The Foster Ancestors

The surname Foster has at least four possible origins. The first is an occupational surname for a saddle tree maker, derived from the Old French 'Fusier' (from 'fustre'- a block of wood). The second, also an occupational name, may describe a maker or user of 'forcetier' these being steel shears. The third possibility is that it is derived from Forester. The fourth possible origin is from a shortened spelling of the Old English 'cild-fostre', and as such an occupational nickname for a foster parent or child. My Foster ancestors were all employed by the brickyards at King's Dyke/Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire from the latter 19th century onwards.

View Foster Family Tree

Josephine Evelyn was born at Kings Dyke, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire; the fourth child and daughter of Bertram and Dorothy Hilda Foster (nee Brown). She married Geoffrey Chapman of Peterborough.

Bertram was born on 26th April 1909 at Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire to parents John William and Bertha Foster (nee Harlock). He grew up in Whittlesey with his family including six brothers and two sisters. After leaving school he worked in the local Brickyards like his father and brother Reginald. During the 1930s he met his future wife Dorothy Hilda Brown when she was visiting her mother's family in Whittlesey (Dorothy was born and lived in Leyton, Essex). They were married on 21st December 1935 at Leyton. After the marriage they set-up home in Whittlesey and had 8 children together including Patricia Ann, Barbara Joan, Christine Margaret, Josephine Evelyn, Jacqueline Sylvia, Rosalind Jean, Richard Bertram, and Howard William. Bert continued to work as a burner in the Brickyards until the mid-1960s when he became ill, suffering from arteriosclerosis and hypertension (high blood pressure. During the late 1960s his health deteriorated further until he died on 13th February 1969, aged 59 years. He was cremated at Peterborough Crematorium.

Born on 8th November 1875 at Bullards End, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, John was the only child of William and Sally Eliza Foster (nee Hardy). He grew up in whittlesey with his parents and by the age of 15 he was working as an Agricultural Labourer, like his father. During the late 1890s John began working as a labourer in the Whittlesey Brickyards. Around this time he met Bertha Harlock who had recently moved to Whittlesey from Ramsey, Huntingdonshire. On 14th September 1899 they were married at the General Baptist Chapel, Whittlesey. They had 9 children together including George William (1899), Leslie Hardy (1902), Walter John (1903), Horace Harlock (1904) Reginald (1907, Bertram (1909), Hilda (1912), Bertha, and Leonard. They continued to live in New Road, Whittlesey until John retired from working as a Setter in the Brickyards. He and Bertha then moved to live with their daughter at Glassmoor, Whittlesey by the 1950s. In May 1957 John was admitted to Peterborough Memorial Hospital with a gangrenous foot. He died there on 10th May, aged 81 years, of gangrene of the foot, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis. He was buried at Whittlesey Cemetery.

William was born at Ramsey, Huntingdonshire. He worked as a Labourer and by the 1860s he moved to March, Cambridgeshire. It was here that he met Sally Eliza Hardy and they were married at March on 20th February 1867. They moved to Whittlesey by 1871 and in 1875 Sally gave birth to their only child John William. During the late 1890s Willaim began working in the Brickyards with his son.

Research is continuing on the rest of the Foster ancestors.

Return To Top of Page