My wife's ancestors - Kerr - Contents

Foster

• References:
  • Will of John Foster of Leicester Grange, Warwickshire. Dated 1800. Proved 1801. PROB 11/1358/190 in [NA.UK]. Also here.
    • (todo) See transcript by Bob Janes.

  • Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, Volume 7: Antiquities in Leicestershire, John Nichols, 1790.
    • Leicester Grange on pp.341-351. It appears even though it is just across the county line in Warwickshire.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • DE 3168. Papers of the Hazlengy family and Noseley. Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.
    • Marriage settlement of John Foster and Judith Guest, 31 Jan 1776. DE 3168/151.
    • Certificate for marriage of John Foster and Judith Guest, 1 Feb 1776. DE 3168/201.

County Map of the Midlands.
John Foster came from the Hinckley area (on the Leicestershire/Warwickshire border) He moved far away to the Stourbridge area (on the Staffordshire/Worcestershire border) Then later in life he moved back to the Hinckley area again.
This makes the records very confusing. He appears in 4 different counties with 3 different wives.
But there is no confusion of multiple John Fosters. It is all the same man. Proof below.
See full size. Posted here.

John Foster,
of Hinckley, Leicestershire (on Warwickshire border).
He mar 1696 to Mary Purefoy.
They had issue:

John Foster,
of Burbage (old name Burbach), Leicestershire (beside Hinckley, on Warwickshire border).
He mar Dorothy Parr.
She was dau of Rev. Samuel Parr, Vicar of Hinckley.
John and Dorothy had issue:

1. John Foster.
   His grave says he was born 1 Aug 1735.
   He was bapt 1 Aug 1735, at St. Mary's church, Hinckley. See transcript.
   See entry in tree by Jenny Poll.
   He came from the Hinckley area (on the Leicestershire/Warwickshire border) He moved far away to the Stourbridge area (on the Staffordshire/Worcestershire border) Then later in life he moved back to the Hinckley area again.

   He mar 1stly, 28 Nov 1765, to Mary Milward.
   They mar at Oldswinford, at Stourbridge, Worcestershire (on the Staffordshire border). See transcript.
   They lived at Wordsley, Staffordshire (on the Worcestershire border). Wordsley is just N of Stourbridge. See map.
   She died, and was bur at Oldswinford.
   John Foster's will says that "my son John's mother" is "buried in her family vault at Old Swinford".
   He had issue by 1st wife:

   1. John Foster.

   
   He mar 2ndly, 1 Feb 1776, to Judith Guest.
   They mar at St Andrew Holborn, London. See entry from here.
   He is listed as a widower, of St.James' parish, Westminster, London. Not of the Midlands. So one might think this is not him.
   However the marriage settlement dated 31 Jan 1776 says he is in fact "John Foster of Old Swinford".
   Their son was bapt 1777 at Kingswinford, Staffordshire (just N of Wordsley).
   She died at or shortly after giving birth on 21 May 1778.
   She is "Judith Foster" who was bur 29 May 1778 at Kingswinford. See transcript.
   John's will later asks that he be buried in Wolvey and that the remains of "my son Robert's mother" be moved to Wolvey.
   He had issue by 2nd wife:

   1. Edward Guest Foster,
      son of John Foster and "Judith",
      middle name after mother,
      born 26 Jan 1777 [grave],
      bapt 19 Mar 1777, Kingswinford.
      He died Nov 1780, age 3 yrs. Buried with father at Wolvey.

   2. Robert Foster,
      son of John Foster and "Judith",
      born 21 May 1778.
      His mother died giving birth.
      He was baptised years later, as a teenager, after his father moved to Leicester Grange.
      Is it possible that with his mother dying he was not properly baptised?
      He was bapt 28 Aug 1792 at Wolvey (near Leicester Grange). See transcript.
      He died 1844.

   
   He was High Sheriff of Worcestershire 1779-1780.
   Moves to Leicester Grange, 1780:
   He moved back to the area he was from.
   He settled at Leicester Grange, Warwickshire (S of Hinckley, Leicestershire, and N of Wolvey, Warwickshire).
   [Nichols, 1790] says he acquired Leicester Grange in 1780.

   He mar 3rdly, 1791, to Charlotte Kerr [born 18 Sept 1769].
   His will dated 8 Dec 1800.
   Listed at Leicester Grange at death.
   He died 9 May 1801, age 65 yrs.
   Obituary says he died at Buxton (a spa town, he must have gone there when ill).
   He was bur Wolvey church, Warwickshire, 18 May 1801 (or poss. 10 May). See burial entry from here.
   There is a monument to him inside Wolvey church. See street view.
   Will proved 10 June 1801.
   Charlotte died 7 Aug 1802, age 32 yrs.
   Leicester Grange burnt in a fire in March 1803. It was rebuilt.
   John Foster had issue by 3rd wife:

   
   

   1. Mary Ann Foster,
      born 12 July 1796.
      She was orphaned in 1802.
      She mar 1stly to Rev. Edward White.
      She mar 2ndly, 1829, to James Smith and had issue.

      
      

   2. Dorothy Foster,
      born 21 Jan 1799.
      She was orphaned in 1802.
      She mar 1823 to Rev. James Riddell.
      She died 1886.
      They are bur at Leamington. Plaque to them in Wolvey church, Warwickshire.

Memorial to John Foster and family. Inside Wolvey church, Warwickshire.
See larger and full size. Courtesy of Jenny Poll.
See Riddell plaque.
See wide shot of both.

The family of John Foster of Leicester Grange.
From [Nichols, 1790].
This shows that John Foster came from the Hinckley area, was High Sheriff of Worcestershire, later moved to Leicester Grange, and was husband of Mary Milward and Judith Guest.
This is written after his first two marriages and before his 3rd marriage.

 
Obituary of John Foster, p.484 of The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 89, May 1801.
This confirms the biography above.

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• All sources agree that John Foster of Wordsley is the High Sheriff of Worcestershire is John Foster of Leicester Grange:
  • According to p.478 of Stourbridge and Its Vicinity by William Scott (1832), Mary Milward married John Foster of Wordsley, Staffordshire, who was High Sheriff of Worcestershire 1779-1780.
  • According to pp.230-231 of Notes and queries for Worcestershire by John Noake (1856), John Foster of Leicester Grange is the same as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire.
  • MILWARD on pp.377-378 of The Heraldry of Worcestershire by Henry Sydney Grazebrook, vol.2 (1873) says that John Foster of Wordsley was High Sheriff of Worcestershire, and was later of Leicester Grange.
  • KERR in [Burkes LG, 1886] says that Charlotte Kerr's husband is the John Foster who was High Sheriff of Worcestershire.