Maize R. Foster

Maize Foster was born in North Carolina and lived in TN, in IL where his first child L.G. Foster was born, and then Missouri where he served on a jury with James Foster in Benton Co. before coming toTexas, probably in Or before 1841. He surveyed and held a 640 acre grant that straddled what is now the boundary between Collin and Dallas counties, on land now occupied by Breckinridge Park in Richardson, Texas and stretching north into Plano to about 14th St. His name is listed as one of the original land grant holders in North Texas under the Republic of Texas. A1850 census of Weston, Collin County, Texas shows his 640 acres being along Rowlett For in Collin Co. This 1850 Census gives Maize and Sarah as both born in NC.

According to the 1850 US Census, Maize Foster's children included a 9 year-old son born in Texas. This places the Foster family in Texas in 1841. There was a large inflow of pioneers to Collin county in 1841-1843 with about 25% coming from Missouri. Texas was providing free land grants to settlers in packets of 320 acres for single men, 640 acres for married men. In the 1850 US Census, Maize Foster is listed as having 640 acres. An abstract of the patents for land grants lists Maize Foster with a date in 1853 but this probably reflects the record date rather than the actual arrival and settlement.

Fact 1. Research is still being done on Maize Foster to determine the Y-DNA of him and his father's line. M.S.

His son Mack is also listed on the 1850 census as being born in Texas in 1847 but on the 1870 census Mack claimed birth in Missouri. This seems like a simple error on Mack's part, as the family did actually come from Missouri before his birth and three of his oldest siblings were born there. His very oldest sister was born in Iowa.

1846 property tax records for Collin County recorded in a book in the genealogy section of the Dallas Public Library's main location in downtown Dallas list M.R. Foster as paying property taxes to the Republic of Texas.

This would fulfill the basic requirement for membership in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for female descendents of Maize Foster and family.

According to my records, Maize R. and wife, Sarah Foster were in Illinois in 1830 where their first child was born. According to 1880 Census of Collin Co., Texas, Malcom (Mack) and his brother, W. H. Foster, (sons of Maize and Sarah) listed Maize was from TN and Sarah from Illinois. Maize could have went to TN before he went to Illinois. He and Sarah could have met in Illinois. I don't know why their sons would have thought that unless they knew that Maize had traveled to TN before he went to Illinois. Mack and W. H. we're not born at that time since W.H. Was born in MO and Mack was born here in Collin Co., Texas. Mack also had a younger brother born in Collin Co., Texas, James Mathew born 1850. The 1850 census was transcribed wrong and looks somewhat like Jas, but my mother knew her grandpa Mack and her uncle Jim when she was growing up in Collin Co and also in Bowie Co in Texas where they lived together near her family.

Marian Alexander Sharp, DNA testing on 23andme, Gedmatch Kit #694349

2nd great granddaughter of Maize R. and Sarah Foster

FOSTER-L Archives

From: "Terry Foster"

Subject: James and Maize Foster

Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 21:32:28 +0000

Here is a portion of a letter I mailed to a fellow researcher today. It's all about my Foster line and a possible lead I have on additional generations. If any of this strikes a chord with your research, drop me a line!

I hope to have a surprise for all of the Tally's that descended from the James Foster/Sally Tally union. I have a promising lead that may add a whole new branch to the family! I'll tell you the secret in advance:

snip---

In the book "The History of Benton County" there is a reference to a grand jury that James Foster, Sr. served on in 1835. This is common knowledge, mentioned in virtually every history of James Foster I have read, including yours. What is rarely mentioned is the other members on that Grand Jury. Included on that jury is a man named Maize R. Foster. The initial matching surnames made me curious, could they be related? I though I'd check it out. I started by conducting a search on Everton's internet site. I searched through their computerized Root Cellar (the items sent to their magazine over the years) and found a death notice for a Maize R. Foster in Collin County Texas. Curious I looked up the submitter's name, Billie Evans.

