Humphrey Forster

https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/f...

Family and Education
b. c.1551. 1st s. of William Forster of Aldermaston by Jane, da. of Sir Anthony Hungerford† of Down Ampney, Glos. m. Margaret, da. of [John] Barret of Stafford Dingley, Berks. 7s. 2da. suc. fa. 1574. Kntd. 1592.1

Sheriff, Berks. 1580-1, 1593-4, j.p. from c.1583, dep. lt. 1586.2

Biography
Forster’s main estates lay in Berkshire, but he also had a number of manors and other lands in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and elsewhere, including a long lease of much of the property of the attainted Sir Francis Englefield†. His local status was sufficient for him to obtain a turn as knight of the shire in 1593; in 1597 he was returned for his local borough of Reading. He was named to committees in 1593 concerning the relief of the poor (12 Mar.) and a private bill (19 Mar.), and as knight for Berkshire he was appointed to the subsidy committee (26 Feb.) and a legal committee (9 Mar.). In 1597 he was named to a committee concerning the town of Wantage on to Nov., and as Member for Reading he was included on a committee about cloth (18 Nov.). The Queen visited him on her progresses of 1592 and 1601, knighting him on the former occasion.3

He died 26 Feb. 1602. His nuncupative will, made in the last hours of his life, left to his wife lands worth £300 a year; his younger sons were left annuities of £30 together with £20 of stock; to his daughters he left £900 and £800 as marriage portions. As executors he appointed his wife and his son William, who proved the will 27 Nov. 1605.4