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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Foster (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Foster. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Foster is located in Mathews County.

To see how the shape of Virginia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mathews County: Gloucester & Middlesex.

Below are the counties that are near Foster. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Foster:

  • Mathews County     (The home county of Foster)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Cardinal
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Cardinal is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardinal
    • Mathews
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Ruff
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Ruff is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruff
    • Beaverlett
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Beaverlett is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaverlett
    • Diggs
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Onemo
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Onemo is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onemo
    • Susan
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Susan is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Susan
    • Peary
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Peary is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peary
    • New Point
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Gloucester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • North
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Freeport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Freeport is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
    • Money
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Money is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Money
    • Roanes
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Roanes is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanes
    • Gloucester Courthouse
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Gloucester Courthouse is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gloucester Courthouse
    • White Marsh
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Ark
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Ark is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ark
    • Rowes Haven
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Rowes Haven is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowes Haven
    • Ordinary
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Achilles
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Achilles is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Achilles
    • Country Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Country Village is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Village
    • Belroi
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Belroi is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belroi
    • Adner
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Adner is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adner
  • Hampton City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Newgate Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Newgate Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newgate Village
    • Buckroe Beach
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Buckroe Beach is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckroe Beach
    • Chapel Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Chapel Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapel Village
    • Pine Chapel Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Pine Chapel Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Chapel Village
    • Aberdeen Gardens
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Aberdeen Gardens is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen Gardens
    • Greenwood Farms
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Greenwood Farms is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood Farms
    • Hampton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Phoebus
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Phoebus is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phoebus
  • James City County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Norge
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Jamestown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • King and Queen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Plain View
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Plain View is located in King and Queen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plain View
    • Mattaponi
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • King and Queen Court House
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • King William County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • West Point
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Romancoke
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Romancoke is located in King William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romancoke
  • Lancaster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Westland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Westland is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westland
    • White Stone
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Irvington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Ocran
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Ocran is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocran
    • Weems
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Weems is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weems
    • Millenbeck
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Millenbeck is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millenbeck
    • Kilmarnock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Ottoman
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Ottoman is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottoman
    • Merry Point
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Merry Point is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merry Point
    • Griffins Landing
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Griffins Landing is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffins Landing
    • Richtown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Richtown is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richtown
    • Monaskon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Monaskon is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monaskon
    • Lankford Corner
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Lankford Corner is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lankford Corner
  • Middlesex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Wilton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Wilton is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
    • Amburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Amburg is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amburg
    • Sandy Bottom ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Sandy Bottom is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Bottom
    • Hartfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Stingray Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Stingray Point is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stingray Point
    • Grafton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Grafton is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton
    • Harmony Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Harmony Village is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Village
    • Locust Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Saluda
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Urbanna
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Remlik
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Nesting
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Nesting is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nesting
  • New Kent County
    • Plum Point
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Plum Point is located in New Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plum Point
  • Newport News City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Lee Hall
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Lee Hall is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Hall
    • Red Hill Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Red Hill Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill Village
    • Newport News
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Bernard Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Bernard Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernard Village
    • Hilton Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Hilton Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton Village
  • Northampton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Cherrystone
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Cherrystone is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherrystone
    • Cape Charles
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Bridgetown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Bridgetown is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgetown
    • Eastville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Jamesville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jamesville is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamesville
    • Pleasant Cove Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Pleasant Cove Village is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Cove Village
    • Cheriton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Machipongo
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Bayview
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Bayview is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayview
    • Pat Town
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Pat Town is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pat Town
    • Birdsnest
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Nassawadox
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Cheapside
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Cheapside is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheapside
  • Northumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Lynhams
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Lynhams is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynhams
    • Fleeton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Fleeton is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleeton
    • Remo
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Remo is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remo
    • Blackwells
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Blackwells is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackwells
    • Reedville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Lara
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Lara is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lara
    • Sunnybank
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Sunnybank is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnybank
  • Poquoson City
    • Poquoson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Richmond County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Simonson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Simonson is located in Richmond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simonson
    • Downings
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Downings is located in Richmond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Downings
  • Surry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Homewood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Homewood is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homewood
    • Scotland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Scotland is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotland
  • Williamsburg City
    • Williamsburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.
    • Yorktown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Lackey
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Lackey is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lackey
    • Dare
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Dare is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dare
    • Charles Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Charles Corner is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charles Corner
    • Oaktree
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Oaktree is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oaktree
    • Rochambeau Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Rochambeau Village is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochambeau Village
    • Barlows Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Barlows Corner is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlows Corner
    • Yorkville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Yorkville is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkville

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Foster, see our County-by-County Page for Foster.

Cemeteries Near Foster ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Foster.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Foster - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Foster covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.

  • Trinity Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Emmaus Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Providence Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • First Baptist Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Sibley Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • White Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Ruff Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mickelborough Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Christ Church Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mathews Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Ebenezer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (158 more) ...
    • Hudgins Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Smither Memorial Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Spring Hill Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<2>

While we didn't find Foster in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Foster.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Foster, with the one closest to Foster listed first.

  • Cobbs Creek
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Hudgins
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Hudgins is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudgins
  • Blakes
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Blakes is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blakes
  • Bohannon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Bohannon is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bohannon
  • Cricket Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Cricket Hill is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cricket Hill
  • Ware Neck
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Ware Neck is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ware Neck
  • Port Haywood
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Fitchetts
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Fitchetts is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitchetts
  • Wilton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Wilton is located in Middlesex County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
  • Laban
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Laban is located in Mathews County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laban
  • Diggs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Sandy Bottom ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Sandy Bottom is located in Middlesex County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Bottom
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • New Upton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • New Upton is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Upton
    • Gloucester Courthouse
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Gloucester Courthouse is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gloucester Courthouse
    • Roanes
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Roanes is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanes

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Foster. See our List of 1890's Communities around Foster.

Newspapers Published in Foster ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 10 newspapers that have been published in the area around Foster.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Foster, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Foster.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Foster:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Foster, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Foster) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.