JOHN FOSS/FOST

(ca. 1636-1699) - England; Boston, Suffolk co., MA; Rye Beach, Rockingham co., NH

(First Generation - Foss Family)

FATHER	MOTHER
NOT KNOWN	NOT KNOWN

BIRTH	According to Torrey^[1], John was born ca. 1636. Note that John Foss of Rye, Rockingham co., NH and John Fost of Dover, Rockingham co., NH are two completely different people, but they are often confused in books and records. In addition, records for the FOSS, FOST & FROST families have often been incorrectly considered interchangable in some genealogies. Research with care!!
DEATH	John died in 1699; he was 63^[5].
MIGRATION & OCCUPATION	John supposedly migrated to Boston, Suffolk co., MA as a calker on a British War Vessel. Once in harbor, he is said to have jumped overboard, swam to shore and run away^[7]. While his career as a calker is yet unproven, we do know that John was an Inn Holder from 1694-1698.
RESIDENCE & TOWN SERVICE	Originally, John tried settling at "Reidąs Temple" [location currently unknown], but moved along to Rye, Rockingham co., NH^[8]. Upon arrival in Rye, John was supposedly taken in by the family of John Berry and married his daughter, Mary^[6]. However, with further research, we now know that Mary and John were siblings and children of William & Jane Berry. This is unmistakably proven by the fact that John & Mary witnessed her sister Rachel Berry Marsden's will on 12 February 1706/7. Stackpole's assertion that she is the daughter of William Chadbourne of Kittery, York co., ME is based upon her mention in Humphrey Chadbourne's will. However, I believe that he confused the fact that her second husband was William's son William Chadbourne and thus she was mentioned in her bother-in-law Humphrey's will. John Foss was recorded as being "of Fort Point" in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH. He was part of the land division of 1661, listed as having been in Rye since 1657, although the land he received was probably by right of his wife rather than his own merit. In 1665, a John Foss was at Dover, Strafford co., NH^[5]; this John is most likely the Dover resident. A John Foss served on the Grand Jury in 1685; it also was most likely this John. He also served as Selectman in 1698.
WILL	John's own deed-will was dated 13 September 1710 and mentions sons John, Joshua & Zachariah.
MARRIAGE	He married Mary BERRY, in Rye Beach, Rockingham co., NH.^[1,2,3,4] Please see the discussion above of her parentage.

CHILDREN	2.	i.	Jane FOSS	Please see her own page.
	3.	ii.	John FOSS	John was born circa 1660. John died on 5 April 1752; he was 92. Before 1700 when John was 40, he first married Mary [surname not known], in Greenland, Rockingham co., NH^[1]. Before 1719 when John was 59, he second married Susannah [surname not known].
	4.	iii.	Elizabeth FOSS	Elizabeth was born in 1666. Circa 1685 when Elizabeth was 19, she married Nathaniel BATCHELDER who was born on 24 December 1659. Nathaniel died in 1745; he was 85.
	5.	iv.	Samuel FOSS	Samuel married Mary [HINKSON?].
	6.	v.	Martha FOSS	Martha married Richard GOSS before December 1693.
	7.	vi.	Thomas FOSS	Thomas married Abigail COLE on 5 February 1696.
	8.	vii.	William FOSS	William died before 12 December 1718. On 29 November 1700 William married Sarah BUSHWELL, who was born on 29 November 1676.
	9.	viii.	Joshua FOSS	Joshua inherited his father's homestead and married Sarah WALLIS.
	10.	ix.	Zachariah FOSS	Zachariah lived in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH and married Joanna [surname not known].
	11.	x.	Hannah FOSS	On 25 June 1702 Hannah married John JENNESS and died before 25 November 1718.

GENERATION

Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (G8) Grandfather

FAMILY NUMBER

1090

SOURCES

1. Torrey, Charles, New England Marriages Prior to 1700., (Boston: New England Historic and Genealogical Society) [Torrey].

2. Noyes, Sybil, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin David, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, (Portland, ME: Anthosensen Press 1928-1939; rpt Baltimore: Gen. Publ. Co., 1972), [GDMNH}, 90, 240.

3. The Essex Antiquarian, (13 vols.)(n.p., 1897-1909), 12:81, 3 correction.

4. Emery, William Morrell, Chadbourne-Chadbourn Genealogy, ([Fall River, Mass., 1904]), [Chadbourne].

5. Parsons, Langdon B., History of the Town of Rye, NH From Its Discovery and Settlement to December 31, 1903, (1905; repr. Bowie, MD: Heritage Press 1992), [RyeHist], 345.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid. 344.

8. Ibid. 344-345.

6. Locke, Arthur Horton, A History and Genealogy of Captain John Locke (1637-1696) of Portsmouth and Rye, N.H., and His Descendants; Also of Nathaniel Lock of Portsmouth, and a Short Account of the History of the Lockes in England., ([Concord, NH: The Rumford Press, 1916?]), [Locke] p. 18.

9. Stackpole, Everett S., Old Kittery and Her Families, (Lewiston, ME: Lewiston Journal Press, 1903), 30-31, 311.

10. [GDMNH], 134.

11. [Chadbourne], 3.

12. [GDMNH], 507.

13. [Locke], 18.

14. Harrison, Metcalf Henry and Hammond Otis Grant, New Hampshire State Papers: Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire, [NHStatePapers], vol. 32, pt. 2, pp. 235-236. 15. Ibid.

16. New England Historic and Genealogical Register. Vols. 1+, (Boston: New England Historic and Genealogical Register, 1845+), [NEHGR or Reg.], 111:104-111.

17. [RyeHist], 296.


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