James Foster moved to Amelia County, Virginia, around 1750. He died early the next year. His wife, Martha, applied for letters of administration on his estate on 15 Mar 1750/51. He left two very young sons, James and Robert.
James's birth date can only be roughly estimated. He died in 1751 with two children so he was probably married at least three years. Most men didn't marry before age 21 so he was at least 24 years old when he died. Based on these assumptions, James was born before 1727.
James married Martha (—? —) before moving to Amelia County. Her maiden name has not been discovered. After James's death, she married Robert Ferguson of Raleigh Parish. The marriage bond was dated 9 Apr 1760.[1]
James died intestate in Amelia County in late 1750 or early 1751. His widow applied for letters of administration on his estate on 15 Mar 1750/1.[2] William Giles, Isham Womack and Samuel Yarbrough appraised his estate.[3]
Identity is a common problem in genealogy as it is easy to confuse men of the same name. For James Foster on Cabin Branch identity is easily resolved. The only other James Foster on the tax lists was the orphan of Robert Foster who was too young to be the same man who died in 1751.
Where James lived was determined by road orders. James did not buy land in Amelia County but he does appear in the county order books in 1750 when the court appointed William Mayes surveyor of the road from Flatt Creek to Crawford's house to be assisted by James Foster, Abraham Forrest, Benjamin Hawkins, George White and their tithes.[4] On 17 May 1750, Abraham Forrest of Gloucester County, Virginia, purchased 400 acres on the south side of Deep Creek and Coopers Branch from Robert Moody.[5] James probably lived adjacent to Abraham Forrest.
James Foster was born about 1748. In 1769 he released his guardian, Gabriel Fowlkes, and he would have been 21 years of age then.[6] He served as a captain in the Revolutionary War in the 15th Virginia Regiment and his brother, Robert, served as a lieutenant.[7] James died 15 Nov 1777. His death was reported in the Virginia Gazette.[8]
Robert Foster was born about 1750. He served in the 15th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line under his brother, James. He married Elizabeth Jones in 1781 and died about 1788 in Amelia County. He and Elizabeth had two children, James Jones Foster and Elizabeth Robert Foster.