Thomas Foster MP, of Egham

16th May 1720 - 19th Oct 1765


Biography

Eldest son of Col. John Forster from whom he inherited Elim estate in St Elizabeth, Jamaica. He also inherited Lancaster estate from his brother John who died in 1743. MP for Bossiney and then for Dorchester.

Thomas Foster was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 6752 acres of land in St Elizabeth.


Sources

Edward Hyde East, Reports of Cases argued in the Court of King's Bench Vol. XI (London, 1810) pp. 594-611. Will of Thomas Foster of Egham, Surrey, PROB 11/1850. Unsourced but very detailed family tree, http://www.airgale.com.au/forster/d6.htm#c48159 [accessed 12/12/2014]; http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/foster-thomas-1720-65 [accessed 03/02/2016].

'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.


Further Information

Absentee?
Transatlantic
Spouse
Mary Helden
Will

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.

Occupation
Politician and plantation owner

Associated Estates (7)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1742 [EA] - 1765 [LA] → Owner
1768 [EA] - 1778 [LA] → Previous owner
1765 [EA] - 1768 [LA] → Previous owner
30/10/1731 [SD] - 19/10/1765 [ED] → Owner
1765 [EA] - 1768 [LA] → Previous owner
1762 [EA] - 1765 [EY] → Owner
1766 [EA] - 1768 [LA] → Previous owner

Legacies Summary

Political (1)

MP
West India interest 
election →
Bossinney Cornwall
1741
election →
Bossinney Cornwall
1742 - 1747
election →
Dorchester Dorset
1761 - 1765

Relationships (11)

Brothers
Brother-in-laws
Notes →
William Mathew Burt married Sarah, sister of Thomas Foster...
Son → Father
Brothers
Uncle → Nephew
Notes →
Thomas Foster was the main beneficiary under the will of his uncle Thomas Foster...
Uncle → Nephew
Uncle → Nephew
Brothers
Husband → Wife
Son-in-law → Father-in-law
Son-in-law → Mother-in-law

Addresses (1)

Egham, Surrey, South-east England, England