Thomas (Foster) Forster (abt. 1570 - 1638)

Born about 1570 in England

Husband of Rose (Unknown) Foster — married before 1592 in England

Died 24 Nov 1638 at about age 68 in St. Matthews, Ipswich, Suffolk, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: John Putnam [send private message] and Sandy Gifford [send private message]

Disproven Spouse and Children

Abigail Wimes was previously attached as the spouse of Thomas Foster, and mother of Thomas's children. Abigail was his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Thomas Foster, cannonier of Castle Island in Boston. This is made clear in the entry in Lechford's Notebook: "Thomas Foster of Boston in New England gunner of the Castle in Castle Island and Abigail his wife daughter of Mathew Wimes late of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk...” ^[1] This mistake appears in many publications such as the Foster Genealogy. The Foster Genealogy by FC Pierce further confuses things by changing the will of Thomas Foster (d 1638) by replacing son Benjamin with a non-existent son William (which he claims was William Foster of Charlestown, Massachusetts). Pierce also claims that son Richard named in the will was the husband of Patience (Biggs) Foster, but by 1638 she was already widowed and living in New England.^[2]

Biography

Thomas Forster (Foster) of Ipswich, Suffolk, Rector of St. Matthew's (bur. 24 Nov 1638 St. Matthew's, Ipwich, Suffolk).[1]

Thomas Forster (Foster) of Ipswich, Suffolk, Rector of St. Matthew's (d. c. 1638).[2]

Marriage

Haselwood (1891), calls his wife "Rose," and lists the entries in the baptismal register of St. Matthew's which also names her as the mother of the rector's children.^[3]

m. Rose (bur. 14 Jan 1614/5 St. Matthew's, Ipswich, Suffolk).^[3][4] Issue:

Children

1. Sarah (bp. 14 May 1592; living 1638).^[3][4][3] m. John Smithe (living 1638).[4]
2. Jane (bp. 06 Jul 1595^[3][4]; living and widowed 1638).[5] m. ____ Ludbrooke.[6]
3. Elizabeth (bp. 09 (or 2) Apr 1598^[3][4]; living 1638).[7] m. (Apr 1621 St Matthew's, Ipswich) William Ferres or Ferris (living 1638).[8][9]
4. Thomas (bp. Apr 1601).^[3][10]. Emigrated to Boston Massachusetts Bay.^[5]
5. Eleazer (bp. 12 Feb 1603/4?).^[3][4][11]
6. James (bp. Feb 1603/4? Twin to Eleazer?).^[3][4][12]d. Apr 1604).[13][14]
7. Richard (bp. 11 Nov 1606^[3][4]; living 1638 in England).[15][16]
8. Benjamin (bp. 16 Oct 1614^[3][4]; living 1638).[17][18]

Religion

• 1584: Ordained as a priest by Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham.[19]
• 1590: curacy of St. Matthews with S. Mary Elms.[20]

Events

• 1630: contributed to Public Library.[21]

Will of Thomas Forster of Ipswich, Rector of St. Mary's (bur. 24 Nov 1638)

'In the name of God Amen the xxijth day of September in the xiiijth yeare of the raigne of our Sovereign lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland France & Ireland King defender of the faith de Annoque dni 1638.^[3]

I Thomas Forster of Ipswich in the countie of Suffolk Clarke being sicke in body but of good & p'rfect remembrance God be thanked therefore doe ordain & make this my last will & testament in manner & form following. First and most principally I doe most humblie commend my soul to God and most stedfastly believing In and through the only death merits and passion of Jesus Christ my alone Saviour & all sufficient Redeemer to have free pardon and remission of all my sins & to be an inheritor with him in his everlasting Kingdon prepared for his elect before the beginning of the world.^[3]

And my body to the earth from whence it came And as for that small estate which God of his goodness hath lent me in this life I doe by his divine permission dispose thereof as followeth that is to say I will and bequeath my messuage or tenement wherein I do now inhabit and dwell situate in the parish of St. Matthew and the parish of St. Mary at the tower in Ipswich or in either of them to my executors hereafter named and to their heirs and assigns to the use intent and purpose that they do within one year next after my decease make sale thereof for the best price that can be obtained. And the monies for which the same shall be sold I will shall be devided in form following, viz.:

• To my son Richard Foster, L20.
• To my son Thomas Foster, L20.
• To my son Benjamine Foster, L20.^[6]

The remainder of the monies shall be equally devided between and among my three daughters

• Sarae Smith the wife of John Smith;
• Elizabeth, the wife of William Ferris,
• and Jane Ladbrooke widdow.

