Dennis Foster & Mary Foster

Dennis Foster and Mary Foster

This document is a marriage license for Dennis' parents, Robert Foster and Elizabeth Leary. See Robert Foster's signature.


Dennis and Polly Foster: From Kentucky to Illinois
By Adrienne Foster Potter
Dennis is in "Seedlings" on pgs. 31 and 74 (para. 2 & 3). He and Mary (Polly) moved to Switzerland Co., Indiana, Shelby Co., KY, Hancock, Indiana, and then to McLean, Illinois.
"Polly Mary, 2nd child of Harrison & Ann (Bartlett) Foster, born in Bourbon, KY, went with her parents to Clark County. Here she met and married Dennis Foster, half-brother to James T. They moved to Switzerland Co., Indiana, Shelby Co., KY, and then to Hancock, Indiana, where they owned land. Some of their children were born in each of these counties. In 1842, Dennis sold the Indiana land and took his family to McLean Co., Illinois. It seems the buyer of the land couldn't make the payments, and the land was resold in late 1844.
On Oct. 10, 1845, Dennis bought land from John R. Patton, pg. 139, in McLean, Ill. When Dennis died, Polly's brothers, Harrison and Aaron Foster were appointed administrators of his estate, which included 165 acres of land. Polly and Dennis are buried in the Pleasant Hill cemetery, McLean Co., Illinois, but there is no tombstone." --"Seedlings of William Foster" by Flavius Foster, pg. 31
Dennis Foster's Brothers Together on Kentucky Farm
By Adrienne Foster Potter
I found Dennis Foster in the 1830 census of Shelby County, KY, with George, James, and John all living in the same area (address: North of the Road From Louisville to Frankfort, Shelby). I think its safe to assume that Dennis, George, and James, are the three sons of Robert Foster that Flavius lists in "Seedlings of William Foster," and John could be an unknown son. Dennis is his son by Elizabeth Leary (d. 1805) and George and James are his sons by Bathsheba/Bersheba Williams. I also found an Alex Foster, Stephen M Foster, and William Foster, all living in Shelby, KY, about 3 counties away from Bourbon.

On the next page I found Robert Foster, John Foster, Richard Foster, Susannah Foster, Thomas Foster, and William Foster, all living in Gallatin, Kentucky., about 3 counties away from Bourbon.  There has to be some land records there.  Next I found Asa Foster, George Foster, Jedediah Foster, Henry Foster, and Thomas Foster all living in nearby Bourbon Co., KY. There must also be land records there too. With all these Fosters floating around Kentucky there must be something in the History books about them.

George A Foster has 2 sons under 5, and he is age 30-40, 1 daughter age 5-10, his wife, age 30-40, and a female slave age 24-36. Dennis has 3 sons under age 5, 1 son 15-20, 1 son, 20-30, and himself, age 30-40.  He had 3 daughters age 5-10, and his wife age 20-30.  He had no slaves. On the same page as Dennis is Mary Ann Hudson, Richard Hudson, and John Leary, who could be a relation of Elizabeth Leary.  John Leary has one son 10-15, one 15-20, one 30-40, one 40-50.  One of these would be him.   He also has a daughter under 5, one female 40-50, and another female 60-70.  Probably one of these is his wife and the other his mother or mother-in-law. James Foster has 2 sons age 5-10, he is 30-40, 3 daughters under 5, 1 daughter 10-15, and his wife 20-30.  He has 1 male slave 18-24. John Foster is 20-30 and has two daughters under 5, his wife is 20-30, with one male slave 18-24.