Thomas de Forster, II., Lord Etherstone

(Sir Knight) Thomas Forster (I)

He was knighted and married Elizabeth Featherstonebaugh of Stanhope Hall, Durham. This family was of Saxton origin and was seated at Featherstone in Northumberland before the conquest, that part of the country having been allotted to its progenitor, a Saxton officer for his gallant conduct against the Britains. The house in which the family resided was formerly upon a hill, where there were two stones, featherstones. The house was destroyed and a new edifice erected under the hill in a valley, which valley was locally dominated a baugh, thence the name fleatherstonebaugh.

Thomas and Elizabeth had 23 children, 22 boys and one girl. The second child was Roger Forster who used the spelling of Foster. His descendants immigrated to America and landed in Virginia. This is the Foster that spread throughout the Carolinas and the southern part of North America.

            The first child, Thomas, married Jane Hilton (chart 146).  They had seven children.  Their 4th child, Thomas Forster, married Dorothy Ogle.  He died after 4 Mar 1526.  Their son, Thomas, married Frances Wharton, and their son, John Thomas Forster, married Margaret Servington.

This Thomas Forster, who married a woman from the Fetherstonhaugh family [who Foster (1871) calls "Elizabeth"], fought at the Battle of Agincourt on 25 Oct 1415 under Percy. Their son and heir Thomas Forster married into the Hilton family. ... His wife -- possibly named Jane or Ann Hilton -- CANNOT be born later than 1457/8, since she is the daughter of the "blind baron", William Hilton (b. before 1418 - d. 13 Oct 1457) who married one of the daughters of William Stapleton (1388 - 1458) around 1439.

It's Sir John Forster of Bamburgh (b. c. 1520), who asserted that this couple had Roger Forster who founded the branch in Hunsdon, and that Roger was the brother of Thomas and Nicholas.

Roger has been called the father of Thos. Forster of Hunsdon (b. c. 1528 - d. 1571), whose late vital dates poses a problem SPECIFICALLY for descendants of the Forsters/Fosters of Hunsdon. The same cannot be said for allied families in Northumberland, where dating is much tighter.

(information provided by family search: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LYRD-RM1)

NO PROOF FOR ALLEGED FATHER THOS. WHO M. JOAN ELMEDON! Technically... this Thomas Forster starts the line, but old tradition knows him as the son of Thos Forster and Joan Elmedon ... Magna Charta refutes the legend. Elmedon is not actually part of the family (Richardson).

"Foster (1871), states that this Thomas died during the reign of Henry IV (30 Sep 1399 - 20 Mar 1413). But Pierce (1899), argues for a birth date of 1397, and a death during 1425. This implies that Thomas II either lived for 28 years, or died as young as two. ..." (WikiTree.com) He is no longer believed to be the son of Thomas Forster, esq. of Bukton and Joan Elmedon, since there is no proof. As such, this family has been removed from the line of Magna Carta descendants, (G2G, 2016).

/** OLD BIO ** /

Sir Thomas (Thomas II) "Lord of Etherstone" Forster Born before 1397 in Durham, England

PROBABLY NOT the son of Thomas Forster Esq and Joan (De Elmedon) Elmeden (see notes)

Husband of Elizabeth (DeEtherstone) Etherstone — married [date unknown] [location unknown] Father of Thomas Forster Esq Died before 1425 in Etherstone Castle, Durham

(source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZJ1-L5F)www.finda...

Thomas Forster III

BIRTH 1446
Northumberland, England
DEATH 1503 (aged 56–57)
Northumberland, England
BURIAL
St. Aidan Churchyard
Bamburgh, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Northumberland, England
MEMORIAL ID 40415215

He was knighted, and married the daughter of Fetherstonhaugh, of Stanhope Hall, Durham, Chief of the Fetherston clan. This family is of Saxon origin.
He was the father of 19 sons

Sons Thomas Forster IV b: 1469 and younger brother
Roger Forster b: abt 1500 were the primary forefathers of all the 1600-1800 Fosters who immigrated to America ( Mass and Virginia Colonies ) using the spelling Foster.

Inscription
At rest in a Crypt his
Gravesite Details
members of his family are buried in a Crypt under the Chancel inside the Church