I will and bequeath to the said Jane Ladbrooke my great chest in the hall the bedstead feather bed and all the furniture thereunto belonging except the red blanskett standing in my hall chamber.^[3]

Item: I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Ferris my daughter the black trunk standing in the said hall chamber and the bedstead and bedding and all the furniture thereunto belonging standing in the butterie chamber with the said red blanskett And I further give and bequeath unto my said two daughters Elizabeth and Jane all such firing of wood brome and coals as I shall have at the time of my decease.^[3]

Item: I give unto the said Richard my son my great backed leather chair standing in the parlour Item I geve unto Benianyne my sonne, one Ather great lether Chaier standinge in the parlor^[7] Item I give unto Robert Ladbrooke my grandchild my great joined chair in the parlour and also the handle bedstead and bed with all the furniture standing in the butterie chamber.^[3]

All my other household stuff linen brass and pewter and movables whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my said three daughters Sarrae Elizabeth and Jane to be equally devided amongst them.^[3]

And I will and my mind is that all my apparel and all my books shall be sold and the monies thereof arising to be equally devided amongst my said two daughters Elizabeth and Jane And all other my monies debts and goods whatsoever not by me herin before given (my debts probate of this my last will and funeral expenses discharged) I will shall be and remain to my said two daughters Elizabeth and Jane to be equalie devided.^[3]

And of this my last Will and Testament I do ordain and make the said Richard my son and Jane my daughter my executors And thus giving all honour praise and glory to God Almightie I conclude this my last will and testiment.^[3][22]

His testibus, John Lambe, John Hawys - Executed by mark.

'Proved December 5, 1638. (Commissary and Archdeaconry Court of Suffolk - filed Will, S.A.)

• 1638.[23]

Death

• Rev. Thomas Foster was buried on 24 Nov 1638 at St. Matthews, Ipswich, Suffolk.^[3][4][24]

Research notes

Foster Genealogy provides an inaccurate (possibly doctored) version of Thomas' will: replacing Benjamin with William in the monetary bequest, and completely eliminating Benjamin in the bequest of an armchair. By making up a son William, FC Pierce connects William Foster of Charlestown to this family, although there does not seem to be a son William at all. He also connects Richard Foster, husband of Patience Biggs to this family, although she had come to New England as a widow by 1635, and clearly could not be the Richard referred to in Thomas Foster's will (d. 1638).

Entry for son Thomas in Great Migration Directory: Great Migration Directory for son Thomas: Foster, Thomas: Ipswich, Suffolk; 1639; Boston [Lechford 135, 377; BTR 1:42; BChR 35; MBCR 2:291; TAG 49:95-97 (use with caution)].

Sources

1. ↑ Note-Book Kept by Thomas Lechford, Esq. (John Wilson and Son, University Press, Cambridge, Page 377.
2. ↑ Pierce, Frederick Clifton. Foster Genealogy: Being the Record of the Posterity of Reginald Foster (W.B. Conkey Co., 1899) Pages 485-91. Unreliable
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18} Haslewood, Rev. Francis. St. Matthew’s Church, Ipswich, Institute of Archaeology and Natural History, Volume VII (1891), subsection of article with heading "Rectors of St. Matthew's, Ipswich", pp. 166-169. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Y78xAQAAIAAJ&pg=GBS.RA3-PA166&hl=en
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Maack, Jean Nicholson. The Family of the Rev. Thomas and Rose Foster of Ipswich, Suffolk, England, The American Genealogist (TAG) vol. 49, pp. 95-97 (1974). https://archive.org/details/sim_american-genealogist_1973-04_49_2/page/95/mode/1up
5. ↑ Waters, Henry. Passengers of the Mary and John, New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGR), Volume 9 (1855), pages 265-268, specifically page 267. Article lists passengers of the Mary and John, but describes that Thomas and William Foster were delayed from this ship to take the ship Hercules. https://archive.org/details/newenglandhistor1855wate/page/532/mode/1up
6. ↑ Note: That the Foster Genealogy transcribed Benjamin as William.
7. ↑ Note this reference to Benjamin was omitted from the will published in Foster Genealogy

• Haslewood, F. (,"Rectors ofSt. Matthew's church, Ipswich."Proceedings, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and Natural History. (1891). Vol 7, . pp. 166-8

• Maack, Jean Nicholson. The Family of the Rev. Thomas and Rose Foster of Ipswich, Suffolk, England, The American Genealogist (The American Genealogist, Barrington, RI, 1973) Vol 4, Pages 95-97. View with NEHGS Membership

• Hale, Edward Everett. Note-Book Kept by Thomas Lechford, Esq. (John Wilson and Son, University Press, Cambridge, 1885). Pages 137, 377.

• Shurtleff, Nathaniel. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England (William White, Boston, 1853) Vol 2, Page 291. [Made Free 18 May 1642].

• "The Records of the First Church in Boston 1630–1868" Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts Vol 39 (1961) Admission to First Church of Boston "The 26th Day of the 1st Moneth 1642. Thomas Foster the gunner." [BChR 36] [25].

• Boston (Massachusetts). Record Commissioners. A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston. Boston, Massachusetts: Rockwell and Churchill, 1876. Boston Town Records v1 (original page/publication): Page 31/42, 109/205, 130-31/210-11