William Foster

  General Notes:

According to his naturalization papers filed on 6 May 1859 in Albany, NY he was born in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. He emigrated from County Carlow (one of the counties in the Province of Leinster) with his wife Agnes. They sailed from Liverpool, England.

New York State census 1855 lists William, his wife and son William F. one month of age (possibly living at the rear of 16 Lumber Street per Albany City Directory (ACD).

In 1857 he is living at 53 Mulberry Street (age 33) and his occupation is : "Ship's carpenter." Over the next 10 yrs he moved from Mulberry to 12 Montgomery to 44 First to 81 Lawrence before buying property at 225 Orange Street where he built a home for his family. (He was a carpenter by trade.) It was set back from the street, a two story style with exterior of clapboard. It had a white picket fence in front and was considered the "model of Orange Street."

Family lore: J.J.Foster Jr. claims his grandfather (William) was born in England and went to Ireland when young and then came to America.

1860, in Albany Ward 7, Albany, NY, William Foster b. 1825, Ireland. A carpenter, he is with wife Agnes [26] and children Winifred [4], William [5], Mary M [3?] and Anna [1]. Children were born in NY; Agnes in Ireland. An Anna Mullen is living with them; age 18, born Ireland [Agnes' sister]

1870, Albany Ward 8, Albany, NY, they are listed as Forster: William, 56, b. Ireland, carpenter; Agnes b. Ireland; William 15; Winifred 14; Mary M 12; Anne 10; Patrick 9; Agnes 6; Richard 5 and Elizabeth 2.

1880 census Albany, NY William age 55 born Ireland c 1825; occ: carpenter Agnes age 45 b.Ireland c1835 Mary age 22 b. c1858; single Anna age 19; single; dress maker; born 1861 Patrick age 18; 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

Per research of Ken Kennedy: William's original burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery (located about where the new Albany High School is now.) Between 1916 and 1918 the cemetery was dismantled, the graves were opened and the bodies exhumed. They were then taken to St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands for reburial. On 5 July 1916 the records state that 6 "adults" were exhumed and reburied in St. Agnes Cemetery on 12 July 1916. These bodies were members of the FOSTER family and would have included William F Sr. and William Jr as well as : Winifred, Anne, Elizabeth and Hattie.[daughters]

William married Winifred Agnes Mullen, daughter of Patrick Mullen and Agnes Winifred Mac Casey, c1853/54 in Ireland. (Winifred Agnes Mullen was born on 7 Oct 1831 in Rahin, Queens County (Laois County), Ireland, died on 21 Dec 1917 in Albany, Albany County, New York and was buried in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, NY; Sect 2 lot 149.)

  Marriage Notes:

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