Albert Gallatin Foster (1808 - 1884)

Born 24 Oct 1808 in Winthrop, Kennebec, Maine, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Mahala Emeline Chaudoin — married 5 Jul 1846 in Fayette County, Texas

Descendants

Died 9 Nov 1884 at age 76 in Lavaca County, Texas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gayle Foster [send private message]

Biography

ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE - Albert was born in 1808, the youngest child of David Foster and Melicent How of Winthrop, Kennebec County, Maine. Albert Gallatin Foster was a descendant of John Foster who immigrated in 1635 aboard the ship HOPEWELL to Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Branch of Fosters is documented in FOSTER GENEALOGY by Frederick Clifton Pierce, published in 1899. Information on the Texas branch of the family was provided for Pierce's book by Albert's son, Thomas Porter Foster. The Foster family was also included in HISTORY OF WINTHROP MAINE by Stackpole. Also see A Brief History of Winthrop Maine by David Thurston (googlebooks) for story of Timothy Foster and family, first settlers of Winthrop.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR PATRIOTS - Albert Gallatin Foster's father, David Foster, and grandfathers, Timothy Foster and Ichabod How, served in the American Revolution and have been accepted as Patriots by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 2020, a descendant of Albert Gallatin Foster was accepted as a member of the Daughters of The American Revolution when her line of descent from Timothy and Sible Foster was verified by the DAR genealogists, after review of the primary source documents.

FIRST CLUES - Jessie Howland kept her Grandfather's family letters from Maine. The envelopes had been discarded, so there was no return address, and the family had forgotten where Albert was born and raised. Jessie passed the letters on to Mary Foster Hatch, who later shared them with Gayle Foster. Gayle transcribed these letters in the 1980s and these letters gave us our first clues (towns & rivers mentioned) that Albert Gallatin Foster had come from Maine!

MOVE TO TEXAS - Albert G. Foster came by ship from Boston to New Orleans and migrated to Texas about 1841 and first settled in Fayette County near Foster Creek, but soon moved to Lavaca County. Albert has been recognized as a pioneer settler by "First Families of Texas." Albert married Emeline Mahala Chaudoin/Chadoin in Texas and they had a large family. He died in Lavaca County, Texas in 1884 and was buried there. It is likely that he was buried on their land in the Foster Family Cemetery where his son, Albert Volney, was buried.

Sources

• Family history from Mary Foster Hatch and Henry B. Foster;
• Family research by Gayle and Ron Foster;
• Foster family letters from Maine;
• 1808 Birth Record, Winthrop Vital Records 1720-1821, Maine Births & Christenings, FHL Film #007596986, image 122, familysearch.org;
• 1838 Letter of Recommendation, Boston, MA image attached;
• 1846 Lavaca County Tax Roll, Albert Foster;
• 1846 Marriage Record, Fayette County Texas
• 1847 Lavaca County Land Record, image attached;
• 1850 Census, Lavaca Co., TX Pg. 308 # 45/45;
• 1860 Census, Lavaca Co., TX $276/276;
• 1860 Census Farm Schedule, Lavaca County, Texas;
• 1860 Slave Census; Lavaca County, TX, pg. 62;
• 1870 Census, Lavaca County, TX #826/717;
• Probate Records; A.G. Foster, 1886-1890, Lavaca Co Texas;
• Lavaca County History, several volumes, by Paul Boethel;
• Foster Genealogy, by Frederick Clifton Pierce
• History of Winthrop Maine by Stackpole;
• TEXAS FIRST FAMILIES, Vol. 1, pub. 2000 by Texas State Genealogical Society, pages 51-52, submitted by Ron & Gayle Foster.
• Lavaca County Tribune article, 1961 reprint of old clipping, Pioneer Memories, image attached;