EPHRAIM FOSTER (Abraham, Reginald), b. Ipswich, Mass., October 9, 1657; m. 1677, Hannah Eames, dau. of Robert, b. 1661, d. July 8, 1711; m. 2d, Jan. 8, 1733, Mary West, of Bradford, wid. of John West. He was a blacksmith. "One of the prominent names in the early town history [of Andover, Mass.,] was Ephraim Foster. He was a grandson of Reginald Foster, a citizen of Ipswich of some consideration, and who is said by genealogists to have been descended from an ancient family of Forsters, mentioned by Walter Scott in his tales and ballads of Scottish border warfare. Ephraim Foster was a man conspicuous in the town matters of Andover, although not connected prominently with the military or the civil history. He seems, judging from the numerous documents in his handwriting, to have excelled as a scribe, and to have been versed in the art of punctuation, then little known to the majority of our town officials. His favorite point was the colon, with which his papers are plentifully besprinkled, without regard to the grammatical or rhetorical construction. This characteristic appears in the 'Proprietor's Records,' where his handwriting occurs. Some of the family estates were in the east part of North Andover, one of the ancient homesteads (that afterward occupied by J. M. Hubbard, Esq., and noted for the large and beautiful elm tree, still vigorous) was Ephraim's residence. He d. September 21, 1746. Res., Andover, Mass., in that part now North Andover.
Ephraim Foster seemed to put some faith in his townsman's prophecies. He testified that Wardell had made some predictions In regard to the birth of his (Foster's) children, that there would be five girls In the household before a son should be born. This had proved true. The witness had also often seen Wardell "tell fortins," and he observed that in doing so the fortune teller always "looked first into the hand of the person, and then cast his eyes down on the ground." This was proof of his being in league with Satan, though the connection is not obvious. -from F.C. Pierce, Foster Genealogy
Their children include: Rose Foster (9 May 1679-25 Feb 1692/3) Hannah Foster (Died soon) (28 May 1682-) Hannah Foster (25 May 1684-) Jemima Foster (25 Feb 1685/6-) Ephraim Foster (12 Mar 1687/8-8 Apr 1738) John Foster (26 Mar 1690-Dec 1778) Gideon Foster (Died young) (13 May 1692-25 Jun 1707) Dea. David Foster (18 Apr 1694-22 Jun 1759) Moses Foster (27 Sep 1696-Nov 1766) Aaron Foster (21 Apr 1699-1777) Joshua Foster (13 Mar 1702-) Ruth Foster (9 Mar 1703/4-)
from Janet:
Hannah dob is 18 Dec 1661.
Hannah's date of death is 8 July 1731.
Hannah's marriage to Ephraim was in 1677 or 1678.
Massachusetts Remediation
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Categories: Salem Witch Trials