Home   |   Customer Service   |   Site Map   |   Surname Search   |   How To Buy

Shopping Cart
0 Items
UP to 50% OFF - Weekly Specials
Share |
Decrease Font Size Text Increase Font Size
An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2012
Forster Family Crest
Forster Family Crest
Forster

   Buy JPG Image »


    Buy PDF History »

Popular Products
Armorial History With Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series - 300 DPI
Key-chain
Coffee Mug
Armorial History with Frame
Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms

Contents

Origins Available: Dutch, English, German, Scottish

Where did the English Forster family come from? What is the English Forster family crest and coat of arms? When did the Forster family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Forster family history?

The Forster surname was no doubt taken on by someone who either lived in or near a forest, or perhaps worked in the forest. The Middle English word "forest" referred specifically to an area of woodland reserved by law as hunting grounds for the king or his nobles. No doubt, as a surname, Forster would have appeared independently in various parts of Britain. Alternately, some instances of this surname are thought to derive from the Old French (Norman) word "forcetier," which was originally an occupational name for a maker or user of scissors or clipping shears.

 More

Although the name, Forster, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Forrester, Forester, Forrest, Forster, Foster, Forrestor, Forrister, Fewster, Foister, Foyster and many more.

First found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early records include John Forester, listed in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey of 1183, Warin le Forstere in London in 1199, and Richard le Forester listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1240. There was a line of Forsters who held Bamborough Castle, Northumberland, beginning with Sir John Forster, said to have fought with King Richard I in the Crusades of the 12th century; Governing the castle until the mid 18th century. There was also a Shropshire family of this name, who held custody of part of the Wrekin forest. An early record of this family lists a Hugh Forester as a witness 1187.


 More

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forster research. Another 198 words(14 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1275, 1379, 1515, and 1602 are included under the topic Early Forster History in all our PDF Extended History products.

 More

More information is included under the topic Early Forster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.

 More

Some of the Forster family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 200 words(14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products.

 More

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Forster family name Forster, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Forster Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century


  • Josias Forster, aged 43, landed in Bermuda in 1635
  • Jane Forster, who arrived in Maryland in 1653
  • Richard Forster, who landed in Maryland in 1653
  • Richard, Forster Jr., who arrived in Maryland in 1653
  • Ann Forster, who arrived in Maryland in 1653


Forster Settlers in the United States in the 18th Century


  • Peter Forster, who arrived in New Jersey in 1709
  • Johan Mike] Forster, who landed in New York in 1709
  • Johan Georg Forster, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710
  • Hans Michael Forster, who came to Philadelphia in 1727
  • Johan Jac Forster, aged 30, landed in Pennsylvania in 1741


Forster Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century


  • Thos Forster, who landed in America in 1806
  • Elnr Forster, who landed in America in 1806
  • Francis Forster, who landed in Maryland in 1807
  • Frederick Forster, who arrived in Mississippi in 1839
  • Andra Forster, who landed in New York, NY in 1843


Forster Settlers in the United States in the 20th Century


  • Bertha Forster, who arrived in Colorado in 1903

 More

  • John Forster (b. 1948), American folk musician
  • Robert Forster (b. 1941), American actor nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for Jackie Brown
  • Brigadier-General George Jacob Forster (1891-1979), American Assistant Commanding General 66th Division (1944-1945)
  • Henry William Forster (1866-1936), English politician, created 1st Baron Forster of Lepe, County of Southampton in 1919, Governor-General of Australia (1920-1925)
  • Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH (1879-1970), English novelist, short story writer and essayist
  • Raymond Robert Forster (1922-2000), world renowned spider expert from New Zealand
  • John Wycliffe Lowes Forster (1850-1938), Canadian artist
  • William Edward Forster (1818-1886), British statesman, member of the UK Parliament
  • William Forster (1818-1882), Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales (1859-1860)
  • Margaret Forster (b. 1938), British author


 More

Popular Family Crest Products
 
Forster Armorial History With Coat of Arms
Forster Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
Forster Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series
Forster Coat of Arms/Family Crest Key-chain
Forster Coat of Arms/Family Crest Coffee Mug
Forster Armorial History with Frame
Forster Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms
More Family Crest Products
 More

 More

  1. Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
  2. Marcharn, Frederick George. A Constitutional History of Modern England 1485 to the Present. London: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Print.
  3. Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
  4. Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
  5. Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
  6. Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
  7. Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
  8. Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
  9. Hanks, Hodges, Mills and Room. The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7).
  10. Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
  11. ...

The Forster Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Forster Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 29 February 2012 at 09:02.

©2000-2012 Swyrich Corporation. See Terms of Use for details.
houseofnames.com is an internet property owned by Swyrich Corporation.

Tools
UP to 50% OFF - Weekly Specials