Renald Foster (abt. 1595 - bef. 1681)

Born about 1595 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Judith (Wignol) Foster — married about 1619 in Theydon Garnon, Essex, England

Descendants

Died before 30 May 1681 before about age 86 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Renold Foster migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 119) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Disputed Origins

Please do NOT add parents without discussion; read the following; his origins are NOT known. Thank you.

Origins & Parents Unknown

A lot of stories and speculation abound in older genealogies and the internet. He has been located north and south and west.

• Not Reginald of Brunton -- There is another Reginald of Brunton, son of Thomas and Elizabeth, husband of Ann. He was still in England long after Renold of Ipswich migrated.
• Not of Bamborough and Etherstone Castle or Little Badow. This was mentioned in 1889 in America Heraldica and repeated by Frederick Clifton Pierce in the Foster Genealogy. "Reginald Foster of Little Badow, Co. Essex, England, landed at Ipswich, Mass, in 1638. He belonged to the Foster family of Bamborough and Etherstone Castle, Co. Northumberland. ^[1][2] It is doubtful if Etherstone Castle existed.
• Not Exeter. By a tradition which exists in different branches of the family Reginald Foster, ... is reputed to have come to this country from Exeter, County Devon, England, and to have crossed the water in one of the ships embargoed by King Charles the First but of this nothing certain is as yet known.^[3][4][5]

Birth and Immigration

It is estimated that Renald was born about 1595, 24 years before his marriage in Theydon Garnon, Essex, England.

By 1638 he was living in Ipswich presumably with his wife and children. 26 Sep 1638. John Tuttel sold to Reynold Foster "all the sayd lott together with the sayd dwelling house together with all outhousing gardens fenceing together wit all othr the apurtenances unto the sayd house nd lott." He also sold Reynold an eight acre planting lot on Hearbreak Hill.^[6]

Marriages

Renold Foster married Judith Wignol, in Theydon Garnon, England in 1619.^[7]

"Reginall" Foster and Sarah Martin were married his third wife, Sarah Martin, were married ___ Sept 1665.^[8] widow of John Martin, in 1665. He sold land with Sarah on Aug. 2, 1676.

Ipswich^[6]

18 Feb 1638/9: Granted 40 acres, 10 to be meadow, he must remain an inhabitant of Ipswich for three years.

6 April 1641, he was granted eight acres of meadow in the west meadow.

last day of the last month 1641. On a list of residents that have right of commonage.

25 Mar 1648 Foster to keep the cowherd on the south side of the river. His son Abraham may do this work.

He an his son, Abraham are mentioned as subscribers to an allowance for Major Dison in 1648.

He was a surveyor of highways and in 1664, he and his sons (Abraham, Reginald, Isaac and Jacob) are listed as inhabitants that have shares in Plum Island and Co. His name is mentioned many, many times in the Ipswich town records.

Death & Will

A death date from Renald Foster was not recorded. Renold ffoster sr. died after 5 Mar 1680/1, when he attached a memorandum to his will and 30 May 1681, when his inventory was taken.

His will dated April 30, 1680, probated June 9, 1681. He bequeathed to wife, Sarah, what she brought to the marriage and other property. Also bequests to sons: Abraham, Renold (shortening of Reginald), Isaac, William, and Jacob; to daughters: Sarah, wife of William Story, and Mary, wife of Francis Peabody; to grandchild Hannah Story; to son, Abraham. An inventory was taken 30 May 1681 and valued at £744 16s.^[9]

Children

Children source:^[10]

1. Sarah Foster, born about 1620 (aged about 48 in 1668); married William Story (he died before January 1702/3).
2. Abraham Foster, born about 1622 (aged about 76 in 1698), died 15 January 1711 in his 90th year; married Lydia Burbank of Rowley.
3. Mary Foster; married (1) Daniel Wood, married (2) Francis Peabody.
4. Renald Foster, born about 1628 (aged about 40 in 1676 but probably nearer 50), died 1707 or 1708; married Elizabeth Dane.
5. Isaac Foster, born about 1630 (age 62 in 1692); married (1) Mary Jackson, married (2) Hannah Downing; married (3) Martha Hale.
6. William Foster, b. about 1633 (age 78 in 1711); his will proved 1713.
7. Jacob Foster, born about 1635, died 9 July 1710 in his 75th year; married (1) Martha Kinsman; married (2) Abigail Lord.

Sources

1. ↑ Leroy, Auguste. America heraldica : a compilation of coats of arms, crests and mottoes of prominent American families settled in this country before 1800. (New York, NY : America Heraldica Publishing, 1889)
2. ↑ Foster Genealogy: Being the Record of the Posterity of Reginald Foster Pierce, Frederick Clifton. (Chicago, Press of W.B. Conkey company, 1899)
3. ↑ Forster, Edward Jacob, The pedigree and descendants of Jacob Forster, Sen. of Charlestown, Mass. .. (Charlestown [C.S. Wason, Printer] 1870) p. 3
4. ↑ Forster, Edward Jacob. Genealogy of the Fo(r)ster family; descendants of Reginald Foster, who settled in Ipswich, Essex County, Mass. A.D. 1638 (Boston, D. Clapp, 1876)
5. ↑ Foster, Joseph. The grandchildren of Col. Joseph Foster : of Ipswich and Gloucester, Mass., 1730-1804. (Philadelphia : [publisher not identified] 1885)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Schofield, George A. (ed.) The ancient records of the town of Ipswich: vol. 1- from 1634 to 1650. ( Chronicle motor press, 1899) p. 37 plus other pages.
7. ↑ Davis, Walter Goodwin. Renold Foster. The American Genealogist 18:13 (1941). View with NEHGS Membership.
8. ↑ Vital records of Ipswich, Massachusetts : to the end of the year 1849 -- Vol II Marriages and Deaths. (Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, 1910) p. 172
9. ↑ Dow, George Francis. The Probate records of Essex County, Massachusetts. (Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, 1916) Full will & Inventory p. 419-422
10. ↑ Walter Goodwin Davis, The ancestry of Dudley Wildes, 1759-1820, of Topsfield, Massachusetts (Portland, Me.: Anthoensen Press, 1959), pp 177-183 (children at 181); digital images, Hathi Trust.

• NEHGR 1847. The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1, (1847), pp.352. Cogswell, W. "The Foster family". at Archive
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) Vol. 30 (1876) p. 83. "Genealogy of the For(R)ster Family Descends of Reginald Fo(r), of Ipswich, Mass" by Edward Jacob Forster, M.D., of Charlestown, Mass. subscription site also at archive.org
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sagadahoccome/genealogy/foster.html
• The Ancestry of Millard Fillmore. TAG 63:53, 54 (1988) Ahnentafel lists him as son of Renald of Harlow (possibly son of John) and ____
• Will of William Averill proved 29 Mar 1653. Renold Foster was a witness. Essex Antiquarian 5:30 (1901) Link at AmericanAncestors ($)

Other--

• FamilySearch Tree This has Reginald Forster born in 1594 in Devon, dying 30May1681 in Ipswich. Parents were John Forster (born between 1540 and 1550 in Northumberland) and Elizabeth Bradford (born in 1554 in Northumberland.) No primary sources were cited. Note: Although a tree is not a reliable source, these parents are from a part of England that Reginald's family is reputed to be from. It would be interesting to track down the primary sources for this tree.