Mary Foster (née Helden)

Part of a nexus of absentee slave-owners in Britain. She was the daughter and heir of Mary Helden (q.v.), the wife of Thomas Foster MP of Egham (q.v.) and legatee of Deborah Hurt (q.v.).

1. Will of Mary Foster of Egham [made 03/12/1776] proved 28/04/1777. In the will she left monetary legacies and annuities to a range of family, friends and servants (the most material £500 to Mrs Mary McConnell of Londonderry and £1000 to John Helden of Wrexham and £500 to Benjamin Helden of Granard Ireland, all three specifically to be raised from the St Kitts estate), and forgave her nephews Thomas Foster and Samuel Warren Foster any amounts owing to her from the Elim, Waterford and Lancaster estates in Jamaica, to half of the produce of which she was entitled under the will of her husband. Her residuary heir was her kinsman Cornelius Helden of Granard Ireland.

2. A portrait, Mary Heldren (1726-1766) with a Dog and her Black Page, 'Sambo', is owned by the National Trust and held at Sprivers Mansion in Kent in a collection of paintings donated with the house by Robert Courthorpe (1891-1966). Image © The National Trust. Note that her year of death in this source must be incorrect, given that she wrote her will in December 1776. Mrs Mary Foster was buried in Egham, Surrey, 30/12/1776.

1. PROB 11/1030/307.

2. See http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/863685 [accessed 22/07/2020]; Findmypast.co.uk, Surrey Burials [database online].

We are grateful to Chloe Austin for her assistance with compiling this entry.