1188.Reginald Foster. Born ca 1594 in Brunton, England. Reginald died in Ipswich, MA between 30 Apr 1680 and 9 Jun 1681.
From Edward Jacob Forster’s article “Genealogy of the Fo(r)ster family descendants of Reginald Fo(r)ster, of Ipswich, Mass, New Eng. Hist. Gen. Reg. (1876) page 83:96
“By a tradition which exists in different branches of the family, Reginald Foster, the first of the name, is reputed to have come to this country from Exeter, Devonshire, England, and to have crossed the water in one of the ships embargoed by King Charles the First: but of this, nothing certain is as yet known.
“He brought with him his wife, Judith, fives sons and two daughters, and settled in Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts, about the year 1638, and was one of the earliest inhabitants of that town. He lived near the ‘East Bridge,’ which stood where the stone bridge now [1876] is. It is supposed that the remains of what is known as the ‘old Foster house, ‘ may have been the site of his residence. This seems probable, for 6 April, 1641, there was ‘granted Reginald Foster, eight acres of meadow in the west meadow, if any remain there ungranted, in consideration of a little hovel that stood at the new bridge, which was taken away for the accommodating of the passage there,’ and ‘4^th 11 mo., 1646,’ he with others ‘promise carting voluntary toward the East Bridge beside the rate a day work a piece.’
“Of his life we know very little; the following facts, gleaned from town and country records, indicate however that he was an active citizen.
“The danger from Indians in those early times was such that in the year 1645 a law was passed requiring the ‘youth from ten to sixteen years to be exercised with small guns, half pikes, bows and arrows,’ and also that ‘every town is to have a guard set a half hour after sunset, to consist of a pikeman and musketeer, and to prepare for any sudden attack from the Indians.’ Our ancestor, on the 19 December, 1745, subscribed with others his proportin of 3sh. towards the sum of £24. 7sh. ‘to pay their leader Maior Dennison,’ who then commanded the military forces of Essex and Norfolk Counties.
“He bought of Ralph dix, of Ipswich, 8 March, 1647-8, ‘all his six acre lott he’ (Dix) ‘bought of W^m White, lying in the common field on the north side of the river, bounded on land of Thomas Smyth, Humphrey Broadstreed and Robert Lord.’
“We find no mention of him again until 1652, whin it was ‘Granted Thomas Clark and Reginal Foster, that when they shall have cut through a passage from this river into Chebacco River o ten feet wide and soe deepe as a lighter may pass through laden, and to make a ford and footebridge over, that then the town have given unto them £10 towards said passage’
“On 3 Jun of the same year he was a witness to the will of William Averill, of Ipswich.
“He bought of Roger Preston, 11 march, 1657-8, for £50, his dwelling house, house lot, barn and other buildings, also another house lot, with gardens, orchards, &c., which Preston bought of Robert Wallis, situated on the north side of the river, and one planting lot of three acres, on the north side of Town Hill, bounded on land of widow Rose Whipple, Andrew Hodges, John Morse and Thomas Treadwell. The houses were on ‘the High Street,’ probably at the east end—and in the vicinity of the ancient dwelling house of Rev. Mr. Norton, which yet stnads. He had also a house lot near the ‘meeting-house green.’ On 29 September, 1663, he was an appraiser of the estate of Robert Roberts. Feginald Fo[r]ster was married when he came to this country, his wife being Judith ———. She ded in Ipswich, Oct. 1644.
“He married again, Sept. 1665, Sarah, widow of John Martin, of Ipswich. She survived Reginald, and 21 Sept. 1682, she became the second wife of William White, of Haverhill. She died 22 Feb 1682-3.
“The exact date of Reginald’s death is unknown.
“His will was proved 9 June, 1681.”
Check out the Foster Genealogy, being the Record of the Posterity of Reginald Foster, 1899.
