George Foster supplied the parish overseers with an extensive range of seeds and plants for the workhouse garden. One bill for February 1833 consisted of:
| 6 Quarts Beans, 6 Pints Peas | £0.2.10d |
| 4oz Onion, 3oz Carrots, Turnip 2, Lettuce 2, Celery 2, Savoy 3 | £0.0.9d |
| Leek 6, Radish 4, Parsley 2 | £0.1.0d |
| Quart Green Beans, Carrots 4oz | £0.0.11d |
| 100 Plants | £0.0.9d |
| 300 Winter Plants | £0.2.3d |
| 4oz Early Turnip | £0.0.8d |
| 100 Savoy Cabbage | £0.0.9d |
| Score Cauliflowers | £0.0.6d |
| 2 Score Broccoli, 6oz Cabbage seed | £0.1.6d |
| ½oz Winter Cabbage | £0.0.4d |
| 200 Strong Quick Cabbage | £0.3.0d |
| 100 Strong Quick Cabbage | £0.1.6d |
Another bill for beans, onions, leek seeds and cabbage, costing £2 3s 6d, was submitted in March 1830.
Listed as resident in Carter Street in the 1818 directory, Foster had removed to Smithy Lane by 1834.
George, the son of William and Mary Foster, was baptised on 10 August 1788. He married Hannah Martin at St Mary’s, Uttoxeter, on 13 July 1816. Hannah was older than George. The 1841 Census, when Foster’s address was given as ‘Yew Tree’ (the same as that given in Pigot’s directory of 1835), gives George’s age as 52 and that of Hannah as 65. The instructions to Census enumerators were that the ages of people above the age of 15 should be rounded down to the nearest five years. This may have happened in Hannah’s case, but William’s age was recorded accurately. Also living with the Fosters was Joseph Martin, probably Hannah’s brother. He was aged 70 and described as being of independent means.
In his will, dated 29 February 1840, Foster’s dwelling house near Smithy Lane, Uttoxeter and an additional dwelling house, garden and croft and land in the possessions of John Burton and James Lassetter together with all other property, monies, securities, goods, chattels, rights, credits and personal estate were bequeathed to his wife. Hannah was appointed his executrix. His probated estate did not exceed £100.
Sources
J. Pigot and Co., National Commercial Directory [Derbyshire to Wales] (1835)
W. Parson and T. Bradshaw, Staffordshire General and Commercial Directory, (1818)
SRO, B/C/11, George Foster of Uttoxeter, 23 April 1845
SRO, D3891/6/42/184, Uttoxeter Overseers’ Vouchers, 15 Feb 1833
SRO, D3891/6/36/6/69, Uttoxeter Overseers’ Vouchers, 24 Mar 1830
TNA, HO 107/1007/14, Census 1841
William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire (Sheffield: 1834)
This is a work in progress subject to change as new research is conducted.