Biography

Excerpt from Memorial Biographies of the New England Historic Geneaological Society (1907), pg. 109-110:
"Hon. George Bruce Upton of Boston, a life member from 1847, was born in Eastport, Maine, on October 11, 1804, and died in Boston, July 1, 1874.
He was in the sixth generation from John Upton, who came to this country about the middle of the seventeenth century. Both he and his wife were probably Scotch people, and settled in Reading, Massachusetts. The line from John1 was Samuel,2 and Amos,3 Benjamin,4 Daniel Putnam,5 George Bruce." *
Without the advantage of a collegiate education, Mr. Upton, when fourteen, was well advanced in preparation for Harvard College, and declining the privilege offered by his uncle, chose to enter upon a business career in Boston, with Thomas Trott Robinson. In 1819 his employer was John Fox, linen draper, in Washington Street. In October, 1821, he left Boston to go to Nantucket as clerk to Baker and Barrett, in the dry goods trade. Mr. Baker retired a few years later, and Mr. Barrett formed a partnership with Mr. Upton, which continued for twenty years. The firm built ships, and among them some of the finest then afloat. They engaged also in the sperm-whale fishery, and manufacture of oils and candles.
Twice he represented the town in the general court, and was for three years senator from the island district. He was an ardent whig, and in 1844 a delegate to the convention that nominated Henry Clay for the presidency.
From Nantucket Mr. Upton went to Manchester, New Hampshire, as agent for the Manchester Print Works. He
* The father of George Bruce Upton was a graduate of Harvard in 1797. His mother was Hannah Bruce of Mendon, Massachusetts. His great-grandmother, Sarah (Bickford) Upton, died in 1818, having lived within four months of one hundred years. She remembered having seen and talked with people who were living previously to 1650.
next removed to Boston, and in 1846 he was established in business there. He was chosen treasurer of the Michigan Central Railroad, a position he held for eight years. He again engaged in commerce and built several famous clippers for the California trade. He was president of the Boston Board of Trade for two years, and a director in several banks and insurance companies. During the Civil War he was among the staunchest and most active supporters of the national cause. He made a vigorous protest against the ratification of the Clarendon-Johnson treaty. In the Boston fire of 1872 he suffered heavy losses.
A special trait of his character was his sincere and constant humanity. He was interested in the welfare of seamen, and was among the first to advocate a watch aloft to discover ships in distress. He was one of the trustees and the first president of the Sailor's Home.
At the time of his death he was vice-president of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
He was married May 2, 1826, to Ann Coffin Hussey, of Nantucket, by whom he had eight children.
The above sketch is condensed from a memoir of Mr. Upton in the RegisTer, vol. xxix, pp. 1-12.