FORTESCUE, Matthew (son of Joseph Fortescue of the Scots Greys). b. 18 May 1805; ed. at Queen’s coll. Cam., B.A. 1828, M.A. 1831; special pleader; barrister M.T. 22 Nov. 1839; judge of county court’s circuit No. 58 (Devonshire) 8 Oct. 1857 to death. d. Oak park house, Dawlish 27 March 1883.
FORTUNE, Robert. b. Kelloe, Edrom, Berwickshire 16 Sep. 1813; superintendent of indoor-plant department in Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Chiswick, sent to China by the Society as collector 1842; curator of Chelsea botanical garden 1846–8; introduced tea-plant into north-west provinces of India 1851; author of Three years’ wanderings in the northern provinces of China 1847; Two visits to the tea countries of China and the British plantations in the Himalayas 2 vols. 1853 and other books. d. 1 Gilston road, South Kensington, London 13 April 1880. Field and Semple’s Memoirs of botanic garden at Chelsea (1878) 205–8.
FOSS, Edward (eld. son of Edward Smith Foss of 36 Essex st. Strand, London, solicitor, who d. 13 May 1830 aged 74). b. Gough sq. Fleet st. London 16 Oct. 1787; articled to his father 1804, partner with him 1811–30; student of Inner Temple 1822; under sheriff of London 1827–8; retired from practice 1840; F.S.A. 18 April 1822; one of founders of Incorporated Law Society 1827, pres. 1842–44; published The grandeur of the law 1843; The judges of England 9 vols. 1848–64; Tabulæ Curiales 1865; Biographia Juridica 1870. d. Frensham house, Addiscombe 27 July 1870. Foss’ Biographia Juridica (1870) pp. xii-xv.
FOSTER, Charles James. b. Bicester, Oxfordshire 24 Nov. 1820; went to United States 1847; edited Woodruff’s Trotting horses of America 1868, 2 ed. 1875, also Bogardus’s Field cover and trap shooting 1874; wrote for The Spirit of the times paper; established the New York Sportsman 1876; considered the best informed man in America on subject of racing. d. Astoria, New York 12 Sep. 1883.
FOSTER, Edward Ward (son of Edward Foster, land steward to Sir R. Burdett). b. in parish of All Saints, Derby 8 Nov. 1762; lieut. 20 regt. of foot; served in America, Holland and Egypt; retired 1805; miniature painter to the royal family with apartments in Round tower, Windsor; exhibited 22 landscapes at R.A. 1812–28; travelled in England as a portrait painter; invented machine for taking faces; author of An elementary grammar of French language 1837; A chronological analysis of the Old and New Testament 1850; Chart of Histories of Rome, France and Britain 1835; Chronological Chart of History of British Empire 1847; had grant of £60 a year from Bounty fund. d. Derby 12 March 1865. J. B. Robinson’s Derbyshire Gatherings (1866) 81–4, portrait.
FOSTER, James Lancelot. b. York; edited Yorkshire Gazette, manager and publisher of it 1852–82; sheriff of York 1870–71. d. 15 Ogleforth, York 3 Dec. 1883 in 74 year.
FOSTER, John (son of Jonas Foster, yeoman). b. Thornton, Yorkshire 20 Jany. 1798; established a worsted business at Low Fold near Queensbury 1819; removed to Cannon Mill, Great Horton 1832; built the Blackdike mill 1835; introduced power-looms into his works 1836; commenced using alpaca wool and mohair 1837; employed 3000 people and manufactured 15,000 packs of wool a year; retired 1869; purchased Hornby castle estate, Lancaster 1861. d. Prospect house, Queensbury 6 March 1879. Fortunes made in business ii, 1–107 (1881), portrait.
FOSTER, John Frederic (son of Rev. Dr. Frederick Wm. Foster, Moravian bishop). b. Wyke near Halifax, Yorkshire 1795; ed. at a Moravian coll. and Queen’s coll. Cam., B.A. 1817, M.A. 1821; barrister M.T. 1 June 1821; stipendiary mag. of Manchester, Aug. 1825 to April 1838; chairman of quarter sessions of hundred of Salford 9 April 1838 to death; recorder of Manchester 18 April 1839, resigned May. d. Alderley, Cheshire 9 April 1858. G.M. iv, 559–60 (1858); Illust. news of the world ii, 117 (1858), portrait.
FOSTER, Peter Le Neve (only son of Peter Le Neve Foster of Lenwade, Norfolk). b. Lenwade 17 Aug. 1809; ed. at Norwich gr. sch. and Trin. hall, Cam., fellow 1830; 38 wrangler 1830; B.A. 1830, M.A. 1833; barrister M.T. 29 Jany. 1836; practised as a conveyancer 1836–53; sec. to Society of Arts 1853 to death; a founder of Photographic Soc. of London 1853; pres. of Quekett Microscopical Club; sec. of mechanical science section of British Association 13 years; author of Photography 1876. d. East hill, Wandsworth, London 21 Feb. 1879. Journal of Soc. of Arts (1879) xxvii, 316; I.L.N. lxxiv, 224 (1879), portrait.
FOSTER, Thomas. Second lieut. R.E. 1 Sep. 1815, col. commandant 8 Feb. 1866 to death; general 8 June 1871. d. 5 Cleveland terrace, Hyde park, London 26 Aug. 1872 aged 76.