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Ann (Unknown) Foster (abt. 1617 - 1692)

Ann Foster formerly [surname unknown]
Born about in Englandmap
Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married 1640 (to 1685) in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 75 in Salem Jail, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Baymap
Profile last modified | Created 30 Dec 2010
This page has been accessed 5,341 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Ann (Unknown) Foster migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
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Contents

Disputed Origins

This profile is part of the Forster Name Study.

A previous version of this profile, citing the Stearns 1908 History and Genealogy of New Hampshire, claims she was daughter of George Alcock and Anne or Amy Hooker.[1] However, that source says no such thing and in fact, simply calls her "Ann" with no maiden name.

A previous version of this profile also claimed that Ann, wife of Andrew Foster, was the same as "Annis Aldcock" who arrived in New England on the ship Abigail in 1635. What is the evidence that links the passenger with the wife of Foster?

Biography

Ann was accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

"Ann Foster was an Andover widow accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials." [2] While reprieved from execution, she died in prison.

Born in 1617, she is thought by some to be the Annis Aldcock whocame to Massachusetts from London in 1635 on the ship Abigail. [3][4]

She married Andrew Foster and they settled in Andover, Massachusetts. They had five children: [5]

  1. Andrew Foster, b. abt. 1640; m. Mary Russa (Ruse)
  2. Sarah Foster, b. abt. 1645; m. 15 Oct 1667, Samuel Kemp of Chelmsford or Billerica
  3. Abraham Foster, b. 1648; m. 13 Jul 1681, Andover, Ester (father: Deacon Samuel of Chelmsford)
  4. Hannah Foster, d. 20 Apr 1689, Andover [6] m. (15 Oct 1667 Andover) Hugh Stone (who murdered her in a drunken range in 1689 and was executed for it).[6]
  5. Mary Foster, b. 9 Jul 1652; d. 18 Jun 1707; m. 5 Aug 1673, Andover, Lawerence Lacey (Lacy or Lay); her daughter Mary II Lacey was also accused of witchcraft.

Ann, the wife of Andrew Foster, was arrested and examined at Salem on 15 July, 1692 and confessed to being a witch. (Her full confession is appended below.) She was tried and sentenced to death on September 17th, 1692 but was reprieved because she had confessed! Her daughter, Mary Lacy, and her granddaughter, also named Mary Lacy, also confessed. Her son Abraham had to pay 2 pounds 10 shillings to obtain his mother's body for burial. On 17th December, 1711, Anne Foster's legal heirs were awarded 6 pounds 10 shillings compensation by the General Assembly of Massachusetts for her death.[7] [8]

Anne Foster's confession

"after a while Ann foster confessed that the divill apered to her in the shape of abird at several Times, such abird as she never saw the like before, & that she had had this gift (viz of striking the aflicted downe w'th her eye ever) since..."[9]

Massachusetts Remediation

  • 13 Sep 1710: "The Honorable Committee now Sitting at Salem Sept. 13, 1710 Whereas my Mother Anne Foster of Andover suffered Imprisonment 21 weeks and upon her Tryall was condemned for Supposed witchcraft, upon such evidence as is now Generally thought Insufficient And died in Prison. I being well perswaded of my mothers Innocency of the Crime for which she is accused."[10]
  • 17 October 1710, Convictions Reversed, The General Court of Massachusetts Bay, An act, the several convictions, judgments, and attainders be, and hereby are, reversed, and declared to be null and void.[8]
  • 17 Dec 1711, Compensation to Survivors, Governor Dudley, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, approved compensation to such persons as are living, and to those that legally represent them that are dead [For Ann Foster, 6 pounds, 10 shillings][8]
  • 28 Aug 1957, No Disgrace to Descendants, General Court of Massachusetts, ...such proceedings, were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community, and further declares that, as all the laws under which said proceedings...have been long since abandoned and superseded by our more civilized laws, no disgrace or cause for distress attaches to the said descendants or any of them by reason of said proceedings.[11]
  • 31 Oct 2001, Additional Victims Included, Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives in General Court, AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE WITCHCRAFT TRIAL OF 1692, chapter 145 is hereby further amended by adding Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.[12]

Notable Descendants

Sources

  1. Ezra S. Stearns, editor, assisted by William F. Whitcher and Edward E. Parker. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4, New Hampshire: Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, pg 1665
  2. Wikipedia: Ann Foster (Salem witch trials)
  3. John Camden Hotten. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality;Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men Sold For A Term Of Years; Apprentices; Children Stolen; Maidens Pressed; And Others Who Went From Great Britain To The American Plantations, 1600-1700: with their ages and the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars; from MSS. preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England, London, England: John Camden Hotten, 1874, pp. 98
  4. Winthrop Society, Passengers of the Abigail, Master Robert Hackwell, Voyage of 1635 (Link via Wayback Machine, capture date 20 Dec 2016.)
  5. “Foster Genealogy; : Pierce, Frederick Clifton, 1855-1904. Cn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Chicago, Press o W.B. Conkey company, January 1, 1899. https://archive.org/details/fostergenealogy03pier/page/1035/mode/1up.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Mather, Cotton (1663-1728). “Magnalia Christi Americana : or, The Ecclesiastical History of New-England, from Its First Planting in the Year 1620. unto the Year of Our Lord, 1698. In Seven Books ... :  : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. London : Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, at the Bible and three crowns in Cheapside. Accessed January 12, 2020. link
  7. Carol F. Karlsen. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. N.p. N.a. (n.d.). Memorials of the Early Settlers of Andover, p. 99.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. (Link via Wayback Machine, capture date 04 Nov 2014).
  9. “SWP No. 059: Ann Foster Died in Prison.” SWP No. 059: Ann Foster Died in Prison - New Salem - Pelican. Accessed March 30, 2020. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n59.html.
  10. “Historical Sketches of Andover, (Comprising the Present Towns of North Andover and Andover) : Bailey, Sarah Loring : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Boston, Houghton, January 1, 1880. https://archive.org/details/historicalsketc01bailgoog/page/n271/mode/1up/search/And died in Prison.
  11. https://www.mass.gov/doc/resolves-of-1957-chapter-145/download
  12. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122
  13. Gary Boyd Roberts, Ancestors of American Presidents (Carl Boyer 3rd, Santa Clarita, CA, 1989).

See also:





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Comments: 7

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Based on the "Disputed Origins" section, have restored the earlier version of the profile after an other last name as Alcock was added with the explanation, "Ann Foster was born Ann Alcock, daughter of George Alcock.Bio improvement."
posted by GeneJ X
Can her LNAB be changed to Unknown now?
posted on Alcock-45 (merged) by Clyde Perkins
Yes, thank you. I've taken care of it.
posted by Anne B
Objections to changing her surname to Unknown? There is no evidence that she was Annes Aldcock who sailed on the Abigail.
posted on Alcock-45 (merged) by Anne B
The following is cited for the identification of her parents; but there are no such parents identified in it; in fact, she is only identified as "Ann" not even a maiden name: Ezra S. Stearns, editor, assisted by William F. Whitcher and Edward E. Parker. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4, New Hampshire: Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, pg 1665
posted on Alcock-45 (merged) by Jillaine Smith
Robert Frost, poet, (Frost-3) is said to be a notable descendant but using the relationship finder there's no direct relation. It shows 12th cousins 5x removed.
posted on Alcock-45 (merged) by David Harvey
Alcock-288 and Alcock-45 appear to represent the same person because: Based on relationships and bios, these are the same person. I believe both profiles have the wrong place of birth, however, as records indicate she arrived from London in 1635.
posted on Alcock-45 (merged) by Kyle Dane