Rt Hon John Foster by
Artist: Gilbert Stuart (1755 - 1828)
Date: ca. 1790-1791
Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas
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John Foster and family at Oriel Temple, Collon by John James Barralet in 1786
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Anthony Foster – Chief Baron Foster
Anthony Foster married Elizabeth Burgh
born circa 1705 25 Feb 1736 born 7 Sep 1708
Dunlear, Co Louth St Mary’s
died 23 Apr 1779 Dublin died 1744
Co Louth Dublin
Anthony Foster born circa 1705 son and heir of John Foster of Dunlear and Elizabeth
Fortescue of Newrath, Co Louth. He attended Thomas Sheridan’s school in Dublin,
and graduated Trinity in 1722. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1732. He secondly
married Elizabeth Burgh 23 Feb 1736 (ML). Elizabeth was the daughter of Captain
Walter Burgh, Comptroller and Accountant General for Ireland, of Bearth (Bert), Co
Kildare and his wife Margaret Parnell. He purchased the 5000 acre Cullon (Collon)
estate, Co Louth in 1740. He set about improving the land and had 27 working lime
kilns on the estate and had 450 cars employed hauling stone, and flax seed from
Milford Haven. I n 'A Tour of Ireland' (1778) published in 1780, the author Arthur
Young mentions Foster whose improvements on the Collon estate ‘were of a
magnitude that I have never heard of before’…‘Mr. Forster could not bear so barren
a property, and determined to attempt the improvement of an estate of five thousand
acres till then deemed irreclaimable. He encouraged the tenants by every species of
persuasion and expense, but they had so ill an opinion of the land that he was forced
to begin with two or three thousand acres in his own hands; he did not, however, turn
out the people, but kept them in to see the effects of his operations.’ Elizabeth died in
1744.
1 Margaret Foster baptised 21 Feb 1737 at St Mary’s married Henry Maxwell in
1759. He was later Dean of Kilmore, Bishop of Dromore and Bishop of Meath.
Margaret died 3 April 1778. Henry died on 7 October 1798, aged 75, and was
buried at Ardbraccan.
1 John Maxwell
2 Henry Maxwell
2 John Foster Foster baptised 28 Sep 1740 at St Mary’s. In 1764, he married
Margaretta Amelia Burgh, daughter of Thomas Burgh, MP for Lanesborough, and
his wife Anne Downes, daughter of Dive Downes, Bishop of Cork and Ross. He was
elected to the family borough of Dunleer and became the member for Louth in
1768. In 1781 whilst he was living at Molesworth Street, he advertised looking for
a dairymaid and her husband to work on the estate in Collon and was also
looking to employ a master for the local school. He was living at King Street and
was appointed Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer in April 1784 before his election
as Speaker of the Irish Commons in 1785. He held office from 1785 until 1800.
John lived at Merville (UCD) in Clonskeagh, he also inherited Collon House in Co
Louth. In 1790 Margaretta was raised to the Irish peerage as Baroness Oriel, and
in 1797 Viscountess Ferrard. John was the last Speaker of the Irish House of
Commons up to its dissolution by the Act of Union in 1800. John Foster later
became a peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Oriel of Ferrard in the County of
Louth. In 1779 he was comptroller of Customs at Dublin Port. He was presented
with the freedom of the city in a gold box by the corporation of the guild of
merchants for services to trade in 1793. As Speaker he pronounced the final
words at the closing session on the 2 Aug 1800. He refused to surrender the
Speaker's mace made of solid silver and his chair declaring ‘Until the body that
entrusted it to my keeping demands it back’. These were kept by his family and
initially in the National Museum of Ireland and is now on display in the Bank of
Ireland, College Green. In 1821 he was created a peer of the United Kingdom as
Baron Oriel, of Ferrard, in the County of Louth. Baron Oriel born died 23 Aug 1828.
1 John Foster MP for Dunleer 1790 to 1792 and died without issue
before 18 April 1792.
2 William Foster second son died at Drogheda in December 1779.
3 Thomas Foster younger son born circa 1772 married Harriet
Skeffington, Viscountess Massereene in her own right. He took the
name of Skeffington, inherited all titles; the later Viscounts
Massereene being their descendants. The family moved to Antrim
Castle when Harriet succeeded as Viscountess Massereene. Thomas
died in 1843.
4 Ann Dorothea Foster born circa 1774 married James Blackwood on
15 Nov 1801 at Collon. James was later, 2nd Baron Dufferin. James died
8 Aug 1836. Lady Dufferin died on 28 Mar 1865 at Glenharra, Co Down
aged 91. No issue found.
