's ‘King Arthur’ (1817). Upcott corrected it for the press. He took an active part in the publication of the ‘Garrick Correspondence,’ and in the preparation of the ‘Catalogue of the London Institution,’ and is believed to have aided in compiling the ‘Biographical Dictionary’ of 1816. The Guildhall Library originated in a suggestion by him, and in 1828 he superintended the arrangement of the books in it (Welch, Modern London, p. 162). In a copy of the 1818 edition of Thomas Gray's ‘Poems’ in two volumes, now in the British Museum, Upcott inserted a large number of additional illustrations and of suggestive notes very beautifully written in his own hand.
[Gent. Mag. 1845 ii. 540–1, 1846 i. 473–6 (by A. B. i.e. Dawson Turner); Memoirs of Dodd, Upcott, and Stubbs 1879 (reprinted from Temple Bar, xlvii. 89–104); Notes and Queries, 1st ser. viii. 47, x. 331, 334, xi. 34; Barker's Lit. Anecdotes, 1852, ii. 5, 6.]
UPHAM, EDWARD (1776–1834), bookseller and orientalist, the third son of Charles Upham (1739–1807), mayor of Exeter in 1796, was born at Exeter in 1776. He began life as a bookseller in Exeter; his brother John carried on a similar business in Bath. Upham became a member of the corporation, was sheriff in 1807, and mayor of Exeter in 1809. He retired and published a couple of oriental romances of no great merit, besides two works on Buddhism of more permanent value. One laborious and useful task was the completion of the ‘Index to the Rolls of Parliament, comprising the Petitions, Pleas, and Proceedings of Parliament (A.D. 1278–A.D. 1503),’ commenced by John Strachey and John Pridden [q. v.], and published London, 1832, folio. He was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Towards the end of his life he resided at Dawlish, where he was one of the charity trustees. He died at Bath on 24 Jan. 1834. He married, 25 Aug. 1801, Mary (d. 19 Oct. 1829), daughter of John Hoblyn, vicar of Newton St. Cyres and Padstow.
He wrote: 1. ‘Rameses: an Egyptian Tale, with Historical Notes of the Era of the Pharaohs,’ London, 1824, 3 vols. sm. 8vo (anonymous). 2. ‘Karmath: an Arabian Tale,’ London, 1827, sm. 8vo (anonymous). 3. ‘The History and Doctrine of Buddhism, popularly illustrated with Notices of the Kappooism or Demon Worship, and of the Bali, or Planetary Incantations of Ceylon, with 43 lithographic prints from original Singalese designs,’ London, 1829, folio. 4. ‘History of the Ottoman Empire from its Establishment till the year 1828,’ Edinburgh, 1829, 2 vols. sm. 8vo (Constable's Misc. vols. xl. and xli.). 5. ‘Historical and Descriptive Notices of China and its North-Western Dependencies,’ London, 1832 (from Gent. Mag. October 1832). 6. ‘The Mahávansi, the Rájá-Ratnácari, and the Rájá-vali, forming the Sacred and Historical Books of Ceylon; also a Collection of Tracts illustrative of the Doctrines and Literature of Buddhism, translated from the Singhalese,’ London, 1833, 3 vols. 8vo (edited by Upham).
[Information from Mr. W. U. Reynell-Upham; see also Gent. Mag. 1834, i. 336.]
