Rev. William Foster and Hannah Van Hook Blair

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Husband Rev. William Foster ^{1 2 3 4}

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           Born: Jun 1740 - Little Britain Twp, Lancaster Co, PA 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Sep 1780 - Sadsbury, Chester Co, PA 1 5
         Buried: 

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         Father: Alexander Foster (1710-1767) 3 4 6
         Mother: Mary "Polly" Conners (1710-1767) 6

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       Marriage: Abt 1767

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Wife Hannah Van Hook Blair ^{4 5}

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           Born: Abt 1745
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 May 1810
         Buried: 

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         Father: Rev. Samuel Blair (1712-1751) 2 5
         Mother: Frances Van Hook (      -      ) 3

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Children

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1 M Alexander William Foster ^{5 7 8}

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           Born: 1772 - Upper Octoraro, Chester Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: Mar 1843 - Mercer, Mercer Co, PA 9
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jane Thompson Heron (1788-1826) 10
           Marr: 1802 or 1803 8 10

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2 M Samuel Blair Foster ^{4 7 10 11}

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           Born: 1774 - West Chester, Chester Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 4 Mar 1831 - ? Mercer, Mercer Co, PA
         Buried:  - Old Mercer Cemetery, Mercer, Mercer Co, PA

         Spouse: Elizabeth Donnell (1785-1829) 4 7 10
           Marr: 1802 12

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3 M William Foster ¹⁰

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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4 M James Foster ¹⁰

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - Rev. William Foster

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He was graduated at the College of New Jersey [later Princeton University] in 1764, having for his cotemporaries in that institution David Ramsay, the historian, Judge Jacob Rush, Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Niles, and Luther Martin. He was taken under the care of the presbytery of New Castle as a probationer for the ministry, Oct. 23, 1766, and was licensed to preach by that Presbytery, April 21, 1767. He accepted a call from the congregations of Upper Octorara and Doe Run, and was installed Oct. 19, 1768, being then about twenty-eight years of age.
In the Revolution he engaged heartily in the cause of civil liberty, and encouraged all who heard him to do their utmost in defense of their rights. In the beginning of 1776 he preached a very patriotic and stirring sermon to the young men of his congregation and neighborhood upon the subject of their duty to their country in its then trying situation.
On one occasion Mr. Foster was called to Lancaster to preach to troops collected there previous to their joining the main army. The discourse was so acceptable that it was printed and circulated, and did much to arouse the spirit of patriotism among the people.
Indeed, the Presbyterian clergymen generally were stanch Whigs, and contributed greatly to keep alive the flame of liberty, which our disasters had frequently caused to be well-nigh extinguished in the long and unequal contest, and but for them it would often have been impossible to obtain recruits to keep up the forces requisite to oppose a too often victorious enemy. Some of them lost their lives, and others were driven from their congregations in consequence of their zeal in behalf of their country.
It was a great object with the British officers to silence the Presbyterian preachers as far as possible, and with this view they frequently dispatched parties of light-horse into the country to surprise and take prisoners unsuspecting clergymen.
An expedition of this kind was planned against Mr. Foster. He was a special object for British malevolence, as he had induced so many young men to join Washington's army, which was then lying encamped at Valley Forge. Sir William Howe, the British commander, threatened to hang him to the highest tree in the forest could he but catch him. An expedition was actually sent out by Sir William Howe for that purpose, who sent a body of cavalry to waylay him on his way to the little church in the woods, where he was engaged to preach to a small party of recruits about to join the army at Valley Forge. Mr. Foster was informed of the expedition against him before leaving home by a Quaker neighbor, who, although a friend of the British, was also a friend of Mr. Foster, and urged him not to meet his engagement, for if he did he would certainly be hanged and his property destroyed as had been threatened. Mr. Foster, however, insisted on fulfilling his engagement, and after removing his family to a neighboring farmers house, and his library and valuables to another, he started off to meet the recruits.
In the mean time some one had sent word to Gen. Washington of his danger, who at once sent a company of cavalry to protect him in the little church when he was preaching to the recruits. The British soldiers, after proceeding about twelve miles on their way, were informed by a Tory tavern-keeper that their purpose was known, and that a few miles farther on parties of militia were stationed to intercept them, on hearing which they returned to Wilmington without having accomplished their object.
He died at the age of forty years, having been pastor of the Octorara Church, in connection with Doe Run, about twelve years. He had been preaching, and on his walk home was overtaken by a heavy rain, which brought on the attack that terminated his life.
He was evidently a man of very superior mind, and was much esteemed and respected by all who knew him for his solid sense and unaffected piety.
The congregation procured a tombstone to be placed over his remains in the Octorara Churchyard, which bears the following inscription, written by the Rev. Mr. Carmichael:
"HERE LIES ENTOMBED
WHAT WAS MORTAL OF THE
REV. MR. WILLIAM FOSTER,
who departed this life
Sept. the 30th, 1780,
in the 41st year
of his age.

Foster, of sense profound, flowing in eloquence,
Of aspect comely, saint without pretence,
Foster, the brave, the wise, the good, thou'st gone
To reign forever with thy Saviour on his throne,
And left thy widowed charge to sit and weep alone.
If grace and gifts like thine a mortal could reprieve
From the dark regions of the dreary grave,
Thy friend, dear shade, would ne'er inscribe thy stone,
Nor with the church's tears have mixed his own."

He left eight children, four sons and four daughters, the oldest about thirteen and the youngest one year of age. His will, executed the day before his death, contained, among others, this provision: "My son Samuel to be made a scholar."

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General Notes: Wife - Hannah Van Hook Blair

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She was a descendant of the English Lords Townley.

1 Alex. Harris, A Biographical History of Lancaster County (Lancaster, PA: Elias Barr & Co., 1872), Pg 211.

2 J. Smith Futhey & Gilbert Cope, History of Chester County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1881), Pg 483.

3 George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 324.

4 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 392.

5 George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 325.

6 Jeff McBride, Descendants of Thomas A. Forster (Laurel, Md: Web-published, 2012).

7 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 252.

8 Laurence Tunstall Heron, One Heron Line and Its Origins (Homewood, IL: Self-published, 1986), Pg 5.

9 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 253.

10 George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 326.

11 —, Proceedings of the Celebration of the First Centennial of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Franklin, PA: The Venango County Bar Association, 1905), Pg 59.

12 —, Proceedings of the Celebration of the First Centennial of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Franklin, PA: The Venango County Bar Association, 1905), Pg 60.