Dodshon Foster (1730 - 1793)

Born 1 Nov 1730 in Hawthorn, Durham, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Birket) Foster — married 3 Jul 1753 in Friends' Meeting House, Lancaster, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died 2 Jan 1793 at age 62 in Lancaster, Lancashire, England

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Dodshon Foster (b. 01 Nov 1730 Hawthorn, co. Durham - d. 02 Jan 1792/3 Lancaster)

Biography

This profile is part of the Forster Name Study.

Dodshon was a Friend (Quaker)

"Dodshon Foster was the son of a Durham merchant, Robert Foster of Hawthorne. To pursue his career in trade he moved to Lancaster, becoming a Freeman of the borough in 1751-2. He quickly became involved in the town's growing slave trade between Africa and the West Indies and was one of the youngest merchants to take part. Between 1755-58 he was a member of the Lancaster Port Commission and owned a warehouse on St George's Quay (next to the current Maritime Museum).

Foster was helped in his commercial ambitions by marriage, in 1753, into the Birket family of established Lancaster Quaker merchants. They already had West Indies and slave trade links despite the Friends' dislike of slavery on religious and moral grounds. Foster made use of the commercial network based on these family and religious ties. He also entered a partnership with another local Quaker merchant, John Heathcote.

During most of the 1750s the pair owned the Lancaster merchant and slave ships Barlborough and Bold, and probably had interests in other vessels. The Barlborough was the first Lancaster ship to visit Jamaica with slaves, where her cargo of 101 individuals was sold in the summer of 1753. Further voyages were made in 1754 and 1756. Details of cargoes for the homeward journeys to Lancaster show the Barlborough brought back cotton, sugar, rum, logwood, mahogany and ginger.

This particular ship was sold in 1758 and, subsequently, Foster seems to have concentrated on mainstream West Indies trade. The Seven Years War (1756-63) probably created the conditions in which extra trade and adequate profits were able to be made on non-slave cargoes. With his father-in-law he owned the ship Hawke, which sailed between the West Indian islands and South Carolina. By this stage Foster had perhaps been able to generate enough wealth to reduce his dependence on the riskier African trade."^[1]

"Although Dodshon Foster was from Durham, he also had relatives living in Kendal.^[2] He was very concerned with the well being of his family, as can be seen in his diary detailing his visit to Bristol with his wife Elizabeth. His little grandson, Dodshon Foster, was a particular favourite. ...

Dodshon Foster died on 2 January 1793 and was buried on 6 January at Lancaster,^[3] Friends burial ground.^[4] The following was recorded by a member of his family:

'Dodshon Foster…departed this Life at Lancaster the 2nd of the 1st month 1793 and was interred in the Meeting House Yard at Lancaster near his beloved Grandson on the 6th of the same. Aged 62 years.'"

Ancestors

• Great-grand-father: Robert Foster of Cold Heseldon.[6]

• Great uncle: Robert Foster, merchant in Rotterdam.^[5]

Parents

• Father: Robert Foster (b. 04 Aug 1694 Hawthorn Durham - d. 16 Feb 1755 Hawthorn, Durham) of Hawthorne (merchant co. DUR)

• Mother: Elizabeth (b. 28 Feb 1702 Lowhill, Durham - d. 01 Nov 1730 Hawthorne, Durham), dau. of Nicholas Dodshon and Elizabeth.[7]

Marriage

m. (02 Jul 1753 Friends' Meeting House, Lancaster) Elizabeth Birket (b. 03 Feb 1729 Lancaster - d. 12 Sep 1766 Lancaster), dau. of Myles Birket and Jane Westray. Issue:[8][9]^[6]

• Robert (b. 24 Apr 1754 Lancaster - 1827 - d. 15 Jun 1827 Newcastle).^[7]

m.1 (07 Mar 1784 Brigflats near Sedbergh, Yorkshire) Mary Burton (b. 12 Feb 1753 - d. 09 Nov 1799 Brigflats)

m.2 Margaret Walker (b. 29 Dec 1756 Hollins, Middleton - d. 09 Aug 1835 Newcastle), widow of Mr. Burton. No issue.

