Billinge families

FOSTER

By Alan Foster (from Appendix J in the main text)

William was the second child of Henry & Jane FOSTER, born and baptised in 1816 at Weedon Barracks, Northamptonshire, during his father's tenure in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. His trade was that of a weaver. In 1839, at the age of 23 years, he married Catherine GASKELL in Billinge and had a son named Thomas. In June 26th, 1841, he was charged and arrested for Highway Robbery and Stealing then incarcerated at Kirkdale Jail awaiting trial. The offense was committed at Windle, St Helens, together with two other accomplices, namely John BIRCHALL aged 19 and William LIPTROT aged 23. At the trial, on July 15, 1841, at Kirkdale, William and his two accomplices were found guilty and sentenced to ten years, to be served in Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). They were transported aboard the 549 ton Barque the "John Brewer" sailing out of Sheerness on December 5, 1841, via Teneriffe and arriving at Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, on April 6, 1842.

During his stay in Van Dieman's Land he was housed in a camp called Finders Bay Station, now known as Taranna. While there, he made three applications to marry Sarah Pring 1844, Hannah Osborne 1848 and Maria Hopkins 1849. All these girls were convicts. He decided on the latter and married Maria Hpokins on May 14, 1849 at the Bothwell United Church, Van Diemans's Land. At the end of their sentences, in 1851, they returned to the UK and settled in Billinge, William's hometown, where they lived at Gorsey Brow. Maria died in 1865 at the age of 46 of an Abdominal Tumor. Not wanting to waste any time, William found another wife (# 3) by the name of Martha CUNLIFFE and they where married October 23, 1866. They had two children, Sarah and William. Martha died in 1883 at the age of 49 of Phthisis. William lived alone for the rest of his life and died in 1891 at the age of 75 years.