George, the eldest son of George Tupman (1785-1847) and Elizabeth Emerson, was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer on 7 September 1838 and was educated for eight and a half years at the Royal Naval School, where he showed an interest in mathematical and scientific subjects.
Tupman was particularly interested in astronomy, and was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from May 1863 [REF].