William Foster, Sr.

“William was a yeoman; he first lived in Ipswich. In 1661 he was received as an inhabitant of Rowley, settling in that part of town known as Rowley Village, and afterwards [1694] incorporated as the town of Boxford. Before removing, he purchased of Joseph Jewett, of Rowley, for £11. 13s. 4d. a seventy-second part of the village lands of that place. Mr. Jewett died before the deed was passed, but 30 May, 1661, one was received from his executors. About the year 1666-7, the village lands were laid out by John Pickard and Ezekiel Northend. Wm. Fostger, his brother-in-law Francis Peabody, Joseph Bixbie and Abraham Reddington received 800 acres, bounded north by land of Messrs. Dorman, Cummins and Stiles, west by Andover line, south by Wade’s Brook, &c., and east by various other lots. This grant contained upland, swamp and meadow. 27 Feb. 1706-7, he deeded to his son Samuel one-half of his right in this property. “With his sons William and Jonathan, and John Kimball, all of Boxford, he bought, 3 April, 1695, 300 acres of land of Robert Eames, ‘lying between Five Mile Pond and Moses Tyler’s house on both sides Ipswich road.’ “By deed, bearing date 25 Aug. 1719, he gave ‘to his son David, of Haverhill, all that right which falleth to us in lands, orchards, &c., wich our Hon’d Father Wm. Jackson, formerly of Rowley dec’d ded give to his son John Jackson and John Jackson’s son John, William Jackson’s grandson, and in case his grandson John died childless, then **** the estate mentioned in said deed *** to return to our father’s three daughters or their children. William Jackson’s grandson John dying childesss, said lands are divided among said daughters, viz.: Elizabeth How, Mary Foster my wife and Deborah Trumbull; which land in my right I give to my son David.’ “Mr. Foster was quite a prominent citizen of Rowley, frequently serving on committees in matters of importance. In 1675, he with Joseph Peabody and John Kimball were appointed collectors of taxes. In 1677 and 1680, John Peabody and he were appointed on part of the village to enforce the strict observance of the Sabbath, ‘and to have special inspection of those families nearest their house on either side of them,’ in compliance with a law passed by the general court, 23 May, 1677. “The following is a copy of a paper found among the court files: “‘Theas few Liens may Sertify anney gentilmen whome it may Consern that the Town of Boxford ahve with the Consent of the Selectmen of Boxford chosen William Foster, Sener, to bee thaier ordenary Keepper for this year’93 and doe desier that hee may have a Lisenc for the aboue said purpos this 13 ^th of June 1663 “‘as a test, John Pebody, Clark.’ “He was one of the petitioners for the incorporation of Boxford. The petition was granted 5 June, 1685. Subsequently he was a member of the committee on the part of Rowley Village to agree upon ‘a parting line betwixt the town of Rowley and the village.’ “In his will he gives his five sons,—Jonathan, William, Timothy, David and Samuel,—all his salt marsh he had of his father Foster lying in Ipswich, which is to be enjoyed by his wife Mary and son Joseph during her widowhood, his ‘son Samuel to keep son Joseph at his house to look out for him.’ Jonathan and Samuel were appointed executors.” [1]

Sources 

1. [S248] Genealogy of the Fo(r)ster family, descendants of Reginald Fo(r)ster, of Ipswich, Mass., Edward Jacob Forster.

Links

• http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I62757&tree=Schirado

http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Rowley/aMarriagesF.shtml "(FOSTER (Forster, Fostor)) William, and Mary Jackson, 15: 3m: 1661

http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Boxford/aDeathsF.shtml "(Foster) William, sen., May 17, 1713"

GEDCOM Note

Category: Exeter, Devon

Biography

William was born in 1639.

Sources

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See Also:* Foster genealogy; by Pierce, Frederick Clifton, 1855-1904. cn Publication date 1899 (USE WITH CAUTION)*Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)Case 10007: Will.

Acknowledgments==* WikiTree profile Foster-2785 created through the import of Putnam2-1_2010-01-02_2011-02-16_2011-10-11.ged on Oct 12, 2011 by John Putnam.