Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/181

 FOSTER

FOSTER

carpenter, was graduated at Dartmouth in 1838, and attended Union theological seminary, N.Y., 1838-39. He relinquished his preparations for the ministry, as the abolition of slavery was not allowed to be advocated from the chapel pulpit. He entered the lecture field, and his denunciation of slavery caused him to suffer mob violence. He not only denounced slave-holders, but churches and ministers who upheld slavery, and advocated war measures to determine the northwestern boundary question. In order to obtain audiences to listen to liim he attended church meetings and there pleaded for the enslaved negro. For his temerity he was frequently expelled from the buildings, and was more than once imprisoned for disturbing public worship. He afterward ex- tended the subjects of his lectures to temperance and woman suffrage. He was married Dec. 21, 1845, to Abby Kelley, a Quakeress, also an aboli- tion lecturer, and they lived for many years on a farm near Worcester, Mass. He published The Brotherhood of Thieves, a True Picture of the Amer- ican Church and Cleryy (1843). He died at "Worcester. Mass., Sept. 8, 1881.

FOSTER, Theodore, senator, was born in Brookfield, Mass., April 29, 1753 (o.s.) ; son of Jedediah and Dorothy (Dwight) Foster, and brother of Dwiglit Foster, representative and senator from Massachusetts in the U.S. congress. He was graduated from Brown imiversity in 1770, was admitted to the Rhode Island bar and practised his profession in Providence, where he was town clerk. He represented the town of Pi-ovidence in the general assembly, 1776-83, and the town of Foster, named from him, in that body, 1813-lG. In May. 1785, he was appointed judge of the court of admiralty. He was elected ■with Joseph Stanton, Jr., U.S. senator, and drew the short term, which expired with the first con- gress, Marcli 3, 1791. He was twice re-elected, serving from Dec. 6, 1790, to March 3, 1803. He was married Oct. 27, 1771, to Lydia, daughter of Arthur Fenner of Providence, and on June 18, 1803, to Esther Bowen, daughter of the Rev. Noahand Hannah (Bowen) Millard of Foster, R.I. He was trustee of Brown university, 1794-1822, and Dartmouth conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. in 1786. He was an antiqvjarian student, and during his life collected material for a history of Rhode Island. He died in Provi- dence, R.I., Jan. 13. 1828.

FOSTER, Theodosia Toll, author, was born in Oneida Castle. N.Y., Feb. 15. 1838; daughter of Daniel D. and Ruth (Hills) Toll; granddaugh- ter of Simon DeWitt and Susan (Conde) Toll, and a descendant of Karl Hansen Toll of Norwegian descent, who came to America from Holland early in the 17th century and settled near Schenectady, N.y. Her grandmother, Susan Condfi, was the

granddaughter of Adam Cond6, known as "The Chevalier," a French Huguenot who fled to Hol- land on account of religious persecution, and later to America. She was graduated from the Oneida seminary in 1860, and became principal of the Home school for girls, Verona, N.Y. She was married to James Foster, who died in 1872. Of her two sons, James Henry became a pro- fessor in Wabash college and Edward Snow set- tled in Verona, N.Y. Both were educated at Hamilton. The titles of her books, most of which were published under the pen name "Faye Hmitington," include: In Earnest (1867); Kittie Farnham's Letters (1868) ; Throuijh Patience (1869) ; Allan Phillips (1872) ; Tliose Boys (1874) ; Mr. McKenzie's Ansicer (1875) ; Louise's Mistake (1875) ; Fred Roberts' Start in Life (1875); 3Irs. Deane's Way (1875) ; Dr. Deane's Way (1877) ; JRipley Parson- age (1877); Echoing and lie-echoing (1878); Susie's Opinions (ISS'S) ; Millerton People (1884); Competi- tive Workmen (1884) ; Transformed (1885) ; What Fide Bememhers (1887) ; St. Paul's Problem (1889) ; A Modern Exodus (1891) ; A Baker's Dozen (1892) ; The Boynton Xeighborhood (189^)) ; and His First Charge (1897), all of which had a wide circu- lation.

FOSTER, Thomas Flournoy, representative, was born in Greensborough, Ga., Nov. 28, 1796; son of Col. George Wells Foster. He was grad- uated from Franklin college (University of Georgia) in 1812, and studied law at Litchfield, Conn. He was admitted to the bar in 1816, set- tling in his native town. He was a representa- tive in the state legislature several years, and represented his district in the 21st, 22d and 23d congresses, 1829-35. In 1835 he removed to Columbus, Ga., and represented that district in the 27th congress, 1841^3. He delivered a speech in behalf of state rights, which was published in Washington in 1832, and he was active in the de- bates upon the subject of the U.S. bank. He was a trustee of the University of Georgia, 1830-15. He died in Columbus, Ga., in 1847.

FOSTER, William Eaton, librarian, was born in Brattleboro, Vt., June 2, 1851. He was grad- uated at Brown university in 1873; was librarian of the public library, Hyde Park. Mass., 1873-76; cataloguer of the Turner free library, Randolph, Mass., 1876-77; and in the la.st named year be- came librarian of the public librarj'. Providence, R.I. He was elected a member of the American antiquarian society, the American historical as- sociation, and the R.I. historical society. He contributed to various periodicals, and edited "Early Attempts at R.I. History," published in Collections of the R.I. historical societj-, volume 7(1885). His other publications include : Litera- ture of Civil-service Reform in the U.S. and ITie Civil-service Reform Movement (1881) ; Libraries and