I have learned that there are many kinds of research in genealogy:
- Research based on solid documentation
- Research based on circumstantial evidence and speculation
- Research based on family lore passed down from prior generations
- Copy and paste; hoping the research of someone else is true
- DNA — the final word and absolute truth in research
While researching my ancestor John M. Foster of Union County, South Carolina, I took the research done by another as gospel. For many years, I believed that he married Catherine Palmer Adair.
I always had a tinge of doubt in the back of my mind. The “story” seemed a little “off” to me, but the research was posted on a website that seems to be a little more right than not. I added Catherine Adair to my family tree.
WHAT I READ AND BELIEVED
“John M. Foster was a brother of Jeremiah, Jared, Thomas, Frederick, Nancy and Martha Foster. He was born circa 1788, at Grindal Shoals, S. C.
He was a lawyer and was first married to Catherine Adair, daughter of Gov. John and Catherine Palmer Adair.
FALSE. JOHN M. FOSTER OF UNION COUNTY SC WAS A FARMER, NOT A LAWYER, AND HE DID NOT MARRY CATHERINE PALMER ADAIR.
John M. and Catherine Adair Foster were married in Mercer County, Kentucky, on February 22, 1814.
JOHN MILTON FOSTER OF KENTUCKY — WHO WAS A LAWYER –MARRIED CATHERINE ADAIR IN 1814.
They had several children: Catherine Adair Foster (born circa 1815, died unknown); Mary Foster (born 1-24-1818, died 5-18-1871); and Thomas J. Foster (born 10-2-1818—according to tombstone records; possibly erroneous—Federal Census records indicate that he was born in 1820; died 2-22-1888).
JOHN MILTON FOSTER AND CATHERINE ADAIR HAD TWO DAUGHTERS — KITTY AND MARY — BEFORE CATHERINE’S DEATH IN 1820.
MY SOURCE: (page 86 of Adair History; “The Adair, Polk, and Townsend Families Tree, Date 1700-1900’s, Page 1 of 5” “Genealogy of Adair Family” Recorded by William Germain Vincent)
John M. moved back to Union District, S. C., and after his first wife, Catherine, died on November 16, 1820.
JOHN M. FOSTER OF UNION COUNTY SC NEVER LIVED IN KENTUCKY.
Thomas J. Foster, son of John M. and Catherine Adair Foster, married Emma Kelly, daughter of Thomas Kelly and his second wife, Mary Hames. She was born 7-19-1823, and died 6-24-1892. They had two sons and a daughter.
THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH IS WRONG ON SO MANY FRONTS!
- JOHN M. FOSTER OF SOUTH CAROLINA DID NOT MARRY CATHERINE ADAIR
- JOHN M. FOSTER OF KENTUCKY AND CATHERINE ADAIR DID NOT HAVE A SON NAMED THOMAS J. FOSTER
- JOHN M. FOSTER OF SOUTH CAROLINE DID HAVE A SON NAMED THOMAS T. “BOOZER” FOSTER
There is a discrepancy in Thomas J. Foster’s birthdate. He is listed as 40 in the 1860 Federal Census of Union County, S. C., and if this is correct then he would have been born in 1820 instead of 1818. Since his sister, Mary, was born in 1818, the 1820 date of birth for Thomas seems more feasible.
Thomas J. Foster’s mother, Catherine, died in 1820, and could have died from complications from the birth of Thomas. Year of Thomas’ birth listed on his tombstone may be erroneous.
THERE IS MORE THAN A DISCREPANCY IN THE BIRTH DATE OF THOMAS J. FOSTER. THERE IS A HUGE DISCREPANCY IN THE NAMES OF HIS PARENTS.
HIS FATHER WAS NOT JOHN M. FOSTER OF KENTUCKY OR JOHN M. FOSTER OF UNION COUNTY, SC.
HIS MOTHER WAS MOST DEFINITELY NOT CATHERINE ADAIR.
THE TRUTH
Let’s get something out of the way. I cannot say this enough:
John M. Foster of Union County, South Carolina was NOT married to Catherine Palmer Adair, the daughter of Kentucky governor John Adair.
In my research of John M. Foster of Union County, I quickly ran into well documented conflicting evidence.
After only an hour of research, it was glaringly apparent that the John M. Foster who married Catherine Adair (daughter of the Governor) was NOT the same John M. Foster who was in Union County.
WHO WAS CATHERINE ADAIR ?
Catherine Palmer Adair was born July 7, 1792. She was the fourth daughter and one of twelve children born to future Kentucky Governor John Adair and his wife Catherine Palmer.
Her father John Adair (1757–1840) was born in Chester County, South Carolina in 1757, the son of Ulster immigrants. He served in the Revolutionary War, and entered South Carolina politics afterwards.
He married Catherine Palmer in 1784. Two years later, they left Carolina for the bluegrass pastures of Kentucky.
Once settled in the great state of Kentucky, John Adair became heavily involved in politics. During his political career, he served in the State Legislature, he was elected to the US Senate and Congress, and he was the Governor of Kentucky from 1820 to 1824.
As politics go, he was not free of controversy. He was caught up in scandal from his association with Aaron Burr. His bravery as a Militia General in the War of 1812 restored his reputation. He reentered political life and served his constituents until 1833.
His daughters married well. Two daughters married judges; five daughters –including Catherine — married lawyers. There were two doctor sons-in-law, and one of John Adair’s sons was a doctor.
Not bad for a family only a generation away from the Irish motherland.
THE MAN SHE MARRIED
Catherine Palmer Adair did in fact marry a lawyer named John M. Foster.
