I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham ffoster my now dwelling house and orchard and ground about it, three acres more or less & halfe the barne, and halfe that land in the field lyeing betweene the land of John Denison & Philip ffowlers, and ten acres on this syde the River caled Muddy River by Major Denisons & John Edwards land, and six acres of salt marsh, All which I give him after my wives decease, I give him four acres of marsh at Plumb Island and the six acres at Hogs Island. I give and bequeath unto my son Renol ffoster all the land which he possesses of myne at the ffalls, that he hath built a house upon both upland & marsh be it fifty acres more or less, only to pay out of it within a yeare after my decease to Sarah my daughter Story, the sum that I have given her, except wt ye sheets & pillo cases amounts to. I give and bequeath unto my son Isaack ffoster my eight acres of fresh meadow at the west meadows joineing to meadows of his, and four acres of salt marsh at Hogs Island, Jacob to have the use of the salt til the decease of my wife. I give and bequeath unto my son William ffoster my six acres of land I had of Thomas Smith, & six acres of marsh at Hog Island, the marsh to Jacob till my wives decease. I give and bequeath unto my son Jacob ffoster the house he lives in & ground about it, and my two lotts beyond Muddy River ten acres more or lesse and the remainder of salt marsh att Hog Island, further my will is that my son Jacob have my land at home and barne dureing my wives naturall life, further I give him my pasture on the south syde of the river by Simon Tompsons, and the pasture by Caleb Kimballs, also I give him a feather bed, only my will is that he pay what I have given my wife & keepe in repaires for her yearly, what I have allowed her and given her in my will. I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah, William Storeys wife the sum of ten pounds vizt. a payre of sheets and a paire of pillow cases, and what they amount not to of the sum, the rest in the hands of my son Renol, which I have willed him to pay as appeares above. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary the wife of ffrancis Peabody the summ of ten pound, part of it to be payd in a payre of sheetes and a paire of pillo cases & a fether bed, the bed after my wives decease. I give my granchild Hanah Story the sum of six pound vizt a bed bolster pillow and paire of sheetes and blanketts, which are of my now wives makeing, the rest to be payd by my executors if she carry it well to my wife while she lives with her as she hath done to us hitherto. My will is that my son Jacob have the implements of husbandry. My will is weh I desire and apoynt my two sonns Abraham ffoster and Jacob ffoster, to be my executors of this my last will and testament, and request and desire my beloved ffriends Simon Stace & Nehemiah Jewett to be my overseers to this my will fullfild by my executors, and if any difference arise amongst my wife and children, or amongst them, about any perticular in my will, my will is that my two overseers shall end it, and they rest satticefied as they two shall agree, and if they two differ, then as a third man, who they shall choose joyning with either of them. In wittnes whereof I have sett to my hand & seale, read, signed, sealed and declared to be the last will and testament of me Renol ffoster Sen. the day and yeare above written 1680, as wittnes my hand & seale Wittnesses. JOHN STARKWEATHER દ Reginold foft! Memorandum. The things given my wife for her naturall life be soe exsept she marry againe and what debts shee shall have due for labor & worke shall be for her proper use & sole benifitt, and that the repaires of the house be out of her estate, and dureing her abode in it, and that my wife shall have liberty to cutt & procure what woood she needeth from of [off] my land at Muddy River, this declared the 5 of March 16 to be his last will. In presence of wittnesses JOHN STARKWEATHER RENOL FFOSTER The 9th June 1681 Nehemiah Jewett & John Starkweather appeared before our Honered majestrates Major Gen!! Denison Esqr. and Major Samuell Appleton Esqr. & the clerke present and made oath that they were present and saw Renol ffoster signe, seale & publish this to be his last will & testament and they know