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P.S. Origin of Upshur
According to Reaney & Wilson's A Dictionary of English Surnames, Upshur indicates that one's ancestor came from a place called Upshire in Essex. Unfortunately this place is not listed in my English place name dictionary.
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Mr. Evans:Thank you for your research regarding the origin of "Upsher, et. al.". I looked into place names as well. "Upshire" as you note was a hamlet in Waltham Parish, Essex County. I also found an "Upsher Green" in Suffolk. Because Upsher Dolbee (Messick) was the illegitimate son of Constance Dolby (Messick), we do not know the birth father's name.I assume that given names which designated locations were assigned to individuals whose surnames came from other sources (occupations, physical characteristics, etc.) in order to provide specificity.Again, thank you for your assistance.
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