Canned Fosters

The Foster family

The family of Eric's mother, Marian Foster can be seen in the National Census, at Fishlake. Further info on this town from Genuki, here and from the DDFHS, here.

If you look at the bottom of this website, you'll see a family tree for this branch of the family (and all the others, of course!)



1861 Census of Fishlake

• Here we see an old farmer of 16 acres (employing a boy), {no other Fosters living in Thorne/Fishlake in 1861}

Francis Foster (60), born in Hirst Birkin, Yorks.
His wife Maria (50) was born in Blackstone (Blaxton?), Yorks.
The children are George (13), Robert (10) and Sarah (7).

Hirst Birkin isn't in the modern Gazetteer, but the parish of Birkin contained Hurst Courtney & Hurst Temple (a very rural area near Knottingley, West Riding).
Blackstone/Blaxton is East of Doncaster.

You can view an 1854 map of Fishlake here.

I'm not sure when the couple married, but perhaps this was them? - Frances Foster & Mary Ann Hodkin - Thorne district, last Q of 1838.
I found a reference (in IGI) to the Christening of a little George Foster in June 1847 (that's about right), in Fishlake. His parents are listed as Francis and Mary Foster.

There is a birth cert in the Thorne district for a Robert Foster in 1850 (also Christening record in Fishlake under Robert Fostor, parents are Francis & Maria Fostor),
A Robert Foster marriage in 1863, and another in 1873 in Thorne district.
Also a Robert Foster who died in 1905 in Thorne district.

Not much luck with Sarah: 2 Sarahs born in 1851 & one Sarah in 1859 - from Ancestry.com
Several marriage matches in Thorne for Sarah.



1871 Census

• Widow Maria Foster (61) is found living at 21 Hay Green in Fishlake, a Farmer of 6 acres & Landowner, born Blaxton, Yorks.

Lives with George Foster (23, Farmer's son) and a boarder widow Sarah Amery (an annuitant, aged 86, born Hatfield, Yorks - perhaps Maria's mother??)


1881 Census

• Widow Maria (71, born Blaxton) is found living by herself in Hay Green, Fishlake. A farmer of 6 acres.

• A Foster family was found at the Hay Green area of Fishlake in the 1881 Census records:

George Foster (aged 33, Farmer of 33 acres), born Fishlake.
His wife Mary (aged 34) was born in Cumberworth, Yorks {near Huddersfield, or there is another near Alford, Lincs}.
Also his three children, all born in Fishlake: Thomas (3), Betsy (1), Charles (2 mths)


1891 Census

• Here we see George & Mary Foster again at Hay Green:

George (48 - except I think it should be 43, perhaps an error here) a Butcher & Farmer, self-employed.
Mary (44) described as born in Emley?, Yorks. (near Huddersfield, not very far from Cumberworth)
Children Thomas (13?), Betsy (11), Charles (10), Francis (8), Gervas (6), Maria (4)

The family still has the birth certificate for Maria:

Born 14th January 1887 Fishlake R.S.D. {I don't know what that stands for}
Name - Maria (note that Maria later changes to Marian, e.g. on her marriage certificate)
Name of father - George Foster.
Occupation of father- Farmer

Name of mother - Mary Foster formerly Kitchen

1901 Census

• A jump forward to the census of 1901 shows us more of the children in this family, including a girl we presume to be our Marian (Grandad's Mum).
  

Father George (53), self-employed butcher, living at Hay Green, Fishlake.
His family consists wife Mary (54), born in Hemley {the town was given as Cumberworth before, so perhaps that's a mis-spelling of Emley, near Huddersfield}.
Also their two sons Charles (20, Bricklayer's Apprentice) and Gervase (16, Railway Clerk) and daughter Maria (14) {written as Maria very clearly!!} All the children were born in Fishlake.

1911 Census

• Coming well into the modern age, now - the newly available census data shows us that George (aged 63, b. 1848, Fishlake) and Mary Foster (b. 1847, Emley) are still living in Fishlake. Also in Fishlake 1911 is Gervas {sic} (born 1885 in Fishlake, their son) The form tells us that they were married for 33 years, and that they had 6 children, all still alive in 1911.
  
• Charles Foster (b. 1881) can't be narrowed down very well yet - he seems to have left home & there are 5 Charles of the right age in Yorkshire in 1911! For Thomas & Francis, see below.
• Marian Foster married Leo in 1909, so in 1911 we find her in Thorne. (see Armitage posts)
  

An old family letter contains details about a cousin, Stanley Foster, who went to live in Hay Green on his retirement (would love to hear from his family as I know he had recorded some family history at that time).
The letter says that he is the second son of Francis Foster, a brother of Marian Foster (my grt Grandma).

***Latest*** Francis Foster found in Census of 1901 in Brightside area of Sheffield (166, Fox St?) - a lodging house with Widow Eliza Hall. He is aged 18, a railway clerk, born Fishlake. Also lodging in the house a Thomas Foster, aged 23, a railway clerk, born Fishlake. Both men are single.
Record found of a Stanley Foster born 1902 in Burley (suburb of Leeds).

In the 1911 census, Francis Foster was recorded at 147 Fox St. in Sheffield with his wife of 4 years, Beatrice Foster.  They have two boys; Gordon (2) and Stanley (4 mths) who were both born in Sheffield.  Francis worked as a Clerk in the Railway Goods Dept. of the Midland Railways (he was aged 28 then).
His brother Thomas Foster still lives in Sheffield (16 Roc Lane) with Eliza Hall (78, widow). But this time she was his mother-in-law, and he was the Head of the Household. He married her daughter Winifred (in 1901) and they have had 2 children (Marion, aged 9 and Winifred, aged 4).
Thomas was aged 33 and worked as Clerk at a Steel Works.
Roc Lane is just a little further North than Fox St.


