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The Official Story
Chapter 17
The Foster epilogue
Very little is known about the lives of Isaac and Rebecca Foster after they left Hallowell. But you can find several interesting clues in the archives. In this 1792 diary entry of the minister Ezra Stiles, written while traveling through Westchester County NY, he reported, "Isaac Foster still at Bedford in the Parsonage House, but don't preach --- drinks a Quart Rum a Day. Wife handsome but mentis inops. Poor. Works for Colonel Sacket. A Devil incarnate -- an abandoned Minister!"
A 19th century history of Westchester County NY reported that Isaac Foster preached for two years in Bedford, New York, before leaving,"as tradition reports, with his name and that of his wife in bad repute."
The next clue appears in "The Eastern Shore Churchman" from 1927. Isaac Foster shows up as the minister of an Episcopal church in Rehoboth, Maryland from 1795 until his death in 1800. And a newspaper abstract from Princess Anne, Maryland tells us that according to Foster family lore, after Isaac's death, Rebecca Foster left for Peru with her youngest son to search for gold.
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Page 474
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DIARY OF EZRA STILES
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It was further agreed that the Corpora
& Coll. Officers shd all walk by themselves as a Body succeeded by the
Treasr, Profess. & Tutors. Between the Tutors & the Clergy,
to be placed Members of Congress, Councillors & eminent Civilians: then
succeed the Reverend Ministers. The President to be preceded by the Undergraduates,
Candidates Bach. & Masters, & the Bedellus Sheriff Fitch. The Order
of Rank & Procession thus settled, we proceeded to other preparatory
Business, and agreed to confer the hony Deg. of A.M. upon Dan1
Dewey Esq. and the Hon. Wm Hillhouse; the Deg. of LL.D. on Judge Marchant,
Hon. Jno Worthington & Lt Gov. Wolcott; the Deg.
of S.T.D. upon Revd Isaac Lewis, & upon Revd Rich'
Mansfield an Episco Clergyman-this the first Insta
of a theological Doctorate conferred in Yale Coll. on an Episcopal Clergyman.
This brought us to Eveng when we adjourned to Morng.
12. COMMENCEMENT. A fine pleasant Day.-The Procession accordg
to the Order settled proceeded to the Brick Meetg ; where the
Corpora only were situated upon the Stage on each Wing of the
Pulpit: the rest of the Stage left open for the Performers. The Process.
was accompanied alongside by a Band of six Musicians with Clarionets, Fr.
Horns &c. from New York, which played excellently. Havg entered
the Meetghouse, the Exercises were as follows |
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Anthem & Musick
Prayer
An Eng. Oration by Asa Chapman
Forensic Disputation by Sir Hoyt & Sir Sherman 2.
A Hebrew Oration by Sir Cooley
An English Dialogue by Sir Hedges, Marcht, Esten, Savage
Eng. Orat. by Sir Lothrop
A Greek Dialogue between Sir Wms & Sir Chauncy
An Eng. Oration by Sir Botsford.
Dinner in Coll. Hall 140 present
AFTERNO0N
An Eng. Orat. by Mr. Tutor Basset on the great and happy
Event of a Union of Civilians & Ecclesiastics in the
Govt
of the University.
A Latin Orat. on the same subject by the President
An Eng. Orat. by Mr. Edwds
A latin Valedy Orat. by Mr. Pynchon
The Graduation-71 Degrees
Anthem Musick
Prayer concluded : finished at Sunset.
Procession returned to Chapel-About 80 or 90 Ministers present.
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