Person:John Fost (2)

This is John Fost of Dover who was an attorney and tailor. He married Mary Chadbourne and Elizabeth Craford. Please don't conflate him with John Foss of Rye who was a calker and married Mary Berry.

Please do not conflate these three men:

1. Johan Foss baptized 3 Jan 1639 in Ribe, Denmark
2. John¹ Foss of Rye Calker
3. John¹ Fost of England and Dover Tailor Attorney

They are not identical. Johan Foss of Denmark was conflated with the American immigrant by Guy Scoby Rix as part of a well known genealogical fraud. Guy Scoby Rix published many frauds (google Guy Scoby Rix and fraud and you can read about him). There is no relationship. There were two immigrants to New England 1) John¹ Foss of Rye, NH, Calker, who married Mary Berry as his only wife. He is the person who is said to have jumped from a British war ship. He died after 13 September 1710 when he signed a deed-will with Mary Chadbourne naming his sons John, Joshua and Zachariah. 2) John¹ Fost of England and Dover, NH Tailor & Attorney who married first Mary Chadbourne and second Elizabeth (Crawford) Goffe. John Fost made his will on 17 Dec 1699 and died "1699 Dec. 18. John Foss y e taylor deceased after half years sickness with yellow Jaundice." [NHGR 3:97]. Both men had sons named William². In his will John¹ Fost named his son William² Fost "I will and bequeath to my Son william one Shilling and also fourty acers of land that was granted me by the towne of dover." William² Fost born Dover NH 11 Mar 1673/4 (Dover VR, 40, recorded with the births of the children of his third wife); d Dover after 1738; married first before 1 Nov 1692 (LND, 443) MARGERY LORD, daughter of Nathan and Martha (Everett) Lord; married second Dover 26 Apr 1703 (Dover VR, 130) SARAH (FERNSIDE) HEARD, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Starr) Fernside and widow of Nathaniel (LND, 231); married third, probably circa 1727 (LND, 241) MARY (HORNE) HANSON, daughter of John Horne, widow of Benjamin Hanson (LND, 349; Dover VR, 13). William and Margery were presented at court for fornication on 1 Nov 1692 (YD 5:2:16, 21, 35). The other John¹ Foss of Rye Calker's son William² Foss was the one who married Sarah Buswell. Of William² Foss Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire writes: "WILLIAM (1). Lists 315e, 338a. He d. bef. 12 Dec. 1718. One Wm. (Foss) was accu. in the Sessions Court Mar. 1717-8 by Elizabeth Bird of Dover or Cochecho. He m. at Hampt. Falls 29 Nov. 1700 Sarah Buswell, b. 29 Nov. 1676, stepd. of Wm. Fuller (6). List 338b. Kn. ch:" You can find good information abut John Fost's family on Chadbourne.org. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire has accurate information about both families.

1. ↑ FOST, Forst, phonetic or perhaps an older spelling of Frost. , in Noyes, Sybil; Charles Thornton Libby; and Walter Goodwin Davis. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. (Portland, Maine: Southworth Press, 1928-1939).

   John¹ Fost (note not Foss!), Dover 1663, tailor. Rev. Joseph (‘Handkerchief’) Moody, town clerk of York, a born genealogist, spelt his name Foss, yet guarded against the confusion of Foss-Fost-Forst-Frost by recording his dau. Elizabeth as ‘d. of John Foss born at England.’ The mar. rec. of one John Fost, 16--, at the home of the Chadbournes, has not been invest. First app. as atty. for Anthony Checkley in Dover ct. Aft. Mr. Goff’s death he appar. had charge of Quamphegan mills and m. his wid. Gr. jury 1671, 1674. Lists 311e (Dover), 356km, 357c, 359ab, 49, 52, 96. Will 17 Dec. 1699, d. next day. He m. 1st Mary Chadbourne; 2d 25 Jan. 1686-7 Elizabeth (by error Sarah in the record), wid. of James Goffe, who m. 3d James Emery (3). Children by 1st wife Mary Chadbourne:
   
   1 Mary, m. ab. 1692 James Warren.
   
   2 Humphrey, app. d. or remov.
   
   3 William, b. 11 Mar. 1673-4. recorded his own birth with his ch. by 3d wife. Bap. 22 Aug. 1725, joined ch. 9 Oct. 1748. Adm. (inv. 29 June 1764) to s. or grs. Wm. List 358d. He m. 1st about 1692 Margery Lord; 2d 26 Apr. 1703 Sarah (Ferniside), wid. of Nathaniel Heard, liv. 1714; 3d Mary (Horn), wid. of Benj. Hanson. Both liv. 1764. Ch. by 1st w: William, shipmaster, bap. ‘Frost’ in Portsm. in 1708, mar. there 1 June 1716 Elizabeth Snell, recd. into covenant 24 Mar. 1716-7. Both liv. in Dover 1741.
   