• Jane (30 Nov 1756 Lancaster- 06 Sep 1758, bur. 08 Sep Moorside burial ground, Lancashire).^[8]

• Myles (b. 06 Aug 1759 Lancaster - d. 25 Aug 1779 Ulverstone, Lancashire).[10]^[9]

• Elizabeth (07 Jun 1764 Lancaster - 22 Mar 1823).^[10]

Occupation

• c. 1752: Slave trader (mainly concentrated in West Indies; owned ships "Barlborough" and "Bold").^[11]
• by 1755: Port Commissioner

Sources

1. ↑ Holmes (n.d.), states, "Foster eventually disentangled himself from the slave trade, investing his money in other business ventures. This may be because many Lancastrian Quakers believed the slave trade business lacked respectability, and Foster wanted to be respectable. As the historian Melinda Elder has noted, the wealthiest and most influential Quakers in Lancaster avoided participating in businesses linked to the slave trade, though this may have been due to the financially risky and speculative nature of the slave trade in Lancaster rather than its moral horrors."[1]
2. ↑ Howorth (2016), states that Foster also had relatives in Furness.[2]
3. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VWCY-KJC : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster, 06 Jan 1793, Burial; citing p. 142, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQL3-M4S : 11 December 2014), Dodgson Foster, 06 Jan 1793, Burial; citing p. 256, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5M2-72F : 15 March 2020), Dodgson Foster, 1793.

   .

   "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5GZ-38L : 15 March 2020), Dodshon Foster, 1793.

   .

   The Family of Dodshon Foster.[3]
4. ↑ England & Wales, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Burials 1578-1841, LANCASHIRE: Monthly Meeting of Lancaster: Burials, RG6/821, FindMyPast and linked image
5. ↑ Dodshon inherited £900 from his uncle Robert at the age of seven, (Howorth, 2016).[4]
6. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQRS-2J3 : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster, 03 Jul 1753, Marriage; citing p. 147, Cumberland, Yorkshire & Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQGG-5YM : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster, 03 Jul 1753, Marriage; citing p. 27, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJZ1-FFS : 13 March 2020), Dodshon Foster, 1753.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7NB-KRZ : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for ? Foster, 24 Apr 1754, Birth; citing p. 113, Cumberland, Yorkshire & Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7KR-2JH : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for Robert Facter [sic], 24 Apr 1754, Birth; citing p. 14, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV8G-GB4 : 18 September 2020), Dodshon Foster in entry for Robert Foster, 1754.
8. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQ88-VYQ : 18 September 2020), ...hon Foster in entry for Jane Foster, 1756.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWX7-5HF : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for Jane Foster, 30 Nov 1756, Birth; citing p. 15, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDCC-FQD : 15 March 2020), Dodshon Foster in entry for Jane Foster, 1758.
9. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7TR-PXF : 18 September 2020), Dodshon Foster in entry for Myles Foster, 1759.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQND-W1M : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for Myles Foster, 06 Aug 1759, Birth; citing p. 114, Cumberland, Yorkshire & Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQHY-Z4Z : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for Myles Foster, 06 Aug 1759, Birth; citing p. 17, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

   .

   "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JZ59-Y2N : 15 March 2020), Dodgson Foster in entry for Myles Fostere, 1779.

   .

   "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JC8H-FQ5 : 15 March 2020), Dodgson Foster in entry for Myles Foster, 1779.
10. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7VY-KDS : 11 December 2014), Dodshon Foster in entry for Elizabeth Foster, 07 Jun 1764, Birth; citing p. 18, Lancaster, Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.

    .

    "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQHJ-KGM : 11 December 2014), Dodgson Foster in entry for Elizabeth Foster, 07 Jun 1765, Birth; citing p. 115, Cumberland, Yorkshire & Lancashire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.
11. ↑ "Dodshon Foster ... owned two small ships which during five voyages carried 650 enslaved Africans. Some died on the ships," (Lancaster slave trade and fair trade town trail, (n.d.). Global Link Development Education Center. globallink.org.uk. PDF).[5]

• Cundall, H.M. (1906). Birket Foster, R. W S, pp. 4-. London: Adam and Charles Black. Google Books.[11]

• "Dodshon Foster of Lancaster," (2008). Lancashire County Council. Web. (Google cache retrieved 16 Jun 2017;[12] mirror at Wayback Machine.[13])

• Foster, J. Some account of the pedigree of the Forsters of Cold Hesledon. Google Books.[14]

• Holmes, M. (n.d.). Lancaster Quakers and the transatlantic slave trade. Documenting Dissent. Web.[15]

• Howorth, B.F.K. (2016). A-Z of Lancaster: Places-People-History. Amberley Publishin Ltd. Google Books.[16]

• Wikipedia: Dodshon Foster

• Wilson, S. (2002). Aspects of Lancaster: Discovering Local History, pp. 30-31. Casemate Publishers. Google Books.[17]