Readers Comments and Queries


I hope you have found this ramble through Foster history informative and interesting and would invite any comments or queries you may have.

Please email me if you have your own Foster family history to relate, if you have genealogical inquiries that can be pursued here, or if there are any particular Foster stories that you would like to pass on. We will post them all here.

Colin Shelley

nottshell@btinternet.com


Comments and Queries


12 July, 2008.  Foster Loyalists Fleeing to Canada 

Great website! I wonder if you know anything about Fosters in New York and Mass. that fled to the Maritime provinces of Canada when the revolution broke out?  My family has stories floating around about the exodus of several branches of the family, particularly from up-state NY and the Hudson River valley, fleeing to New Brunswick where they set-up shop as mill workers and merchants in the growing timber trade for tall-ships that was emerging in St. John and much of Nova Scotia. There are even family rumors that the strip of land that Sing Sing prison is built on once belonged to Fosters but was commandeered when the American Revolution drove the loyalist family off the land.

Does anyone know the connection? Also, what line and region of European Fosters would this line of Fosters trace their lineage back to? 

Brian Foster   Carleton University, Ottawa (bfoster@connect.carleton.ca) 


24 June 2008.  Fosters in Cumberland 

I am interested in finding more on this Foster/Bell family which are my husband's ancestors.  

John Foster and Mary Bell married 19 November 1820 in Stanwix, Cumberland
they produced:
Sarah, christened 16 January 1825 Stanwix
John, christened 28 October 1827 Stanwix
Joseph, christened 7 July 1833 Stanwix
James and Jane, christened 5 March 1837 Stanwix

Joseph Foster immigrated to Orangeville, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, but I have found nothing on the rest of this family.  I would appreciate it if you would also post my query on your Foster website. 

Fred Heater (adfsparky@yahoo.com)  


27 April, 2008.  African American Fosters

 
My brother, N. Thomas Foster, was the first African American appointed as City Attorney of Camden, New Jersey in 1980.  He is a graduate of Rutgers Law School.  Tom gave oral argument before the United States Supreme Court in November of 1983, shortly before his untimely death of a heart attack the following year. 

In an effort to develop our family genealogy, I am looking for any or all information related to our grandfather, Arnett or Arnette Foster, (7-4-1883 or 1889 are the two birthyears) of Madison County, Florida's forebears.  If you have any information, (i.e. family trees,) I would most definitely be interested!! 

Thank you so very much!  G. Ann Foster (Gafoster719@aol.com)


5 April, 2008.  Richard Foster of Virginia 

Let me introduce myself.  I'm William L Foster, descendant of John Foster who was the brother of Robert Foster who married Elizabeth Garnett, both the sons of Richard Foster. 

You mentioned the Richard Fosters of the 1600s whom my mentor Dr. Billy G Foster wrote about.  I would like to point out that Richard, brother-in-law of Richard of the "Safety," is the Captain Foster who later was Major Foster who moved from the south Norfolk area to the Albermarle Colony.  Richard of “The Safety” moved to Mockjack Bay and it was he who married Susannah Garnett. 

The third Richard moved to Maryland.   Captain Foster was a lawyer and represented his younger brother- in-law who went back to England for five years in college (probably to study law). Dr. Bill Foster's narrative is confusing and must be read over and over again but no assumptions should be made. 

My Fosters ended up moving southeast from Essex Co Va and into Rowan Co NC where they settled at the Forks of The Yadkin River in what is now Davie Co NC just below Winston Salem.  This is where the wagons formed to move west to Kentucky and Tennessee or south to Georgia and Mississippi.  Squire Boone and his son Daniel lived there also. 

Bill Foster (iwasa43fan@yahoo.com)

9 February, 2008.  Knight Forster at Bamburgh? 

I have been looking at your Foster family website and wonder if you have any information on the monument of a knight at Bamburgh. I am presuming he is one of the Forster Lords of Bamburgh.  I have been told that the armour is around 1350 which is too late for the original Lord, unless it was erected later in his memory.  Or does it relate specifically to a later Lord?  Any information would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.  Jean (jeannemccreanor@yahoo.co.uk)


27 November, 2007.  Theodosia Foster in Australia?

Looking for any information on Theodosia Alice Foster, born Feb. 1, 1868, in Sunderland, England.  She was the daughter of James Foster.  She was also the niece of Joseph Foster, the genealogist who wrote of the Foster family history.  Family rumor has it that she went to Australia to escape her stepmother.

Don and Carol Clement (thdon@aol.com)

25 November, 2007.  Thomas Foster from Cumberland

 
Your Foster website is very nice.  I especially like the page with stories.  Thank you for posting it to Cyndi's list to let people know about the site.  Could you please add my information to your Queries page?

Thomas Foster/Forster was born about 1800 in Cumberland, a brick maker in Carlisle, then a publican near Liverpool.  He married Ann Bouch 7 Jul.1821 in Warwick, Cumberland.  They had at least 8 children.  Their daughter Jane (born 1831 in Stanwix, Carlisle, Cumberland) is my great grandmother.  She married William Kirkby (a railway engine driver) 14 Sep.1851 in Preston, Lancashire, and died 19 May.1916 in Bury, Lancashire.  Jane's grandson was my grandfather, William Percy Hardman.  He said his Fosters were from Scotland, but I haven't found that connection yet.

Jane Fraser (janernfraser@hotmail.com)
Pueblo,Colorado

22 November, 2007.  The Story of Arthur Foster


One point that I wonder about is the story of Arthur, because as a child (1930's or early war years) I knew a man named Arthur Foster who lived in a little house in Shoebury not too far from us and who came to our house to do simple jobs for my parents.  I remember he used to clean the knives in the kitchen (no stainless steel in those days!).  He was considered a little simple and spoke with a slightly 'funny' voice (a cleft palate perhaps?).  But he was always happy and smiley and nice to us children and sometimes brought along little 78 records for us to play, though I don't think my parents approved of his choice of music!

I had no idea who he was until I discovered the Elizabeth/Joseph Foster marriage just a few years ago.  The name Foster rang a bell and I looked for his possible birth ib Brighton and obtained the birth certificate for Arthur Harold Foster on 22 April 1901, just too late for the census.  His parents were Elizabeth and Joseph.  It seems certain that this is the same man that your Uncle Geoff remembered.  How and when did he come to Shoebury?

Geoff Mann (geoff.mann@btinternet.com)