   4 Jemima, wit. Berw. in 1702.
   
   5 Elizabeth, m. 8 Nov. 1698 Daniel Dill (2), 2d Henry Beedle (2).
   
   Children by 2nd wife Elizabeth widow of James Goffe:
   
   6 Samuel, mariner, Boston, mar. (Foss) 9 July 1714 Mehitable Lincoln (child bur. 25 July 1717); 2d (Fost) 15 Sep. 1726 Mary White. Will 1 Jan - 18 Oct. 1747-8 (Forst), son Samuel, ± 19, under gdn. of uncle John Hill. Lydia, appar. m. 24 Feb. 1717 Capt. Peter Grant of Berw. 7 ch. bap., including Landers.

2.   Chadbourne Family Association. Chadbourne Family Association Website. (Maine: Chadbourne Family Association).

   link MARY³ CHADBOURNE (4. William2-1), born Boston Dec 1644 (Boston Record Commissioners' Report 9:18); died Dover, Stafford Co, NH before 25 Jan 1686/7 (husband's remarriage); married "at the home of the Chadbournes" (LND, 241) by 1666 (daughter's birth) JOHN1 FOST, who died 18 Dec 1699 (ibid). John married second 25 Jan 1686/7 Elizabeth (Crawford) Goffe, widow of James, with whom John had more children, Samuel and Lydia. Elizabeth married third James Emery Jr.
   
   Mary, as the child of William Chadbourne, received a small sum in the will of her uncle Humphrey written in 1667.
   
   Readers should be careful to distinguish between John Foss of Rye and our John Fost of Dover, as the listing of their families have been confused and mistakenly printed in some sources. John was an English immigrant, a tailor and attorney of Dover. By 1686 he succeeded James Goff in running
   
   Quampegan mills (LND, 221). John made his will on 17 Dec 1699 and died the next day (LND, 241).
   
   1699 Will of John Fost
   
   In the Name of god Amen
   
   I John fost of dover being week and in expectaion of my chainge...
   
   I will and bequeath to my loveing wife ye one half of my housing and homested for hur maitainece and bringing up of my two youngest Children
   
   I will and bequeath to my S Humphry half of my housing and lands for his one use and benephit requesting and appointing my Son in law James warrin to be his over sar counseler lest he be ronged of a comfortabel maintainence-
   
   I will and bequeath to my Son william one Shilling and also fourty acers of land that was granted me by the towne of dover
   
   I will and bequeath unto my daughter mary one Shilling
   
   I will and bequeath unto my daughter Jeminah one shilling
   
   I will and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth one Shilling
   
   I will and bequath unto my Son Samuel the half of this which i left with my wife when he comes of age
   
   I will and constitute my wife Sole Executrix of this my last will and testement and for considertion of all the above Saide I have heare unto seat my hand and seale this sevententh day of desember one thousand six hundred ninty and nine
   
   Signed sealed and delvered as John Fost
   his last will and testament In
   presence of us
   John Wade
   James Emery
   Alse Abbot NHPP 3:163)
   
   Children, born probably Dover NH, surname FOST:
   
   59 i. MARY4, b 1666.
   
   ii. HUMPHREY, apparently d before 1761 or removed.
   
   60 iii. WILLIAM, b 1 Mar 1673.
   
   iv. JEMIMA, alive in 1702.
   
   61 v. ELIZABETH, b ca 1670's.

3.   Ahlquist, Earle N. The Paul Chadbourn family of Waterborough, Maine, 1748-1990. (Peru, Illinois: Chadbourne Family Association, 1984, 1990).

   See Chadbourne Family Association. Chadbourne Family Association Website above