John Foster ~1750 – 1832
Born: ~ 1750 Unknown
Died: 1832 Grindal Shoals, Union Co. SC
John Foster - d. 1832
John Foster – our earliest known ancestor
I have no evidence at all on which to fix the time and location of the birth of our John Foster. When, and wherever his earliest origins, he arrived at Grindal Shoals South Carolina, a thriving community and transportation hub being valuable not only as a ford on the Pacolet River but also -thanks to that river- accessible from the sea. The region is also not far off the Great Wagon Road which was carrying settlers from as far north as Pennsylvania to as far south as Georgia. With the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783 the question of American Independence was settled for the moment and American expansion could begin. Whether John Foster and his family arrived from Virginia, or from Maryland where the McElfresh family is said to be from, or from a point elsewhere in South Carolina is unknown. However, finding a John Foster and two McElfresh men elisted in a regiment of Washington County Militia in 1777 does feel like a strong hint.
According to most public genealogies, sons Jeremiah and Thomas were born about that time, so probably both in Union County. Daughter Nancy however was already 11 years old by this time. Nancy, who would marry Sandy Run neighbor Edmond Hames, appears in many Hames family genealogies as born in Hagerstown Maryland, while others claim Virginia.
Final Resting Place
The burial place of John Foster is unknown. Because of the Jasper family connections, it seems possible he was buried there with his wife and her family. If this is true, then the marked grave of James Moseley provides a clue because it sits amid the burial grounds of his wife, Nancy Anna Jasper.
Scenes from the Jasper family burial site off Tump Smith road 2009