3 William Foster born 29 Jun 1744 baptised at St Marys took Holy orders. He was
chaplain to the Irish House of Commons from 1780 to 1789, then successively
Bishop of Cork and Ross from 1789 to 1790, Bishop of Kilmore from1790 to 1796
and Bishop of Clogher from 1796 to 1797. He married Catherine Letitia Leslie on
7 Jan 1779 (ML). Catherine was the daughter of Rev Henry Leslie of Ballibay,
Monaghan. William died in November 1797. Catherine died on 23 Oct 1814
at Tandragee and was buried at Collon graveyard.
1 Catherine Foster born circa 1781 baptised at St Marks. She married
William Drummond Dunlop Delap, son of Robert Delap. She died on
26 Sep 1842 at Monasterboice House.
2 John Leslie Foster eldest son married Letitia Fitzgerald at Herbert House,
Booterstown on 19 Aug 1814. Letitia was the youngest daughter of RT
Hon James Fitzgerald of Clare. John a judge died at Dunlear on
10 Jul 1842.
3 Ann Foster second daughter married Jonas Stawel of Summerhill, Co
Cork at Bath in February 1805.
4 Henrietta Foster, third daughter married Jerome Fane de Salis, Count of
the Holy Roman empire at St Thomas’s Church, London in May 1810.
5 Elizabeth Letitia, fourth daughter married Rev James McCreight of
Seapatrick at Collon in November 1818.
6 Letitia Dorothea Foster youngest daughter married John Henry North, a
barrister at Dublin in December 1818.
7 William Foster took Holy orders. He married Catherine Hamilton on
18 Dec 1821 at St George’s Dublin. Catherine was the daughter of James
Hamilton of Brownhall, Co Donegal. William was later rector of
Loughgilly, Co Armagh.
Anthony thirdly married Dorothea Burgh on 29 Jul 1749. Dorothy was a cousin of
Elizabeth and the daughter of architect Thomas de Burgh and his wife Mary Smyth. He
was sworn in as HM Counsel in 1760. He resided in Dublin successively in King Street
Kerry House in Molesworth-street, and in Collon, Co Louth. He was elected knight of
the shire for Co Louth 1761. In 1764 he received an address in a gold box from the
linen drapers of Ulster, the freedom of Drogheda, and plate valued at four hundred
pounds from the linen board in recognition of great service to the linen manufacturers
of Ireland. He was church warden in Dundalk Parish in 1765. He succeeded as Chief
Baron on the resignation of Willes in 1766. He retired as Chief Baron in 1773 and put
Merville up for sale or let in 1775. He died in Co Louth on 23 Apr 1779.
4 Anthony Foster baptised 15 Jan 1753 at St Mary’s.
5 James Foster baptised 30 Jun 1754 at St Mary's?
© June Bow & Karen Poff - June 2023
Anthony Foster married Elizabeth Burgh
born circa 1705 25 Feb 1736 born 7 Sep 1708
Dunlear, Co Louth St Mary’s
died 23 Apr 1779 Dublin died 1744
Co Louth Dublin
Anthony Foster born circa 1705 son and heir of John Foster of Dunlear and Elizabeth
Fortescue of Newrath, Co Louth. He attended Thomas Sheridan’s school in Dublin,
and graduated Trinity in 1722. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1732. He secondly
married Elizabeth Burgh 23 Feb 1736 (ML). Elizabeth was the daughter of Captain
Walter Burgh, Comptroller and Accountant General for Ireland, of Bearth (Bert), Co
Kildare and his wife Margaret Parnell. He purchased the 5000 acre Cullon (Collon)
estate, Co Louth in 1740. He set about improving the land and had 27 working lime
kilns on the estate and had 450 cars employed hauling stone, and flax seed from
Milford Haven. I n 'A Tour of Ireland' (1778) published in 1780, the author Arthur
Young mentions Foster whose improvements on the Collon estate ‘were of a
magnitude that I have never heard of before’…‘Mr. Forster could not bear so barren
a property, and determined to attempt the improvement of an estate of five thousand
acres till then deemed irreclaimable. He encouraged the tenants by every species of
persuasion and expense, but they had so ill an opinion of the land that he was forced
to begin with two or three thousand acres in his own hands; he did not, however, turn
out the people, but kept them in to see the effects of his operations.’ Elizabeth died in
1744.
1 Margaret Foster baptised 21 Feb 1737 at St Mary’s married Henry Maxwell in
1759. He was later Dean of Kilmore, Bishop of Dromore and Bishop of Meath.
Margaret died 3 April 1778. Henry died on 7 October 1798, aged 75, and was
buried at Ardbraccan.
1 John Maxwell
2 Henry Maxwell
2 John Foster Foster baptised 28 Sep 1740 at St Mary’s. In 1764, he married
Margaretta Amelia Burgh, daughter of Thomas Burgh, MP for Lanesborough, and
his wife Anne Downes, daughter of Dive Downes, Bishop of Cork and Ross. He was
elected to the family borough of Dunleer and became the member for Louth in
1768. In 1781 whilst he was living at Molesworth Street, he advertised looking for
a dairymaid and her husband to work on the estate in Collon and was also
looking to employ a master for the local school. He was living at King Street and
was appointed Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer in April 1784 before his election
as Speaker of the Irish Commons in 1785. He held office from 1785 until 1800.