of no other and that he was of a disposeing mynd. As attest. ROBERT LORD, Cler. Essex Registry Deeds, So. Dist. Salem, Dec. 16, 1887. The foregoing is a true copy of record in this office. Attest. CHAS. S. OSGOOD, Reg." The following notices of Reginald Foster's "beloved ffriends_Simon Stace and Nehemiah Jewett," the overseers of his will, are taken from "Felt's History of Ipswich," Cambridge, 1834. "1699, October 27th. Simon Stacey died. He was Selectman, often entrusted with town affairs, Captain of a company, and Representative to the General Court in 1685, 1686, 1689. He left a wife, Sarah, who died 29 November, 1711. Estate £660 8s. Id." "1720, January 20th. Nehemiah Jewett died lately, son of Jeremiah, who died 1714. His wife's name was Exercise, and was alive 1685. He left children, Nehemiah, Joseph, and Benjamin; and son-in-law, Daniel Dow, and grandson, Nehemiah Skillion. He sustained various trusts in the town; was Representative 1689, 1690, 1692, 1693, 1694, 1695, 1696, 1697, 1701, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1709, and Speaker of the House 1693, 1694. 1701; was Justice of the Sessions Court. 1711-12, he was on a Committee to compensate individuals, who were damaged by prosecutions for witchcraft, or the heirs of such among these individuals as had died. Mr. Jewett was a highly respected member of the Legislature and esteemed in every walk of his life." Inventory of the Estate of Reginald Foster. Book 4. Leaf 403, Ipswich Records.-An Inventory of all the goods and chattells of Renol ffoster, late of Ipswich deceased, taken & aprised by us whose names are under written this 30 May 1680 [1681]. Imprimis. The house and barne with homstead with all previledges... [] 150–00–00 The house Jacob ffoster liveth in with ye homstead & previledges.. Ten acres of land at Muddy River. 4 acres & a halfe in the comon field.. 29 acres of salt marsh.... 8 acres of fresh meadow. 12 acres of pasture lands. 20 acres of land in the common field. by 50 acres of upland and marsh... One ox, 4 cowes, 2 steers 2 years old. One calfe, 10 sheepe, three lambes.. Three swine.. A bed in the chamber with beding upon it 20 bushells of Indian corne & rye.. Two boxes & severall old tubbs.. A coslet [corselet], 2 pikes, old rapier 20s and money 208. A ffeather bed of 2 sheets 2 pillow cases. A paire of sheets & a paire of pillow cases. A bedstead in the parlour with beding and curtaines. A trundle bed with beding.... A flock bed, I pillow, I bolster a paire of sheets 2 blankets. Sheets, pillow cases, table linnen.. 100-00-00 035-00-00 020-00-00 084-00-00 16-00-00 40-00-00 76-00-00 150-00-00 21-00-00 05-00-00 01-10-00 05-00-00 03-05-00 01-00-00 02-00-00 05-00-00 00-16-00 02-00-00 00-15-00 03-06-00 03-00-00 OI-10-00 00-16-00 00-12-00 06-10-00 A paire of cobirons, a tramell, a warming pan, frying pan, long Spit & other small things.. 01-00-00 Ten pound of yarne 1 Utencills of husbandry 1 £ 10s. 02-10-00 An old iron pot & kettle 10s. A pitt saw & milk vessells and churne 158. 01-05-00 Two chests, one old trunke, one box. His weareing apparrell, woollen woollen and linnen. Sixteen pound of sheeps woole 169. A trowell, halfe bushell, four Hammers [78] ... 001-03-00 [] 744-16-00 JOHN WHIPPle. SIMON STACE. The 9th of June 1681 Abraham ffoster and Jacob ffoster Executors made oath that the above written is a full and true inventory of there ffathers estate to the best of there knowledge and if more appeare to add the same before the worshipfull Major Genell Denison Esqr. Major Samuell Appleton Esqr. and the clerke being present. As attest. ROBERT LORD, Cler. Essex Registry Deeds, So. Dist. Salem, Dec. 16, 1887. The foregoing is a true copy of record in this office. Attest. CHAS. S. OGSOOD, Reg," The first printed notice of Reginald Foster which has been found, is contained in an extract from the Boston Gazette of November, 1779; reprinted in the appendix, page 33, of the sermon preached on the occasion of the death, 17 October, 1779, of Hon. Jedediah Foster (Ephraim, Ephraim, Abraham, Reginald) of Brookfield, Mass., by Nathan Fiske, D.D. This account was doubtless furnished by his son, Senator Theodore Foster, of Rhode Island, and the pamphlet was, in fact, printed at Providence, R. I., apparently under his supervision. The notice was as follows: "He [that is, Jedediah Foster] was born at Andover, on Merrimack River, October 10, 1726, descended from an antient and reputable Family (Reginald Foster's) who came from England A. D. 1636, on Account of the Troubles in the Reign of Charles I." The following note is added at the foot of the page. "This Gentleman Reginald Foster was born in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, in England, in the latter End of the Fifteenth Century, and was descended of the same Family with Sir Reginald Foster, who was made a Baronet of England July 21st, A. D. 1661, mentioned in the 30th Edition of Chamberlayne's Present State of Great-Britain, and in the Heraldry Books of the English Peerage.-He brought with him to America his Wife, with five Sons and two Daughters, with whom he settled at Ipswich, Eastward of Boston.--All his children, as well as himself, lived to old Age.-All married and had large Families, from whom have risen a numerous Progeny, now settled in different Parts of the United States of America." The first genealogical record of Reginald Foster and his descendants, known to exist, is contained in the "Foster Papers," now in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical Society. These papers, both originals and copies, amount to about one thousand, and are preserved in sixteen bound volumes; they relate generally to the history of Rhode Island, and were left to the Society in 1828 by the late Senator Theodore Foster (Jedediah, Ephraim, Ephraim, Abraham, Reginald), of that State. One of these volumes, the largest, is nearly twenty-four inches high, and is lettered "Foster Papers, Vol 8.-Genealogies." It contains genealogies of the following families: Pyncheon, Foster, Williams, Olney, Dexter, Crawford, Arnold, Westcott, Dwight, Harris, Fenner and Cranston. The Foster genealogy is on one large sheet (made however of several pieced together), about 39 by 2334 inches. In order to shut into the book, it has to fold over twice. The genealogy is in the well-known form of using connecting lines. Across the top is written this heading, the whole, without the parentheses, forming only two lines, but very long ones: "A Genealogical Table of the Posterity of Reginold (Rennold) Foster who was born in the reign of Queen Elizabeth at (or near) Exeter in England the latter End of the Fifteenth Century was married and Settled at (or near) Exeter where he had born Five Sons and Two Daughters with whom he removed to New England in the Year 1638 and settled at Ipswich in the State of Massachusetts Bay (Massachusetts). He removed from England a little before the Commencement of the Civil Wars in the Reign of Charles the First) and with his Family was on Board one of the Vessels embargoed by a Proclamation of the King and Council issued in April 1638, copied into "Rushworth's Memorials".)" The chart shows that it was originally prepared by Theodore Foster, sometime between 20 March, 1777, and 17 October, 1779; and probably the words in parenthesis were added by him on or about 13 January, 1803, when he copied on pages 65-68 of "Foster Papers, Vol. 9." the extracts from "Rushworth's Historical Colections," vol. ii, for 1637-1638, referred to in the last parenthesis (see London edition, 1680, page 409) following them with this entry: "N. B. My Ancestor Reginald Foster, came from the West of England, with a Wife, Five Sons, and Two Daughters in the Year 1638 and settled in Ipswich eastward of Boston in Massachusetts and is supposed to have been on Board of one of the Eight Vessels mentioned in the foregoing order, and among those whom 'His Majesty was graciously pleased at this Time (6 April 1638) to free from a late Restraint and to set at Liberty to proceed in their intended Voyage." It will be seen that Theodore Foster in the last paragraph, while fixing 1638 as the year in which Reginald Foster came to America, leaves uncertain the exact locality of his English birthplace and home, which in his earlier printed and written statements, he placed first as "at" and afterwards as "at or near," Exeter, England. Some of the following information of the descendants of Reginald Foster, as well as of Reginald Foster, John Foster, and Jeremiah Foster, the direct ancestors of Colonel Joseph Foster, and their descendants, has been taken from "The