Dorchester Illustration 2690 James and Anna Foster
Please join the Dorchester Historical Society and the Boston Preservation Alliance for look at the Dorchester Old North Burying Ground on Sunday, October 20, 2:30 to 4:30.
Registration required at bostonpreservation.org/cemetery
The subjects of this stone are James Foster (1651-1732) and Anna (Lane) Foster (1664-17320. Anna was James’ second wife. The stone was damaged and removed from the cemetery about 20 years ago. it has been repaired and was re-installed in the Dorchester Old North Burying Ground this week.
Three generations of the Foster family, all named James, were stone carvers in Dorchester.
The first James married first Mary Capen on September 22, 1674. Mary died Feb. 8, 1678-9. He married Anna on October 7, 1680. She died Sept. 29, 1732, and James died a few days later on October 4, 1732. She was 68, and he was 81 in the “82nd year of his age”.
The carving is attributed to James’s son James (1698-1771). The coat of arms and the acanthus leaves seem to be unusual for him. Acanthus leaves are a symbol of enduring life.
The stone has suffered a great amount of damage with attempts at repair. Some of the pieces are lost. In 2024, the stone was again repaired and re-installed in the cemetery this week.