Biography of Roger Lupton 1456-1540
In 1456 Roger Lupton was born to Thomas Lupton of Sedbergh. He was educated at King's College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1500 Roger Lupton (age 44) was appointed Canon of the seventh stall at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map] which position he held for life.
In Feb 1504 Roger Lupton (age 48) was appointed Provost of Eton College by King Henry VIII (age 12) which position he held until 1535.
Before 1510 Roger Lupton (age 54) was appointed Master of St Anthony's Hospital in St Benet Fink [Map].
Letters. 01 Jan 1513. The following pieces of plate received from William Holland of London, goldsmith, 1 Jan. 4 Henry VIII.
[Given in three columns (1) name of a person (to whom the article has been presented); (2), description of the article; and (3), its weight.]
Bishop of Canterbury (age 63), a cup with a gilt cover, 34 oz.
Lady Hastings (age 30), the same, 30¾ oz.
Sir H. Marney (age 66), the same, 23 oz.
Mr. Lupton (age 57), the same, 23 oz.
Sir E. Ponyngs (age 54), the same, 22¼ oz.
The Abbot of Abingdon, the same, 23¾ oz.
Sir Edward Haward, the same, 24 oz.
The old Lady Guylford (age 50), a little pot gilt, 17 7/8 oz.
Lady Lucy, the same, 16 7/8 oz. [Possibly Catherine Hastings (age 35) who married John Melton of Aston Yorkshire 10th Baron Lucy (age 37) before 1506]
Lady Mountjoy, the same, 16 7/8 oz.
Lady Bulleyn (age 33), the same, 16½ oz.
Lord Audeley (age 30), a salt with a gilt cover, 15¾ oz.
The Queen's grace (age 27), a pair of great pots gilt, 575 oz.
Mrs. Catesby, a proper bottle for rose water, 4 oz.
Mrs. Briget, the same, 3 7/8 oz.
Mrs. Lacy, the same, 4 oz. Which, at 5s. the oz., is £212 11s 10½d.
James Worsley, a proper pot, parcel gilt, 10 oz. Copynger, 8 spoons, part gilt, 9¾ oz., Amadas. Which is, at 4s. the oz., 76s. 6d.
In part payment, old plate to the value of £194 16s. 8d. has been delivered to him. The remainder paid by J. Heron (age 43).
On the dorse [reverse]:-Holland beseeches the King to reward him for the workmanship of the Queen's great pots, "for he cannot live to make such curious work at the price within written"; and £6 13s. 4d. is added in another hand, making a total due of £28 5s. Signed by the King.
Lupton's Tower [Map]. A bell tower at Eton College [Map] commissioned by Roger Lupton (age 58) and constructed between 1514 and 1520. The facade looking at the school yard is decorated with three reliefs. Henry VIII Coat of Arms held by red dragon (symbol of Tudor dynasty) and a white greyhound is on the top of the tower; below is Assumption of Mary with a childand angels; and at the low part Henry's heraldic shield held by two angels.
In 1527 Roger Lupton (age 71) established six scholarships to St John's College, Cambridge University [Map], to be awarded exclusively to boys from Sedbergh School with a preference for founder's kin
On 27 Feb 1540 Roger Lupton (age 84) died. He was buried in the chapel that bears his name Lupton's Chapel Eton College [Map]. His tomb has a monumental brass with him wearing the mantle of a Canon of Windsor with the inscription in Latin "Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam" being the first part of the first verse of Psalm 51.
Lupton's Chapel Eton College [Map] is a side chapel of Eton College Chapel [Map] commissioned by Roger Lupton and in which he was subsequently buried. His monumental brass survives at Eton, showing him dressed as a Canon of Windsor wearing a long robe with a cross.
Roger Lupton Arms. Argent, on a chevron between three wolf's heads and necks erased sable three lilies of the field on a chief gules between two escallops a Tau cross or. Arms granted to Roger Lupton by King Henry VII. The Tau cross was a symbol of Saint Anthony of Egypt and thus probably referred to his mastership of St Anthony's Hospital. The escallops were possibly bells, another symbol of Saint Anthony, of which two were often shown suspended from the cross member of a Tau cross. The wolves were canting references to his surname from the Latin Lupus, "a wolf", and Sable, three lilies argent, is the base part of the arms of Eton College [Map].