Descendants of Reginald Foster, who settled in Ipswich, Essex County, Mass.," A.D. 1638, by Edward Jacob Forster, M. D., Boston, 1876, pages 24; originally printed in the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," volume xxx, pages 83102, as already mentioned on page 12; which furnishes a record of the first four generations of the family; or has been furnished from his manuscripts by Dr. Forster (Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, Isaac, Reginald, Reginald), who was a resident of Charlestown District, Boston, Mass. Further information in relation to Jacob Forster (Jacob, Jacob, Isaac, Reginald, Reginald), of Charlestown, Mass., his direct ancestors, and his descendants, may be obtained from Dr. Forster's pamphlet, The Pedigree and Descendants of Jacob Forster, Sen., of Charlestown, Mass., by Edward Jacob Forster, M. D., Charlestown, 1870, pages 25. Much valuable information has also been drawn from One Line of the Descendants of William Foster, son of Reginald Foster, of Ipswich, Mass., by Perley Derby, of Salem, Mass., Boston, 1872, pages 35, which furnishes an account of Reginald Foster, and his children, but relates more particularly to the direct ancestry and descendants of John Foster (Obadiah, John, William, William, Reginald), of Warner, N. H., and was privately printed for his son John Foster, of Boston, to whom the compiler is indebted for a copy. Extracts have already been given. Perley Derby, Esq., of Salem, placed his Foster manuscripts at the disposal of Col. Joseph Foster, kindly aided in his research, and the changes in the heretofore published order of birth of the children of Reginald Foster were made with his approval. A notice of Reginald Foster, of Ipswich, and the descendants of his son Abraham Foster, by the late Hon. Alfred Dwight Foster (Dwight, Jedediah, Ephraim, Ephraim, Abraham, Reginald), of Worcester, Mass., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, for October, 1847, vol. i, pages 352-354, has also been consulted. This is the first published record of the Foster family knownto the compiler; its author doubtless had access to the "Foster Papers" already mentioned. The account of Reginald Foster and his descendants in "Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of New England," Boston, 1860-1862, has been examined, and found to contain many errors. Additional information as to Hon. Jedediah Foster (Ephraim, Ephraim, Abraham, Reginald) of Brookfield, Mass., mentioned above and on other pages in this book, and his descendants, may be obtained from "The History of the Descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass.," by Benjamin W. Dwight, New York, 1874, vol. ii, pages 633-680. The compiler is indebted to Col. Joseph Foster, of Portsmouth, N. H., for information for the interesting extracts and other valuable information. A manuscript record of the descendants of Jacob Foster, son of Reginald Foster, "from whom descended Archibald Foster, Esq., formerly cashier of Granite Bank, Portuguese and Brazilian Consul, Boston," is referred to in "One Line of the Descendants of William Foster," page 2, but the compiler has no other knowledge thereof. A record of some of the descendants of his daughter, Sarah Fosters, wife of John Caldwell, with a notice of the Foster family, will be found in the Caldwell Records, by Augustine Caldwell, of Ipswich, Mass., Boston, 1873, pages 80. Many town histories of New England have published short notices of the Fosters residing in their respective towns, but not until this publication has there any attempt been made at a complete history and genealogy. 1. REGINALD FOSTER* (see English Fosters elsewhere for his ancestors), b. England abt. 1595; m. there; m. 2d, Judith ——; d. Oct., 1664; m. 3d, Sept. 19, 1665, Mrs. Sarah (White) Martin, wid. of John. She was widow of John Martin, of Ipswich. After Reginald's death she m. a third time, Sept. 21, 1682, William White, of Haverhill. She was his second wife. She d. Feb. 22, 1683. Sarah Martin was the second wife of John Martin, of Charlestown, a ship-carpenter, who was a nephew of Priscilla Upham. From an other authority we have this: “Reginald Foster, of Little Badow, Co. Essex, England; landed in Ipswich, Mass., in 1638. He belonged to the Foster family of Bamborough and Etherstone