Thomas Foster MP, of Egham

PROB 11/913/464.

Thomas Foster of Egham, Surrey.

To wife Mary Foster my plantations in St Kitts together with the morgage due to me on the late Mr Hurst's estate in Nevis which is her property. Also to my wife the contents of my house and stock; the £1200 due to me on a mortgage on the Tolls of Stains Bridge; my £1000 stock in the British Fishery including interest; my £500 South Sea stock standing in the name of Mrs Mary Hildon deceased after the deceased of Mrs Deborah Batt who enjoys the interest during her life.

My estates or plantations called Elim, Waterford, Lancaster, Two Milewood in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, to Rt. Hon. Lord Romney and Sir Edward Baroke[?] Knight of the Bath in trust. The trust to the use of behoof of Roger Drake and Beeston Long of the City of London, merchants, for 99 years, that Drake and Long shall in the first place pay my debts, legacies and funeral expenses. Thereafter one moity (the whole into two equal parts to be divided) of the rents and proceeds of my Jamaican property (except Two Milewood) and English property for the use of my wife Mary Foster during her lifetime. The second moity to pay: my nephew John Foster (son of my brother Samuel Foster) £200 per annum until age 21 and £500 in placing him as a clerk in a sugar merchant's counting house; my neice Elizabeth Foster (daughter of my brother Samuel Foster) £2000 at age 21 or at marriage and a further £1000 to her at age 21 should her father approve it; the residue of this fund to any such child of mine as shall be living at my death but in default of this the residue to Frederick William the son of my brother William Foster.

Note: the will of Thomas Foster was the subject of Foster et al v. Romney et al and the bequests intended to come into force after the death of his wife Mary are best summarised in Edward Hyde East, Reports of Cases argued in the Court of King's Bench Vol. XI (London, 1810) pp. 594-611. His nephew Thomas was left Elim and Waterford estates, nephew John left Two Mile-wood and Horse Savanna pen and nephew Samuel Warren left Lancaster estate.