Richard Joseph Foster

  General Notes:

Born 30 Dec 1864 in Albany and baptized 1 Jan 1865 at St. Joseph's Church in Albany, NY. by Rev John J. Conroy. The sponsors were John Reilly and Maria Hughes.

Family lore: he was said to have married Bertha (last name unknown) and had two sons, Ernest and Vincent.. He built a house for his family with money that his sister Agnes had given him (no other details)

A printer by trade and worked for either the Knickerbocker Press or a company named Putnam located on Beaver Street.

1880 census Albany, NY William age 55 born Ireland c 1825 Agnes age 45 b.Ireland c1835 Mary age 22 b. c1858; single Anna age 19; single; dress maker; born 1861 Patrick age 16; clerk in store; born c1862 Agnes age 15 ; born 1865 Richard age 13; born c1867 Joseph age 8; born c1872 David age 4; born c1876

Albany City Directory 1884 - 1886 Richard J. Foster (printer) is living at 225 Orange Street with his widowed mother Agnes and his brother Patrick (clerk)

Albany City Directory 1887 Richard Foster is living on Bradford St

Albany City Directory 1890 Richard J. Foster is living @ 229 Elm Street.

Albany City Directory 1892 Richard J. Foster living @ 88 North Swan Street

census 1900 Clarksburg, Berkshire County, MA Richard Foster born Dec 1867 NY; m 12yrs; parents born Ireland [HOH] Mary A. born Nov 1865 MA; m 127 ; ch: 7/3; parents born VT [wife] William H. b. June 1892 NY; [son] Ettie M. born aug 1893 MA [dau] Margaret A. born dec 1897 MA [dau]

Albany City Directory 1904: Richard J. Foster moved to 104 Madison Avenue

Albany City Directory 1905-1907 Richard J. Foster ret'd to Orange Street.

20 June 1910 Richard Foster attended the 75th birthday party of his mother Agnes Mullen Foster.

1920: Patrick H, Richard J and Agnes L are living at 225 Orange St.


1920 South St, North Adams, Berkshire County, MA Richard J. Foster born 1867 NY; parents born Ireland. Married to Mary A, same age, born MA, her parents born VT Children: Clarice L, age 19 Vincent C. 17 Ernest A, 11. All born in MA - Richard was a linotype operator at a newspaper.

Albany City Directory 1929 Richard J . Foster are living on Orange St Mary A. Ernest A. Vincent C.

Albany City Directory 1930 Richard J. Foster livng @ 141 Washington Avenue

April 1930 census East Greenbush, Rensselaer County, NY Richard is age 64 and widowed; the HOH, born NY, house worth $6000; living with son Ernest age 22. who says he is married. (3 yrs) Also in HH is Jeanette Malone age 37 who is married (12yrs) and listed as "housekeeper" Vincent is living with his sister and her husband (The Blairs) near by.

[Per research of Joyce Caron Maxstadt - May 2005] Thank you for the information on Richard. I had much of the same from the city directories and the census. Richard's tombstone shows him born in 1867 and the1870 census lists him as 5 years but I have found both tombstones and census records are often in error. He and Mary Fidelia Davis were married around 1888. In 1900 they lived in Clarksburg, MA very close to her parents, Henry and Clarissa Davis. Mary is listed as the mother of 7 with 3 children at home. I assume that means 4 were no longer living. A son, Richard, died in 1900 at the age of 3 months and is buried in Clarksburg. The 3 children were William b.1892, Effie Marie (my grandmother) b.1893 and Margaret b.1897. William died in 1910 and is also buried in Clarksburg. By 1920 Richard and Mary lived on South Street in North Adams. They had 3 more children - Vincent b.1902, Clarice or Clarissa (Blair) b.1906 and Ernest b.1910. I knew Richard worked as a printer and I do believe I remember it being said that he worked for the Knickerbocker Press. As I mentioned on the phone, Vincent never married but I do believe he had a long time "girlfriend". Ernest married a woman named Jeanette but I do not know her maiden name. He died probably in the 1960s.

Richard married Mary Fidelia Davis, daughter of Henry Marshall Davis and Clarissa Jane Johnson, circa 1888. (Mary Fidelia Davis was born on 18 Dec 1869 in Massachusetts, died before Apr 1930 and was buried in Clarksburg Cemetery in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.)