Castle, Co., Northumberland. Reginald brought with him five sons and two daughters." Savage says. "Now this unusual blessing of fruit in old age, when the last ch. came fifty-six years after the first, I doubted, might have arisen from mistake, and that both the last ws. and their offspring should really belong to his s. Reginald, wh. might well have had Judith to w. bef. he took Eliz Dane, and after d. of the latter have m. Sarah Martin, inasmuch as Sen. and Jr. are changeable characters, and he wh. was Jr. on the d. of his f. would be call. Sen. But this explanat. is not receivab. bec. the first Reginald d. 1681, as we infer from the date of inv. 30 May in this yr., and the Prob. rec. of his will of 30 Apr. bef. proving that he left w. Saran, and ch. Abraham, Renold, Sarah, w. William Story, Isaac, Jacob, William, and Mary, w. of Francis Peabody." He came from England, it is said, in 1638, and had a grant of land in Ipswich, April 6, 1641. He brought with him his seven children by his first wife. At his death, in 1681, his wife's name was Sarah. This fact is mentioned, as it is stated by some historians, that he did not marry a third time. At his death his children mentioned in the will were Abraham, Renold, Sarah, wife of Wm. Story, Isaac, Jacob, William, and Mary, wife of Francis Peabody. It is remarkable of this family that they all lived to extreme old age, all married and all had large families, from which are descended a very numerous progeny, which in every case has been highly respected. In the Ipswich records we find Goodman Foster, referring to Reginald, whose name is somtimes abreviated Renald. He resided near the "East Bridge," which was where the stone bridge now is, but whether his residence was where the ruins of the "Old Foster House" yet stood, I have not learned. Under date of April 6, 1641, is "granted to Reginald Foster eight acres of meadow in the west meadow if any remain there ungranted, in consideration of a little hovel that stood at the new bridge, which was taken away for the accomodation of the passage there." Whatever facts we have of them are gleaned from the town and county records, which show him to have been a very active man. The danger from Indians in those early days was such that in the year 1645 a law was passed requiring the "youth from ten to sixteen years to be experienced with small guns, half pikes, bows and arrows, and also that every town is to have a guard set a half hour after sunset, to consist of a pikeman and musketeer, and to prepare for any sudden attack from the Indians. Reginald Foster, Dec. 19, 1645, subscribed with others his proportion of three shillings towards the sum of £24, 7sh "to pay their leader, Major Dennison," who then commanded the military forces of Essex and Norfolk counties. He bought of Ralph Dix, of Ipswich, 8 March, 1647-8, "all his six acre lott he" (Dix) "bought of Wm. White, lying in the common field on the north side of the river, bounded on the land of Thomas Smyth, Humphrey Broadstreet and Robert Lord." We find no mention of him again until 1652, when it was granted Thomas Clark and Reginald Foster, that when they shall have cut through a passage from this river into Chebacco River of ten feet wide and soe deepe as a lighter may pass through laden, and to make a ford and footbridge over, that then the town have given unto them 10 towards said passage." On 3 June of the same year he was a witness to the will of William Averrill, of Ipswich. He bought of Roger Preston, 11 Maren. 16578, for £50, his dwelling house, house lot, barn and other buildings, also another house lot, with gardens, orchards etc., which Preston bought of Robe Wallis situated on the north side of the river, and one planting lot of three acres, on the north side of Town Hill, bounded on the land of widow Rose Whipple, Andrew Hodges, John Morse, and Treadwell. The houses were on "the High Street probably at the east end—and in the vicinity of the ancient dwelling house of Rev. " *In the earlier record we find the name spelt Foster and Forster-the former spelling being the more common. The "r" has now been entirely dropped, except by the descendants of Jacob Forster, Sen., of Charlestown, Mass., who was the first, I believe, to write the name always in this manner-Edward Jacob Forster, M. D. |