I did another computer search for her name in an electronic phone book and came up with her phone number. I called her and she was in the same boat as I was. She had no idea about Maize's family other than his descendants. She had known he had been in Missouri, but had no idea what county and was therefore ecstatic to find he had been in Benton County.

This was nice, but not really the Eureka! I was seeking. Because I wasn't satisfied, I decided to take a look at the 1850 Collin County census. I got a little race in my blood when it came in. Maize was born in 1802 in North Carolina, his wife , Sarah was born there in 1811. By observing the birth location of his children we can put him in Illinois in 1830, in Missouri from 1833 to 1839 and in Texas in 1841. This traveling pattern matches James Sr.'s exactly! I am now prepared to say that Maize was most probably related to James Sr., and since James Sr. was born around 1781, Maize could be a son, which would make him James's oldest.

The next question is where do I go from here? I began thinking about the name Maize. Where could such a strange name come from. Well, my own ancestor had a strange name, Guilford Park Foster. The strangeness came from the practice of using family members surnames as given names. Could Maize be a related family surname? James Sr.'s wife was named Rebecca, but we have no last name. Could it have been Rebecca Maize?

In order to find out, I did yet another computer search for anyone searching the surname Maize. This time I searched a site called Rootsweb. Sure enough, I came up with a researcher named Janet Waddell who was looking up the surname Maize. Guess what state she is researching the name Maize in, North Carolina! She indicated she had data back to 1700. I have sent her an e-mail indicating my predicament and am waiting for her reply. Needless to say I am more than a little excited about the prospect!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Texas Land Title Abstracts

about Maize R. Foster

• Grantee: Maize R. Foster
• Certificate: 87
• Patentee: Maize R. Foster
• Patent Date: 22 Nov 1853
• Acres: 640
• District: Fannin County: Collin
• File: 676
• Patent #: 183
• Patent Volume: 7
• Class: Fan 3rd

1850 CENSUS

• 264-264 M. R. FOSTER 43 male farmer 640 North Carolina
• Sarah 39 female North Carolina
• S. J. 20 female Iowa
• N. P. 17 female Missouri
• Wm. H. 13 male Missouri
• Mary 11 female Missouri
• Jno. 9 male Texas
• M. 3 male Texas
• Joseph 4/12 male Texas

http://www.collincotxhistdoc.info/probate-minutes/1846-1870-volc-1-...

Probate Minutes - 1846-1870 - Volume C-1

State of Texas

Collin County County Court of Collin County.

December Term 1856.

Be it known that the County Court of Collin County met in session on Monday the 29th day of December A. D. 18567, for the transaction of Probate Business.

Present: George H. Pegues Chief Justice C. C.

J. H. Lovejoy Sheff

By M. R. Parrish, Dept

John L. Lovejoy, Clerk,

Page 579

At this day came JOHN M. SALMONS [SAMMONS] by petition praying for Letters of administration of the Estate of MAZE R. FOSTER deceased. And it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the Clerk of said Court has given legal notice of the filing of said petition,--Therefore it is ordered by the Court that JOHN M. SAMMONS be and he is hereby appointed administrator of the Estate of the said M. R. FOSTER deceased and that he give Bond in sum of Two Thousand Dollars, and upon the said JOHN M. SMMONS giving Bond that Letters issue to him as such administrator. Issued.

Ordered by the Court that S. E. DONALSON, N. B. WILLESS & ENOCH E. PEGUES be and they are hereby appointed appraisers of the property of the Estate of MAIZE R. FOSTER deceased.

Ordered that Court adjourn until Tomorrow Morning 8 o’clock a. m.

Tuesday Decr. 30th, 1856.

The County Court of Collin County on Tuesday the 30th day of Decr. A. D. 1856 pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Hon’l Geor. H. Pegues, Chief Justice

John L. Lovejoy, Clerk Co. Court

Jas. H. Lovejoy, Sheff By

his deputy M. R. Parish

State of Texas County Court, Collin County

County of Collin January Term 1857.

