Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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Thomas Forster and Sarah Pettit Montgomery


Husband Thomas Forster 1 2 3 4 

           Born: 16 May 1762 - Paxtang Twp, Lancaster (later Dauphin) Co, PA 2 3 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 29 Jun 1836 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 5
         Buried: 


         Father: John Forster (1725-1789) 6
         Mother: Catharine Dickey (1738-1804) 6


       Marriage: 5 Oct 1786 2 3 5

Wife Sarah Pettit Montgomery 2 3 4 

           Born: Jul 1766 - Georgetown, Kent Co, MD 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 27 Jul 1808 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 2 3 5
         Buried: 


         Father: Rev. Joseph Montgomery (1733-1794) 5
         Mother: Elizabeth Reed (      -1769) 5


Children
1 F Elizabeth Rachel Forster 7 

           Born: 25 Jul 1787 - Paxtang, Dauphin Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 1852 - Syracuse, Onondaga Co, NY 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Maj. James E. Herron (      -1860/1862) 7

2 M John Montgomery Forster 7 

           Born: 21 Jun 1789 - Paxtang, Dauphin Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 21 Sep 1858 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 8
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jennette Wright (1790-1880) 7

3 F Catharine Ann Forster 7 

           Born: 10 Jun 1791 - Paxtang, Dauphin Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Dec 1839 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Richard T. Timberlake (      -1816) 7
           Marr: 6 Feb 1816 7

         Spouse: Capt. James Armstrong Bailey (      -      ) 7

4 F Mary Theodosia Forster 7 

           Born: 16 Aug 1793 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 1820 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Col. John Harris (      -      ) 7

5 M Joseph Montgomery Forster 7 

           Born: 21 Mar 1795 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

6 M Thomas Forster, Jr. 2 3 7 9 

           Born: 13 Sep 1796 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 7 9
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Oct 1864 - Westfield, Chautauqua Co, NY 10
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Juliet Montgomery Bell (1802-1866) 11 12 13 14
           Marr: 1821 11 12

7 F Sarah Forster 7 

           Born: 24 Nov 1797 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 1879 - Erie Co, PA 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Roberts (      -      ) 7

8 F Eleanor Reed Forster 7 

           Born: 20 Aug 1799 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 5 Aug 1801 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

9 M Samuel Laird Forster 7 

           Born: 8 Aug 1801 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 1860 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jane H. Benedict (      -      ) 7

10 F Hannah Wickersham Forster 7 

           Born: 31 Jan 1804 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 9 Dec 1880 - Charlottesville, Albemarle Co, VA 15
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Gen. Edwin Vose Sumner (1797-1863) 7
           Marr: 31 Mar 1822 15

11 F Margaret Wallace Forster 7 

           Born: 10 Sep 1806 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Jul 1865 16
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Gen. George W. Wright (1803-1865) 7

General Notes: Husband - Thomas Forster


He received a good education, and was brought up as a surveyor. In the Revolutionary struggle he was a private in Capt. John Reed's company in the summer of 1776, in active service during the Jersey campaign of that year. In 1794, during the so-called Whiskey Insurrection, he served as colonel of one of the volunteer regiments on that expedition. He was one of the associate judges of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, appointed October 26, 1793, by Governor Mifflin, resigning December 3, 1798, having been elected one of the representatives of the State Legislature that year. At the close of 1799 or early in 1800, as the agent of the Harrisburg and Presque Isle Land company, he permanently removed to Erie. In the affairs incident to the early settlement of that town and the organization of that county, he took a prominent part. He was one of the first street commissioners of the town, president of the Erie and Waterford Turnpike company, one of the directors of the first library company and its librarian, and captain of the first military company formed at Erie, and which in 1812, was in service at Buffalo, Capt. Forster being promoted brigade inspector. In 1823 he was appointed by Governor Shulze one of the commissioners to explore the route for the Erie extension of the Pennsylvania canal, and in 1827 was chairman of the meeting organizing St. Paul's Episcopal church. In 1799 he was appointed by President Adams collector of the port at Erie, and successively commissioned by Presidents Jefferson, Madison, J. Q. Adams, and Jackson, filling the office until his death.

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Sources

1 William Henry Egle, History of the County of Dauphin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1883), Pg 493.

2 —, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884), Pg 893.

3 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 549.

4 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 247.

5 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 248.

6 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 246.

7 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 249.

8 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 257.

9 Raymond Martin Bell, The Bell Family of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, Inc., 1941), Pg 50.

10 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 258.

11 —, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884), Pg 894.

12 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 550.

13 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 249, 251, 258.

14 Raymond Martin Bell, The Bell Family of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, Inc., 1941), Pg 28.

15 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 259.

16 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 261.

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