Anthony Upton (judge)

Anthony Upton (1656-1718) was an English-born judge, much of whose career was spent in Ireland. He was a close friend of the poet William King, who lived for a time at Mountown, Upton's country house outside Dublin. Upton was accused by his critics of neglecting his official duties, but he showed a notably enlightened attitude at the Carrickfergus witchcraft trials, where he urged the jury, without success, to acquit all the accused. He was removed from the Bench in 1714, on account of his politics, and returned to England, where for unknown reasons he committed suicide in 1718.

He was born at Monken Hadley in Middlesex, son of John Upton, a merchant, and Jane Lytcott, daughter of Sir John Lytcott of Molesey. He was educated at Oxford, first at Trinity College and then at All Souls College, from which he graduated in 1674. He entered Lincoln's Inn and was called to the Bar in 1683.

He was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) in 1702. He acquired a comfortable house at Mountown, near present-day Monkstown, County Dublin. He was accused by his political opponents of spending most of his time at Mountown, to the neglect of his office, in the company of his friend, the poet William King. King wrote perhaps his best-known poem, Mully of Mountown (a mock ode to a red cow), while staying with Upton. They shared a taste for poetry and country life: but since King was also a Crown official, who held several senior positions including Judge Advocate and Commissioner for Prizes, there may be some justice in the criticism that they were both ignoring their official duties. It was said that the pair 'thought of nothing but spending their last years in their rural retreat"; but in the event King returned to England in 1708 and died there in 1712.

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