John lived at Merville (UCD) in Clonskeagh, he also inherited Collon House in Co
Louth. In 1790 Margaretta was raised to the Irish peerage as Baroness Oriel, and
in 1797 Viscountess Ferrard. John was the last Speaker of the Irish House of
Commons up to its dissolution by the Act of Union in 1800. John Foster later
became a peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Oriel of Ferrard in the County of
Louth. In 1779 he was comptroller of Customs at Dublin Port. He was presented
with the freedom of the city in a gold box by the corporation of the guild of
merchants for services to trade in 1793. As Speaker he pronounced the final
words at the closing session on the 2 Aug 1800. He refused to surrender the
Speaker's mace made of solid silver and his chair declaring ‘Until the body that
entrusted it to my keeping demands it back’. These were kept by his family and
initially in the National Museum of Ireland and is now on display in the Bank of
Ireland, College Green. In 1821 he was created a peer of the United Kingdom as
Baron Oriel, of Ferrard, in the County of Louth. Baron Oriel born died 23 Aug 1828.
1 John Foster MP for Dunleer 1790 to 1792 and died without issue
before 18 April 1792.
2 William Foster second son died at Drogheda in December 1779.
3 Thomas Foster younger son born circa 1772 married Harriet
Skeffington, Viscountess Massereene in her own right. He took the
name of Skeffington, inherited all titles; the later Viscounts
Massereene being their descendants. The family moved to Antrim
Castle when Harriet succeeded as Viscountess Massereene. Thomas
died in 1843.
4 Ann Dorothea Foster born circa 1774 married James Blackwood on
15 Nov 1801 at Collon. James was later, 2nd Baron Dufferin. James died
8 Aug 1836. Lady Dufferin died on 28 Mar 1865 at Glenharra, Co Down
aged 91. No issue found.
3 William Foster born 29 Jun 1744 baptised at St Marys took Holy orders. He was
chaplain to the Irish House of Commons from 1780 to 1789, then successively
Bishop of Cork and Ross from 1789 to 1790, Bishop of Kilmore from1790 to 1796
and Bishop of Clogher from 1796 to 1797. He married Catherine Letitia Leslie on
7 Jan 1779 (ML). Catherine was the daughter of Rev Henry Leslie of Ballibay,
Monaghan. William died in November 1797. Catherine died on 23 Oct 1814
at Tandragee and was buried at Collon graveyard.
1 Catherine Foster born circa 1781 baptised at St Marks. She married
William Drummond Dunlop Delap, son of Robert Delap. She died on
26 Sep 1842 at Monasterboice House.
2 John Leslie Foster eldest son married Letitia Fitzgerald at Herbert House,
Booterstown on 19 Aug 1814. Letitia was the youngest daughter of RT
Hon James Fitzgerald of Clare. John a judge died at Dunlear on
10 Jul 1842.
3 Ann Foster second daughter married Jonas Stawel of Summerhill, Co
Cork at Bath in February 1805.
4 Henrietta Foster, third daughter married Jerome Fane de Salis, Count of
the Holy Roman empire at St Thomas’s Church, London in May 1810.
5 Elizabeth Letitia, fourth daughter married Rev James McCreight of
Seapatrick at Collon in November 1818.
6 Letitia Dorothea Foster youngest daughter married John Henry North, a
barrister at Dublin in December 1818.
7 William Foster took Holy orders. He married Catherine Hamilton on
18 Dec 1821 at St George’s Dublin. Catherine was the daughter of James
Hamilton of Brownhall, Co Donegal. William was later rector of
Loughgilly, Co Armagh.
Anthony thirdly married Dorothea Burgh on 29 Jul 1749. Dorothy was a cousin of
Elizabeth and the daughter of architect Thomas de Burgh and his wife Mary Smyth. He
was sworn in as HM Counsel in 1760. He resided in Dublin successively in King Street
Kerry House in Molesworth-street, and in Collon, Co Louth. He was elected knight of
the shire for Co Louth 1761. In 1764 he received an address in a gold box from the
linen drapers of Ulster, the freedom of Drogheda, and plate valued at four hundred
pounds from the linen board in recognition of great service to the linen manufacturers
of Ireland. He was church warden in Dundalk Parish in 1765. He succeeded as Chief
Baron on the resignation of Willes in 1766. He retired as Chief Baron in 1773 and put
Merville up for sale or let in 1775. He died in Co Louth on 23 Apr 1779.
4 Anthony Foster baptised 15 Jan 1753 at St Mary’s.
5 James Foster baptised 30 Jun 1754 at St Mary's?
© June Bow & Karen Poff - June 2023