William Upcott

[1] Upcott was initially a bookseller, at first an assistant of Robert Harding Evans of Pall Mall, and then of John Wright of Piccadilly.

[1] When Richard Porson was made librarian of the London Institution, Upcott was appointed as his assistant (23 April 1806), and he continued in the same position under William Maltby.

[2] In imitation of the plan adopted by William Oldys, he fitted up a room with shelves and a hundred receptacles into which he dropped cuttings on different subjects.

[1] The walls in Upcott's rooms, whether at the London Institution or at his home in Islington, were covered with paintings, drawings, and prints, most of them by Thomas Gainsborough or Humphry; all the drawers, shelves, boxes, and cupboards were crammed with his collections.

[1] Upcott's library, books, manuscripts, prints, and drawings were sold by Sotheby at Evans's auction-rooms, 106 New Bond Street (15 June 1846 and following days), and are said to have realised £4,125 17s.

[1] The main parts of Upcott's collections which were not acquired by the British Museum consisted of the correspondence of Ralph Thoresby (which was edited by Joseph Hunter) and of Emanuel da Costa.

He took an active part in the publication of the Garrick Correspondence, and in the preparation of the Catalogue of the London Institution; and assisted in compiling the Biographical Dictionary of 1816.