Be it known that the County Court of Collin County, Texas met on Monday 26th day of January 1857 for the purpose of transacting of Probate Business.

Present: George H. Pegues Chief Justice Co. Court C. C.

Page 587

Ordered by the court JOHN M. SALMONE administrator of the Estate of MARGE R. FOSTER Deceased set apart of said Estate the sum of Fifty dollars for the support of each of the following heirs of said Estate: MARY FOSTER, MALCUM FOSTER and JAMES FOSTER minor heirs of said FOSTER Deceased.

State of Texas County Court Collin Co.

County of Collin February Term 1857

Be it known that the County Court of Collin County met on Monday the 23rd day of February 1857 for the transaction of Probate business.

Present: Geo. H. Pegues, Chief Justice

John L. Lovejoy, Clerk

James H. Lovejoy, Sheriff

By Deputy

At which term the following proceedings were had:

page 591

At this day came JOHN M. SOLMON (SALMONS) Administrator of the Estate of MASE R. FOSTER, Decd. And filed his inventory and appraisement of the Property of said deceased which has been duly examined by the Court and is hereby approved.

State of Texas County Court Collin county

County of Collin March Term 1857.

Be it known that the County Court of Collin County met on Monday the 30th day of March 1857 for the transaction of Probate business.

Present George H. Pegues Chief Justice

Buford Henry Depty. Clerk

J. Dud Doak Depty. Sheriff

At which term the following business was had:

Page 595

This day comes JOHN M. SALMONS Administrator of the Estate of MAIZE R. FOSTER deceased by his petition whereas it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that is necessary to make sale of the personal property of the Estate of said decedent It is ordered therefore that the said JOHN M. SALMONS Administrator of said Estate proceed to sell all the personal property of said MAIZE R. FOSTER on the 20th day of April A. D. 1857 on a credit of Twelve months credit on all sums over Five dollars except so much of said Estate as may be necessary to be sold for cash in hand for the support of the minor Heirs of said Estate said Sale to be made at the residence of the said JOHN M. SALMONS.

Subject: The Mystery of Rebecca

From: "Terry Foster" <xxxx@yy.zzz>

Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 16:03:08 -0600

James Foster�s wife in Missouri is only positively identified once that I know of. In 1841 James sold some land to John & Matilda Foster and his wife is identified as �Rebecca�.

On the 1840 Benton County Census, James Foster listed both he and his wife as born between 1(####)-###-####, putting both between 50 & 60 years old.

In the book Chronicles of Stephen Foster's Family by Evelyn Foster Morneweck, there is a James Foster, son of John Foster and Martha Donnell, born in 1781 in NC that married a Rebecca Williamson. There is no other information about their descendants in that book. It is known that this family traveled from PA to NC and TN.

Given the record of James Foster, Sr children�s birth places, we can trace his travels from NC in 1809 to TN in 1811.

It seems a perfect fit, but there are problems with this theory.

In 1880, James� son William listed his fathers birthplace as VA. William was about 79 years old so the reliability of his statement can be doubted,

But . . .

From Terry Litvan - 8/9/1998

�I have in my FOSTER file a family group sheet on John [A.] Foster and Martha Donnell. It shows the 5th child as James Foster who m. Rebecca Williamson. HOWEVER, I suspect this is an error. I have been doing a lot of Wilson Co., TN Williamson work for a client, and I find James Foster (b. ca. 1780, NC) married Sarah Williamson, 9 August 1803, Davidson Co., TN and stayed right there in Wilson Co., TN. They named their first child, Martha D. Foster and it seems likely to me the "D." was for Donnell. You will find this James and Sarah Foster in 1850, Wilson Co., TN, Dist. 10, p. 760-380B,

1. 906/906. They have one of their children with them, plus six young girls, all 15 or 16 years old (a girl's school?)

