William Foster

William Foster

Male 1908 -

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  • Name William Foster 
    Born 1908  Transvaal, South Africa Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Siblings 3 siblings 
    Person ID I1996  Foster
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2009 

    Father John Foster,   b. Abt 1877, Liverpool, Lancashire, UK Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 23 Jul 1943, Libertas Nursing Home, Van Der Merwe Street, Johannesburg, South Africa Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 66 years) 
    Mother Charlotte Yakles,   b. 21 Dec 1883, Kirkdale, Lancashire, UK Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Jan 1972, Durban, South Africa Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years) 
    Married 10 Feb 1908  Germiston, Johannesburg, South Africa Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    • The marriage was by special licence. Witnesses were B A Mackay and (?) C H Blains.

      The following was written by Lynette Lombard/Curry, grandaughter of John and Charlotte:

      "My grandmother, Charlotte, talked about " 'ome" all her life. In fact she was very lonely when she arrived in the vast wide open spaces of the Transvaal as a young bride. I have travelled past some of these railway stations, and when I did so they were still just as isolated.
      Add to this the fact that the South African / Boer War ended in 1902, and she arrived shortly after this when animosity between the Boers and English was high. Also, the Boers spoke high Dutch so she must have missed having friends. She longed for her
      family ( also beach concerts in Liverpool, Lancashire, UK) so much, that the family returned " 'ome" when my mother was about 2 and her brother William a little older. John Foster apparently was asthmatic and suffered in Liverpool, Lancashire, UK's damp climate. It must have also have been a difficult time regarding employment and the rumours of war. John missed the dry climate of the Transvaal and the opportunities there, so he returned to SA while his wife remained behind for the birth of her 2nd daughter Charlotte. They returned with a companion to help on the voyage.
      Mom told me stories about the her time there - one, particularly memorable, being held over a barrel of hot tar to help her chest! She told of the deck chairs they had to take on board and the large fruitcake someone brought them for the jojourney. She never forgot that a sailor had bought colourful balls for Bill and for her. When he kicked his
      overboard, he said it was her ball that had landed in the ocean. When the sailor heard about this he said, "Never mind darling," and bought her a little doll!

      I also heard that John and Charlotte were married by proxy when he left for SA. I think she was brave to follow later on her own. Evidently he travelled to Durban to meet her and they were married in the Transvaal." [2]
    John Foster marriage to Charlotte Yakels 1908
    John Foster marriage to Charlotte Yakels 1908
    John Foster married Charlotte Yakels by proxy on 10 Feb 1908, in Germiston, Wittersrand, South Africa.
    Family ID F562  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Spouse D.M. Botha 
    Children 
    +1. B.M. Foster
    +2. J.W. Foster
    +3. N. Foster
    Last Modified 29 Sep 2009 
    Family ID F568  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 1908 - Transvaal, South Africa Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    William Foster, 1935
    William Foster, 1935
    William Foster, 1935, at the wedding of his sister Eva and Henry Curry in Johannesburg
    John and Charlotte Foster, 1910
    John and Charlotte Foster, 1910
    John and Charlotte are in front of their home in South Africa, with their children William and Eva.
    Willam and Dorothea Maria Foster at their 50th wedding anniversary, May 1986.
    Willam and Dorothea Maria Foster at their 50th wedding anniversary, May 1986.
    Bill Foster and friend
    Bill Foster and friend
    I believe that Bill is the taller of the two.
    John and Charlotte Foster with children and friends, 1921
    John and Charlotte Foster with children and friends, 1921
    This photo was taken in January 1921, at Volksrust, Transvaal, SA. John and Charlotte were on an English picnic with English friends. The faces are unrecognisable, but the 6 family members have a blue dot to mark them out.
    Siblings Bill and Eva Foster, 1911
    Siblings Bill and Eva Foster, 1911
    This photo of the young Bill and baby Eva was taken outside their house in Transvaal.
    The Foster siblings, Eva, Ivy, Charlotte and Bill, 1942
    The Foster siblings, Eva, Ivy, Charlotte and Bill, 1942

  • Sources 
    1. [S61] Delwyn Hardie, Ancestry.

    2. [S36] MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.