Researching James Foster
Delve into the history of James Foster using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 40041 people with the Foster surname? In that year Foster was ranked number 73 for popularity in the UK. |

The name James means "one who supplants" and is of Hebrew origin.
Records of James Foster on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of James Foster in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for James Foster. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for James Foster. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for James Foster. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for James Foster. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for James Foster. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Foster ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Foster Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for James Foster and the Foster Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Foster Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Foster family tree.
Look at Parish Records for James Foster at Find My Past.
Study for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of James Foster using the FreeBMD database.
Look at Genealogy Bank for James Foster records.
Study MyHeritage for James Foster information.
Check out the LDS Database for records about James Foster.
Research the Foster surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Foster Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 54358 people with the Foster surname in the UK? Foster is now ranked number 74 for popularity in the UK. |
Foster Family Tree Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Investigate the WikiTree database for user contributed records for James Foster.
Study MyTrees for information on the Foster family and people looking to contact living Foster relations.
Look at One Great Family for Foster records submitted by people who are already researching the Foster Family Tree.
Find James Foster from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Foster Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Foster surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 276480 people with the Foster surname in the USA? Foster is ranked number 72 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Foster Databases
Explore the Ellis Island Database for information on James Foster. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called James Foster
James Foster (ironmaster)
James Foster (9 May 1786 – 12 April 1853) was a prominent Worcestershire ironmaster, coalmaster and senior partner in the important iron company of John Bradley & Co, Stourbridge, which was founded by his elder half-brother but greatly enlarged under his direction. As well as the Stourbridge ironworks, the business owned a number of coal and ironstone mines, furnaces, forges and other works in the Black Country and near Ironbridge. The business continued long after James Foster's death, ultimately being incorporated as John Bradley (Stourbridge) Ltd in the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, the company was a member of the Marked Bar Association, whose members were the makers of the highest quality bar iron of the time. Foster was also a partner in other companies including the engineering firm Foster, Rastrick and Company, which built the first steam locomotive to run on rails in the USA. He was also a banker and landowner as well as being elected Member of Parliament and appointed as Improvement Commissioner for Stourbridge, and High Sheriff of Worcestershire.
Source: James Foster (ironmaster), Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Other names that sound a bit like Foster
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Factor Feaster Fechter Fechtor Fecter Fector Fekter Feshter Fester Festerand Fewster Fichter Fiester Fishter Foister Foster-Smith Fosterdinger Foussadier Foyster Fuester Fuster Pfeister Pfister Pfisterer





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