This Sarah Williamson did have a sister named Rebecca but she m. Zachariah Tate.

Any chance I am right on this one? Where do the Foster researchers get "Rebecca Williamson" as wife of James Foster???�

And then:

From Tom Evans on 9/29/1999

�Terry,

Regarding Rebecca and Zachariah Tate's children, I got the following from the Ancestral File:

John W. 1804, Martha 1809, Sarah 1811, William 1813, Nancy 1815, Margaret W 1817, James J. 1819, Elizabeth 1822, Emily 1826, Catherine 1829.

Sarah and James Foster children are more LDS data; Martha Donnell 8/16/1804,

Eliza Williamson 10/13/1809, John abt 1812, Margaret Cloyd abt 1814, and James Williamson abt 1815.

Tom�

From Nancy Richwine � 11/29/1999

�I was up to Mid-Continent on Fri. & found this reference in a book called "Wilson Co. TN Miscellaneous Records 1(####)-###-####". It was on page 151 & 152 under the Revolutionary War Soldiers in Wilson County. It made a reference to John Williamson. It said: Born Montgomery Co. VA Dec. 16, 1764; died Wilson Co. TN Aug. 7, 1829; married Montgomery Co., VA Mar. 5, 1781 Margaret Scott Cloyd, born Jan.24, 1766; died Oct. 3, 1845. Private. North Carolina Continental Line. Battle of King's Mountain. Battle of Guilford Court House. Issue: Sarah Williamson Foster, Margaret Williamson, Robert Williamson, Rebecca Williamson Tate, George Williamson, Betsy Williamson Robertson, James Williamson, Rachel Williamson, William Williamson, and Ann Williamson.�

As we can see the waters get pretty murky when we reach back that far.

I had hung up this search as pointless until this weekend when I received the following from David Curtis Foster:

�My name is David Curtis Foster Sr., I was born and raised in Denton, Denton County, TX. I am the family historian and have been for 12 years now. I read your posting on the Genforum concerning a James Foster Sr. Maize R. Foster was his son. James Foster Sr. was born 9 Feb 1790 in Guilford County, NC and died 11 Dec 1856 in Adairville, Logan County, Kentucky. He married Rebecca Williamson 1807 in North Carolina. Children to this union were; Maize R., John, James Jr., William,Susan, Mary Ellen and Samuel. James Sr. was the son of James Alexander Foster born in Little Britian Twsp, Chester, PA (Chester in now Lancaster). James Alexander married Martha Margaret Donnel from Rowan County, NC. James Alexander was the son of Alexander Forster and Mary Conner or Conver. Alexander Forster was from Londonderry, Ireland and immigrated into Monmounth, NJ then moved to PA.

I hope this helps you out. Please email me with any questions and I do share all my information concerning the family.�

At first blush I don�t see how this could be accurate. I have Maize born in 1807. I guess they did start out young . . .

There is also the question of William. I have him born in 1801 and a son of James. This is obviously incorrect and I will change it. William was probably related but how? Brothers? Cousins. Hopefully with all of us together we can get this figured out once and for all!

• ******************

Marian Sharp: I have in my records that Maize and Sarah had their first child, L. G. Hijack (Foster) in Illinois. From Illinois they moved to Missouri. Then on to Texas where they died in Collin County, Texas just days/weeks apart along with a child in Abt Feb 1856

Re Myheritage, Alexander Website

Marian Sharp: I did my DNA on 23andme and loaded it to Gedmatch.com, kit No. M694349. I've been trying to find out if my gg grandmother, Sarah, was a Foster or Buttram. I have several Buttram matches in my DNA. I don't really understand how to decide if that means that I share DNA with a common Buttram ancestor. If so, it would probably be William Buttram, II or one of his children. My mother, Evie Mack (Foster) Alexander's grandfather was Malcom"Mack" Foster who was Maize's son. Can any of my relatives here, Terry Foster, David C. Foster, etc. help me??? Help! M. E. Sharp