During the 1830's the family moved to the village of Monk Bretton in the parish of Royston, approximately two miles west of Barnsley. The births of Thomas, Samuel, Julia and Mary have been documented as occurring in Monk Bretton near Royston, either through Royston parish records, or certificates of birth registration from the General Register's office in London. In the case of the latter, John Lupton signed his signature with an "X," an indication that he could neither read nor write. In the 1841 census records of the parish of Royston, John, and two of his sons, John Lupton, Jr. and Joseph, age 10, were all recorded as weavers. Records from the General Register's Office also indicate that John Lupton, Jr. married Mary Ann Jackson at Royston in 1845, and their oldest son, John Goulding Stockill Lupton was born in Monk Bretton. (John G.S. Lupton died in 1847, and he is buried at Council Hill Cemetery in Jo Daviess County, Illinois.)

In 1846, the families of John and Martha (Wilkinson) Lupton, and their son, John Lupton, Jr. left their native shores and immigrated to America. Embarking at Liverpool, they sailed on the LAPLAND, arriving at New Orleans on May 27. Shipping records recorded them as follows: John Lupton, 40 years; Mrs. Lupton, 43; John, 21; Mary Ann, 21; infant; William, 18; "Joshua," 16; Sarah, 13; Thomas, 10; Samuel, 7; Judith, 5; and Mary, aged 3. The intended occupation of John Lupton, Sr. and his older sons was "farmer," and according to the obituary of my great-grandfather, Samuel Lupton, the ultimate destination was Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, where friends had already settled. They reportedly traveled up the Mississippi River by steamer, arriving in Galena on June 6, 1846, according to records of the OLD SETTLER'S ASSOCIATION of Jo Daviess County.

In 1849, Mary Ann Lupton, described as a first cousin to the children of John and Martha (Wilkinson) Lupton, arrived in Jo Daviess County where she was raised in the household of John Lupton, Jr. and his wife, Mary Ann. (Jackson). She was the daughter of Samuel Lupton, a brother of John Lupton, Sr., and was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England, on May 23, 1839. Mary Ann Lupton, who married Charles Reed of Apple River, is buried at Kirk Ella Cemetery near Apple River, north of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. According to information received from Loren Meisner, Mary Ann came from England with her parents and two siblings. One sibling died at sea and her parents both died of Cholera in New Orleans, Louisiana. Although the shipping record is riddled with errors, Loren and I believe that Mary Ann arrived on the Brandon, which arrived in New Orleans on April 27, 1849. By the time Mary Ann arrived in Jo Daviess County, she was an orphan with no family, since her remaining sibling had died on the Mississippi River steamer, en route from New Orleans. However, she was greeted in Galena, by her relatives, but no one knows whether or not they were prepared for the fact that Mary Ann Lupton was the sole survivor of her family.

Jo Daviess County land records indicate that John Lupton, Sr., and his two oldest sons, John Jr., and William, all purchased land in Council Hill Township during the 1850's, and henceforth became tillers of the soil. This tradition was followed by our own great grandfather, Samuel, when he and his first wife, Elizabeth Reynolds moved to Felix Township in Grundy County, Iowa in 1871. The Last Will and Testament of John Lupton, Sr., dated April 29, 1881, listed the total land holdings as 213 & ½ acres in Council Hill, and 120 acres near Norfolk, Nebraska. His "real and personal property" consisted of " farming implements, horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, household furniture, a life insurance policy worth $1000, and a certain promissory note of 1200 dollars held against his son, William."

Beginning October 4, 1895, one of the two post offices serving Council Hill was renamed LUPTON, Illinois. The following was excerpted from the 1904 edition of The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois: "There are within the township two villages, neither of which has ever been incorporated, one being called Council Hill and the other Council Hill Station on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad. The latter place, however, is now called Lupton in honor of one of her prominent citizens. There is considerable business done at both villages and vast quantities of lead ore have been taken from the mines in this township."

The Lupton post office was disestablished on June 15, 1907, after which the name reverted back to Council Hill. The remaining post office was discontinued in 1931, and the once thriving village is now known as Rural Route Scales Mound, Illinois.

However, the original house where the immigrant Lupton family once lived, still remained as of 1980. Some years ago when the house was being remodeled, the discovery was made of a picture of a SKUNK, dated 1909, bearing these words: "Whoever shall dare tear down these walls!" The picture had been placed between the wall rafters by John Spencer, son of Mary Lupton, and her husband, Simeon Spencer, and a grandson of John and Martha Lupton.

GALENA DAILY GAZETTE
Monday morning, April 18, 1864

COUNCIL HILL FLAX COMPANY

"A Company has been organized at Council Hill Station for the purpose of manufacturing flax (or lint). They intend to buy it threshed or unthreshed, rotted or unrotted, and will pay good prices both for the straw, and seed. They are now fitting up their building and machinery, and will be ready for manufacturing in two months.

Farmers would do well to turn their attention to flax raising as they can make as much off one acre as they can from two acres of any other kind of grain with no more cost or labor.

The following are the Directors of the Company.

S. ALDERSON
J. COMBELLICK, Jr.
J. LUPTON
A. RAW
Mark LEEKLY
J. COMBELLICK, Sen.
R. T. JAMES"

By K. Giblin, 2nd great-granddaughter