Abiel Foster
Abiel Foster | |
---|---|
Member of the 3rd Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | |
In office July 29, 1783 – November 1, 1783 | |
Member of the 4th Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | |
In office November 3, 1783 – June 3, 1784 | |
Member of the 5th Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | |
In office November 1, 1784 – November 6, 1785 | |
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas from New Hampshire (Rockingham County) | |
In office 1784–1788 | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's At-large district (Seat 1) | |
In office June 23, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | |
Preceded by | (none) |
Succeeded by | Jeremiah Smith |
Member of the New Hampshire Senate | |
In office June 7, 1791 – January 16, 1795 | |
President of the New Hampshire Senate | |
In office June 9, 1794 – January 16, 1795 | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's at-large district (Seat 4) | |
In office March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1803 | |
Preceded by | Paine Wingate |
Succeeded by | David Hough[1] |
Personal details | |
Born | Andover, Province of Massachusetts Bay | August 8, 1735
Died | February 6, 1806 Canterbury, New Hampshire, U.S. | (aged 70)
Political party | Federalist |
Spouse(s) | Hannah Badger Foster Mary Wise Rogers Foster |
Children | 8 |
Residence | Canterbury |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Profession |
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Signature | |
Abiel Foster (August 8, 1735 – February 6, 1806) was an American clergyman and politician from Canterbury, Province of New Hampshire. He represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress and the U.S. Congress.
Biography
[edit]Foster was born in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1735, the son of Captain Asa Foster of Colonel Ebenezer Colonial Regiment[2][3] and Elizabeth Abbot. A relative of Jedediah Foster, a judge, American Revolutionary and Harvard Law graduate (1744), the first member of the Foster family in America to receive a "liberal education". Abiel Foster was inspired to follow in the footsteps of Jedediah and entered Harvard College, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1756. After studying in theology, he was ordained as a pastor in Canterbury, January 26, 1761, he married Hanna Badger in that year. He served as pastor in Canterbury until 1779. At that time Abiel Foster retired to private life but would not be long before he returned to public service. During his 18 years as Minister of Canterbury he built trust with the people and he was appointed to the General Court. During his life, Abiel Foster held "various offices of trust and honour with reputation to himself and usefulness to the community.[4]
Abiel Foster served in Congress under first President of the United States George Washington and 2nd President John Adams, while working with the Founding Fathers of the United States, to help build a functioning federal government.
While a member of the Continental Congress, Abiel Foster left an impression on a young Daniel Webster, after a meeting one summer afternoon. Webster's father, Ebenezer Webster told his son that he could have had Abiel Foster's place in the Congress if he had more votes. Ebenezer extolled the virtues of an education to his son, explaining that it was an education that made the difference between him and Foster. He said that "It is education that has made Foster what he is and the lack of it has made your father what he is".[5]
Abiel Foster's first wife Hanna died in 1768. His second wife, Mary Wise Rogers, was the granddaughter of John Rogers (Harvard); they had eight children.[6] Martha, who married Jeremiah Clough, Mary who married Henry Gerrish, Abiel Jr. who married Susanna Moore, Elizabeth who married Enoch Gerrish and Nancy who married John Greenough.[7]
Career
[edit]In 1775, Foster was Deputy to the Provincial Congress at Exeter.[8] From 1783 to 1785, Foster was a delegate for New Hampshire to the Continental Congress.[9] Between 1784 and 1788, he was a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Rockingham County N.H.[10] On March 3, 1789, he became a member of the First United States Congress, under the first Constitution of the United States of America, as a Representative from New Hampshire until March 3, 1791. He returned to the New Hampshire Senate in 1791, serving there until 1794 when he was elected again to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served there from March 3, 1795, to March 3, 1803.[11]
On July 14, 1798, Foster voted in favor of the Alien and Sedition Acts.[12]
Death
[edit]Foster died in Canterbury on February 6, 1806. He is interred at the Center Cemetery, Canterbury, New Hampshire.[13]
Memorial
[edit]March 22, 1942, the California Shipbuilding Company launches its 16th Liberty type, 10,500-ton freighter, S.S. Abiel Foster.[14] The day before, the S.S. Benjamin Franklin, launched November 16, 1941, completed its test run. The S.S. Abiel Foster took part as a troop supply ship during World War II and contributed to the Invasion of Normandy.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "FOSTER, Abiel | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".
- ^ Cutter, William Richard (2000). Genealogical and Personal Memoirs: Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-4549-9.
- ^ Anderson, Fred (2012-12-01). A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers and Society in the Seven Years' War. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-0-8078-3828-0.
- ^ The New Hampshire Repository. Volumes 1-2, page 205
- ^ "Foster, Abiel, Another account of Abiel Foster by Daniel Webster". The Boston Globe. 1910-08-28. p. 66. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ "Abiel Foster". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ The New Hampshire Repository. Alfred Prescott. 1846.
- ^ "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details". bioguideretro.congress.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ "Abiel Foster". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ "FOSTER, Abiel | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ "Abiel Foster". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ "Foster, Abiel, Sedation Act July 14, 1798". The Tennessean. March 7, 1842. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ "Abiel Foster". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ "U.S.S. Abiel Foster". The Atlanta Constitution. March 23, 1942. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ Stingley, Alisa (June 6, 1994). "D-Day: 50 years later". The Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
External links
[edit]- United States Congress. "Abiel Foster (id: F000297)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Abiel Foster at Find a Grave
- 1735 births
- 1806 deaths
- People from Andover, Massachusetts
- 18th-century American Congregationalist ministers
- Harvard College alumni
- Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire
- 18th-century American politicians
- New Hampshire state senators
- Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire
- 19th-century American legislators
- Clergy from colonial Massachusetts
- People from Canterbury, New Hampshire
- 19th-century New Hampshire politicians