Foster, b. 1745, RI, son of Pasco; d. aft 1800, NY
Foster Whitford was born in 1745 in Rhode Island to Pasco and Hannah (Matteson) Whitford.Pasco was the son of Nicholas and (probably) Mary (maiden name unknown, or "MNU") Whitford.Hannah Matteson was the daughter of Francis and Sarah (Nichols) Matteson.
Foster Whitford married Mary Matteson and migrated to the area that became Saratoga County, New York, where he died after 1800 (in the census that year), leaving descendants.
WHY did Foster's parents chose the name "Foster" for this seventh son?
The name "Foster" is a surname, and there was often a practice among these early New Englanders to pass a mother's (or grandmother's) maiden name down to either a son, or as the middle name of a daughter.Is it possible that Foster Whitford had some fairly recent ancestress surnamed Foster?
The name "Foster" was not his mother's maiden name, or his maternal grandmother's maiden name.Could it have been his paternal grandmother's maiden name.
Foster's paternal grandmother was Mary (MNU) Whitford.Some researchers from decades ago hypothesized that she might have been a Mary Casey or a Mary Carr, but no solid proof (or, if you prefer, evidence) has been found to support those theories.
Has anyone explored the possibility that thie Mary (MNU) Whitford might have been born a Mary Foster?There were Foster families in Rhode Island at that time.
If you have any information, ideas or interest in this "theory", please contact me directly at [email protected].