The children of Arthur and Ann FOSTER

[Greaves]

Arthur FOSTER (1784-1858) married Ann PAYNE (1781-1860) on 08 Aug 1809 at Kirdford in Sussex. As far as I can see, the couple had five children, which really means that I have found five baptisms. The children were Mary (bap 24 May 1810 @ Kirdford), Martha (bap 09 May 1812 @ Kirdford), Jane (bap 02 Jul 1815 @ Wisborough Green), Robert (bap 11 May 1819 @ Petworth) and William (bap 02 Jun 1822 @ Wisborough Green).

The trouble is that with the exception of Martha, I can find very little about them after their baptisms. Martha is well documented, but the documentation for the others is very sketchy. There are records on the net, but it is difficult to positively assign them to one of the children. For instance, there is a marriage in October 1832 for Jane to Thomas Cooper in Wisborough Green, which looks promising, especially as her father is given as Arthur, but at the time of the marriage, she would only have been 17, which seems rather young. Moreover, one of the witnesses at that marriage is Martha FOSTER, which seems a good fit, the only problem being that by October 1832, Martha was already married to William BARNES, and would have been Martha BARNES rather than Martha FOSTER. Did she marry Thomas Cooper?

The other children are even more problematic. Robert (20) is probably in Wisborough in 1841 living with the HOLDEN family and working as a bricklayer. He may have died a few years later in 1845, as there is a burial in Wisborough in January 1846 of a Robert FOSTER (26). William (15) is with his parents in 1841, but then disappears. Mary I have no idea.

[Paco]

There is a burial for a Mary Foster 28/11/1853 aged 45 yrs  in Worthing, Sussex, which could be her. The marriage for Jane Foster to Thomas Cooper was 1838 not 1832, so she would have been 23 yrs old. Jane and Martha both made their mark, so Martha may well have given her name as Foster or just said she was Jane's sister. Couldn't find anything on Robert, but there is a marriage for a William Foster to a Emma Piper Wisborough Green.
Regards.

[Little Nell]

The 1838 marriage entry for Tomas Cooper and Jane Foster confirms her father's name as Arthur and it took place in Petworth.

The 1859 marriage of William Foster is not your man - his father was shown as James.

Robert may have been in Petworth in 1841 working as a bricklayer.

There is a burial for a Robert Foster aged 26 at Wisborough Green 2 Jan 1846.

Nell

[Greaves]

Many thanks for the help.

There is an entry in the 1851 Census (HO107 1495 441 60), which could be for Mary. If it is her, she is a domestic servant.

I believe that William FOSTER married Margaret LYONS in Chelsea in 1847. If he did, then I can trace the couple living in Kensington until 1871. This William is a miller. I lose both William and Margaret after 1871.

There are two deaths in Kensington which could be them in 1873 and 1875, but difficult to be sure without the actual certificates. There is also a burial for a William FOSTER in Petworth in 1898.

[Greaves]

I would like to revive this thread in the hope of new insights.

Mary would appear to be working as a servant. In St Pancras in 1851 (HO107 1495 441 60) and in Paddington in 1861 & 1871 (RG9 7 6 9 & RG10 19 5 2). I can't find her in 1841. She does not appear to have married. There is a possible death in 1875 followed by a burial in Kirdford (Q2 1875 Petworth 2b 203).

Jane appears to have married Thomas COOPER in 1838. In 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 they can be found in Petworth. Thomas appears to die in Petworth in 1873, followed by Jane in 1890.

Robert as indicated earlier appears to be a bricklayer in 1841. Is he the miller who dies in 1845 of consumption in Wisborough Green? If so is the Ann Foster named as the informant his mother?

William appears to have married Margaret LYONS - who I know very little about - in 1847 in Chelsea. If this is correct, then the couple can be found in Kensington/Brompton in 1851, 1861 and 1871 (HO107 1469 424 59, RG9 22 27 46 & RG10 55 10 11). But after that I can find nothing reliable for either of them. There are plenty of deaths for both William FOSTER and Margaret FOSTER, but none that can reliably be pinned on either of them.

I would welcome some help on unravelling the lives of both Robert and William. I am reasonably satisfied that I know the fates of both Martha and Jane. I am also reasonably happy with the records of Mary in London, though I still have doubts about her death.

So some help with clarification would be great.