My Grandad Armitage remembers only two of Marian's brothers, Tom & Charles Foster. They had both moved away to work - they were certainly working in the steel industry in the 1930's and 1940's. Tom lived & worked in Sheffield, and is not thought to have had any children.

Charlie married a lass called Alice and they had 2 sons. He lived and worked in Billingham, as manager of a Coking Plant for Dorman Long for many years. At the time these were the biggest coke works in the UK. Young Eric Armitage needed to get onto the site at some stage for his work - but Union rules wouldn't allow him and he was being turned away. He mentioned that his uncle was Charlie Foster and was ushered straight in!

I've just made a contact with a relation of Marian's elder sister Betsy Foster {Hello Julie!}, and she tells me that Betsy can be seen settled in Blackpool in the 1901 census, when she would've been around 21. More on Betsy: here.


Marriage of George & Mary (between 1871 & 1881)
I have found a reference to a marriage in Fishlake in August 1877 (Vol 9c, p 787) between George Foster and Mary Kitchen. Father of the bride is Mr. Kitchin, father of the groom is Francis Foster.

{There's also a marriage in Thorne between a George Foster and Mary (surname unknown), 1872 (Vol 9c, p.787).}

After that I searched for Mary Kitchen family members in 1881 Census entries. There are some Kitchins in Thorne: {still need to check other years}

• Widow Grocer Nancy Kitchin, 69, born 1812 in Thorne, living in Union Lane.

• A family of Kitchins near Clay Bank, Thorne, but originally from Lincoln. Henry (45, an Agricultural Labourer) and Hannah, and 3 daughters (Elizabeth, 12; Mary, 9; Harriet, 6). Our Mary (born 1847) could be a younger relative of Henry; cousin or sister.
  

Marriage of Leo & Marian, 1909
The family still has the marriage certificate for Germaine Leo and Marian (Foster) Armitage (Thanks Mike):

Married in the Parish Church of Fishlake, June 1st 1909.
Groom: Germaine Leo Armitage, 33, Bachelor, Engineer
Name of Father (of groom) - Walter Armitage, Engineer

Bride: Marian Foster, 22, Spinster
Name of Father (of bride) - George Foster, Gentleman
(So, as Mike says, "We are descendants of noble stock!". It's been interesting to see the shift from Farmer 1881, to Butcher 1901, to Gent 1909.)

Birth records in Thorne (not complete lists):
Data from Free BMD:
1877 Thomas Foster, Thorne (Vol 9c, p.717) {George's son?}
1878 Thomas Foster, Thorne (vol 9c, p. 777) {George's son?}
1879 Betsy Foster {George's daughter?}
1881 Charles Foster, Thorne, (vol 9c, p.737) {George's son? No others from 1870 to 1890}
1883 Francis Foster, Thorne (vol 9c, p. 757) {George's son? No others from 1870 to 1895}
1885 Gervas Foster, Thorne
1887 Maria Foster, Thorne (vol 9c, p.711) {George's daughter?}
1891 Minnie Foster, Thorne (vol 9c, p.816) {George's daughter?}

Marriage certs -
1887 Francis George Foster married to Mary or Maria in Thorne (not ours?? too young?) - estimated born 1860/1859, died 1897, all in Thorne.
1906 Francis Foster married to Beatrice Bisatt in Thorne {no others after 1900 - that would make him 23 yrs old.}
1905; Betsy Foster marries Levi Thomas ALLEN in Thorne. (Maria's sister?)


Death Certs - {all these in Thorne district}
1864, Francis Foster (age not given)
Sept 1914, George Foster, aged 67 {our George - we see him & Mary in the 1911 census, and this would be the right age, ~born 1848.}
1907 Mary Foster died, aged 82
1907 Mary Foster, aged 69
1913 Mary F Foster, aged 75
1919 Mary Foster, aged 72 {George's wife - as she was born c.1848}


In addition, an online contact (Thanks Nic!) kindly found this transcribed record of a Memorial Inscription at St. Cuthberts Church, Fishlake. It is a lovley gravestone in the burial ground - see a photo of it elsewhere.

In Loving Memory of George
the beloved husband of Mary Foster
who died Aug 4th 1914
Aged 67 years
Also of the above named Mary Foster
who died April 21st 1919
Aged 72 years
At Rest.

Following on from that, the Probate Registry tells us that the estate of George Foster was £555 18s 5d, and that his sons were working as Commercial Clerk (Thomas) & Bricklayer's Foreman (Charles) in the year 1914.

Other FOSTERs in Fishlake in the 1881 Census
John FOSTER (44, born Stainforth, Ship Carpenter) living at Fishlake Nab, Fishlake, Yorks.
and his wife Mary FOSTER (43, born Fishlake)
Elizabeth G. FOSTER (18, born Fishlake, scholar)
Ann A. FOSTER (13, Fishlake, scholar)

Curious that the wife here is from Fishlake but presumably has taken husband's name – perhaps they aren't related to George Foster after all?? Stainforth is only the next town along, though. So presuming John is a cousin? Not met with a John Foster yet.

In the 1911 census, this couple are found, still living in Fishlake; John and Mary F. Foster (b. 1838). I'm presuming for now that these are the same people! John was then recorded as a retired Ship's Carpenter, born in Stainforth in 1836.  They had been married for 51 years, and although they'd had 5 children, only 1 is still alive in 1911.



A Robert Foster is a convict

In Scarborough, 1849, Robert Foster (a weaver groom, born 1827, single) was tried and sent to Western Australia aboard the ship Pyrenees {crime not given in the database - source Ancestry.com}. Don't know where he was born. No Robert Foster found in the family tree so far.