His name was John Milton Foster. His stats are below:
- Born: October 13, 1788 in Franklin County, Kentucky
- Father: Richard Foster (b. 1761)
- Mother: Sarah Tucker (b. 1763)
- Married Catherine Palmer Adair: February 22, 1814
- Married Marcia Barrett White: October 9, 1821 Franklin County, Kentucky,
- Died: May 9, 1841 Franklin County, Kentucky
John Adair’s letter of permission for his daughter Catherine Palmer Adair to marry John M. Foster:
The Marriage License of John M. Foster and Catherine Palmer Adair:
The Marriage Register — February 22, 1814 — Mercer County, Kentucky:
SOLID EVIDENCE THAT CATHERINE PALMER ADAIR MARRIED JOHN M. FOSTER OF KENTUCKY AND NOT JOHN M. FOSTER OF UNION COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA
I found evidence — all in Kentucky — of the 1814 marriage between John M. Foster and Catherine Palmer Adair, the birth of two daughters, the 1820 death of Catherine, his political work, the appointment of John M. Foster as Register of the Land Records, his 1821 second marriage to Marcia Barrett White, the birth of two sons, and the death of one, the (almost) scandal of borrowing money from public funds, his arrest for murdering a black woman, and finally his 1841 death in Kentucky.
John M. Foster’s relationship as son-in-law of Governor Adair was clearly and often stated in the documents found in my research. That relationship and the high profile scandals (money and murder) –plus the public office he held for many years — meant much was written about him.
John M. Foster married in Kentucky, lived his life in Kentucky, and died in Kentucky.
John M. Foster had been married to Catherine Adair for almost four years when the first scandal made headlines.
The article I found from 1818 is long and very detailed. Bottom line: John M. Foster borrowed public money, and had not paid it back. He did not get into too much trouble, perhaps because he was married to the daughter of a politically powerful man.
John M. Foster was a lawyer and politically well-connected, thanks to the influence of his father-in-law. He was named a Director of the Bank of Kentucky in January 1820.
Were people talking? Maybe. John M. Foster felt the need to write a lengthy letter for publication in the newspapers. He was appointed as Register of the Land Office and wanted to assure the public that he did not get this position because General John Adair soon-to-be-Governor-of-Kentucky was his father-in-law. Nice try.
Only twenty-eight years old, Catherine Palmer Adair Foster died November 16, 1820. Her obituary paid tribute to an educated, refined, Christian woman. Her husband and the two daughters she left behind must have missed her greatly.
His wife barely in her grave, lawyer John M. Foster continued his work for the State of Kentucky. Below is an estate settlement legal document from Chancery Court.
A clipping from a local newspaper of 1820 noting the name of John M. Foster as a Director of the Bank of Kentucky:
On October 9, 1821, not even a year since the death of wife Catherine, John M. Foster married Marcia Barrett White (1802-1869). She was a daughter of Col. Phillip White. With two young daughters to care for, a woman was needed in the home.
This was a long article published in 1822 regarding the sale of public land. I have chosen to only include the last part of the article which documents the name John M. Foster and his title of Register of Land Office.
John M. Foster and his second wife Marcia Barrett White had two sons: Phillip White Foster (1822–1823) and Dr. Thomas White Foster (1824–1886).
Below is the obituary for their infant son:
DIED —On the 13th inst. after a lingering illness of about three months, PHILLIP WHITE FOSTER, infant son of John M. Foster, Esq. Register of the Land Office, aged one year and nine days.
SCANDAL
The last Commentator mentions a shocking affair which occurred in Frankfort a few days ago — Mr. John M. Foster, Register of the Land Office, in a fit of intoxication, murdered a negro woman by shooting her with a rifle. He has been committed to jail.
From 1824 to 1832, I find no documentation on John M. Foster. Was he convicted and sent to prison, or did his former father-in-law Governor John Adair save the day?
The mention below of John M. Foster on a Committee for the Governor at least confirms that he was a free man and back on the fringe of politics by 1832. John Breathitt (1786-1834) was then the Governor of Kentucky.
John M. Foster died May 9, 1841 in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. He had retained the position of Register of the Land Office until his death. He was replaced by James Robertson.
Another newspaper article confirming the death of John M. Foster, and his replacement as Register of the Land Office:
Six years after the death of John M. Foster, a notice was placed in the newspaper announcing the pending sale of a property he had owned at the corner of Broadway and Washington Streets in Frankfort, Kentucky. The town tax had not been paid by his heirs. This property was near the old State Capitol building and nestled in the curve of the Kentucky River.
In 1845, his widow Marcia Barrett White Foster married Henry Morehead (b. 1797). She died in Lexiington, Kentucky in 1869.
CONCLUSION
I have offered concrete documentation to prove that the John M. Foster who married Catherine Palmer Adair lived his life in Kentucky, and never ventured into South Carolina.
I did not include the 1840 Frankfort City, Kentucky Census record. I did not feel the need to “over” document. But 1840 shows John M. Foster in a household with a young wife, two daughters from a first marriage, and his son from a second marriage who would become a doctor.
From 1818 through his death in 1841, and even until 1847, I have presented enough research to convince even the most avid researcher that it was John M. Foster of Kentucky and not John M. Foster of Union County, South Carolina who married the Governor’s daughter.
My ancestor John M. Foster was born in Union County circa 1788. He was not a lawyer or a politician. But he has a story, and it will be told. Stay tuned.
THE FOWLER FAMILIES OF UNION COUNTY, SC 
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