Estate of Renold Foster, Sr. of Ipswich
Essex Probate Docket # None
The last will and testament of Renold ffoster Senr of Ipswich in the County of Essex in New England, mad the last day of Aprill Anno Dom one thousand six hundred & 80, being this day by Gods good providence of perfect understanding, tho, through Infirmatyes of body, dayly mindfull of my mortality Therefore for the setting my house in order I make and apoynt this my last will and testament as followeth. In the name of God Amen my Soule I committ into the hand of Jesus Christ, my blessed Redeemer, In hope of a joyfull resurrection at the last day my body, to a decent comly buriall, And for my outward estate which the Lord hath Graciously given me, I thus dispose of it, in manner following. Imprs. To my beloved wife Sarah, I give the use of the house I now dwell in, and the orcyards, and gardens, and five pound yearly, dureing her naturall life, and two cowes, which she shall chuse out of my stock, and the keeping of them both summer & winter yearly, also I give her the bedstead with beding in the parler, and the rest of the linnen & woollen yarne, that she hath made and provided into the house, also the use of a bras pot, and chees pres, and kneading trough, with the utensills in the Leantoo, and the great kettle, & two skillets dureing her naturall life, Also I give her three sheepe to be kept winter & summer, also two piggs, and what provisions shall be in the house at my decease, also the table and forme for her naturall life. Further my will is that the household stuff, or things that my wife brought into the house when I marryed her be at her dispose, in life and at death. It. I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham Foster my now dwelling house and orchard and ground about it, three acres more or less & halfe the barne, and halfe that land in the field lyeing betweene the land of John Denison & Philip Fowlers, and ten acres on this syde of the River caled mudy River by major Denisons & John Edwards Land, and six acres of salt marsh, All which I give him after my wives decease. I give him four acres of Marsh att Plumb Iland and six acres at Hogs Island. It. I give to and bequeath unto my son Renol Foster all the land which he possesses of myne at the Falls, that he hath built a house upon, both upland & marsh be it fifty acres more or less, only to pay out of it, within a yeare after my decease to Sarah, my daughter Story, the sum that I have given her, except wt ye sheets and pillobeers amounts to. It. I give and bequeath unto my son Isaak Foster my eight acres of Fresh meadow at the west meadows, joineing to meadows of his, and four acres of salt marsh at Hog Island, Jacob to have the use of the salt til the decease of my wife. It. I give and bequeath unto my son William Foster my six acres of land I had of Thomas Smith, & six acres of marsh at Hog Iland, the marsh to Jacob till my wives decease. It. I give and bequeath unto my son Jacob Foster the house he lives in & ground about it and my two lotts beyond muddy River ten acres more or lesse, and the remainder of salt marsh att Hog Island, further my will is that my son Jacob have my land at home and barne dureing my wives natural life, further I give him my pasture on the south syde of the River, by Simon Tomsons, and the pasture by Caleb Kimballs, also I give him a feather bed, only my will is that he pay what I have given my wife & keepe in repaires for her yearly, what I have allowed her, and given her in my will; It. I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah, William Storyes wife the sum of ten pounds viz., a payre of sheets and a paire of pillowbeers, and what they amount to, not of the sum, the rest in the hands of my son Renold, which I have willed him to pay as appeares above. It. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary, wife of Francis Peabody the sum of ten pounds, part of it to be payd in a payre of sheets and a paire of pillobeers and a feather bed, the bed after my wives decease. It. I give my Grandchild Hanah Story the sum of six pounds viz. a bed bolster pillow and paire of sheetes and blanketts, which are of my now wives makeing, the rest to be payd by my executors, if she carry it well to my wife while she lives with her as she hath done to us hitherto. It. My will is that my son Jacob have the Implements of Husbandry. It. My will is wch I desire and apoynt my Two sonns Abraham Foster and Jacob Foster, to be my executors of this my last will and Testament, and request and desire my beloved Freinds Simon Stace and Nehemiah Jewett to be my overseers to this my will fullfild by my executors, and if any difference arise amongst my wife and children, or amongst them, about any particular in my will, my will is that my two overseers shall end it, and they rest satticefied as they two shall agree, and if they two difer, then a third man, who they shall choose joyning with either of them. In wittnes whereof I have sett my hand and seale ,Read, Signed, Sealed, and declared to be the last will & testament of me Renold Foster Senr. the day and year above written 1680, as witness my hand and seal.
Renold Foster (Seal) Witnesses. John Starkweather Nehemiah Jewett
Memorandum. The things given my wife for her naturall life, be soe exsept she marry againe and what debts shee shall have due for labor & worke shall be for her proper use & sole benefitt, and that the repaires of the house be out of her estate and dureing her abode in it, and that my wife shall have liberty to cutt & procure what wood she needeth from my land at Muddy River.
This declared the 5 of March 1680/81 to be his last will. RENOL FFOSTER In presence of wittnesses John Starkweather Nehemiah Jewett Proved June 9, 1681, by the witnesses
Source: Printed "Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts; 1635 - 1681," In three volumes,The Essex Institute; Salem, MA; 1916
Submitted by: Linda Herrick Smith
On 28 Sep 1619 Reginald first married Judith Wignol in Theydon Garnon, Essex. Judith died in Ipswich, MA on 16 Oct 1664.
In Sep 1665 Reginald second married Sarah.96 Sarah died in Ipswich, MA 22 Feb 1682/3.96
Sarah first married John Martin, second Reginald Foster, third William White. Her surname may have been Larefet (or Larriford) as John Martin’s will named as executors his widow and brother Larefet.