{{Short description|American clergyman and politician (1735–1806)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Abiel Foster | image = Abiel Foster (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Etching of Abiel Foster by Max Rosenthal | signature = Abiel Foster signature.svg | office = Member of the 3rd Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | term_start = July 29, 1783 | term_end = November 1, 1783 | office2 = Member of the 4th Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | term_start2 = November 3, 1783 | term_end2 = June 3, 1784 | office3 = Member of the 5th Congress of the Confederation from New Hampshire | term_start3 = November 1, 1784 | term_end3 = November 6, 1785 | office4 = Judge of the Court of Common Pleas from New Hampshire (Rockingham County) | term_start4 = 1784 | term_end4 = 1788 | office5 = Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's at-large district (Seat 1) | term_start5 = June 23, 1789 | term_end5 = March 3, 1791 | predecessor5 = (none) | successor5 = Jeremiah Smith | office6 = Member of the New Hampshire Senate | term_start6 = June 7, 1791 | term_end6 = January 16, 1795 | office7 = President of the New Hampshire Senate | term_start7 = June 9, 1794 | term_end7 = January 16, 1795 | office8 = Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's at-large district (Seat 4) | term_start8 = December 7, 1795 | term_end8 = March 3, 1803 | predecessor8 = Paine Wingate | successor8 = David Hough<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/13346|title=FOSTER, Abiel | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date|1735|8|8|mf=y}} | birth_place = Andover, Province of Massachusetts Bay | death_date = {{death date and age|1806|2|6|1735|8|8}} | death_place = Canterbury, New Hampshire, U.S. | resting_place = | spouse = Hannah Badger Foster<br/>Mary Wise Rogers Foster | children = 8 | profession = {{hlist|Pastor|politician}} | alma_mater = Harvard University | party = Federalist }} '''Abiel Foster''' (August 8, 1735 – February 6, 1806) was an American clergyman and politician from Canterbury, Province of New Hampshire. He represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress and the U.S. Congress. He was the first person in United States history elected to Congress in a special election.
==Biography== Foster was born in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1735, the son of Captain Asa Foster of Colonel Ebenezer Colonial Regiment<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cutter|first=William Richard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OU0k2d8nl3IC&q=captain+asa+foster&pg=PA2022|title=Genealogical and Personal Memoirs: Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts|date=2000|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=978-0-8063-4549-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Anderson|first=Fred|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G6HqCQAAQBAJ&q=captain+asa+foster&pg=PA146|title=A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers and Society in the Seven Years' War|date=2012-12-01|publisher=UNC Press Books|isbn=978-0-8078-3828-0|language=en}}</ref> and Elizabeth Abbot. A relative of Jedediah Foster, a judge, American Revolutionary and Harvard Law graduate (1744), the first member of the Foster family in America to receive a "liberal education". Abiel Foster was inspired to follow in the footsteps of Jedediah and entered Harvard College, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1756. After studying in theology, he was ordained as a pastor in Canterbury, January 26, 1761, he married Hanna Badger in that year. He served as pastor in Canterbury until 1779. At that time Abiel Foster retired to private life but would not be long before he returned to public service. During his 18 years as Minister of Canterbury he built trust with the people and he was appointed to the General Court. During his life, Abiel Foster held "various offices of trust and honour with reputation to himself and usefulness to the community.<ref>The New Hampshire Repository. Volumes 1-2, page 205</ref>
Abiel Foster served in Congress under first President of the United States George Washington and 2nd President John Adams, while working with the Founding Fathers of the United States, to help build a functioning federal government.
While a member of the Continental Congress, Abiel Foster left an impression on a young Daniel Webster, after a meeting one summer afternoon. Webster's father, Ebenezer Webster told his son that he could have had Abiel Foster's place in the Congress if he had more votes. Ebenezer extolled the virtues of an education to his son, explaining that it was an education that made the difference between him and Foster. He said that "It is education that has made Foster what he is and the lack of it has made your father what he is".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24485134/foster-abiel-another-account-of-abiel/|title=Foster, Abiel, Another account of Abiel Foster by Daniel Webster|date=1910-08-28|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=2020-04-10|pages=66}}</ref>
Abiel Foster's first wife Hanna died in 1768. His second wife, Mary Wise Rogers, was the granddaughter of John Rogers (Harvard); they had eight children.<ref>{{cite web|title=Abiel Foster|url=http://records.ancestry.com/Abiel_Foster_records.ashx?pid=130537681|publisher=Ancestry.com|accessdate=5 July 2013}}</ref> Martha, who married Jeremiah Clough, Mary who married Henry Gerrish, Abiel Jr. who married Susanna Moore, Elizabeth who married Enoch Gerrish and Nancy who married John Greenough.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O1wSAAAAYAAJ&q=Foster&pg=RA1-PA107|title=The New Hampshire Repository|date=1846|publisher=Alfred Prescott|language=en}}</ref>
==Career== In 1775, Foster was Deputy to the Provincial Congress at Exeter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=F000297|title=Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details|website=bioguideretro.congress.gov|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref> From 1783 to 1785, Foster was a delegate for New Hampshire to the Continental Congress.<ref>{{cite web|title=Abiel Foster|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000297|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate=5 July 2013}}</ref> Between 1784 and 1788, he was a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Rockingham County N.H.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/F/FOSTER,-Abiel-(F000297)/|title=FOSTER, Abiel {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives|website=history.house.gov|language=en|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref> On March 3, 1789, he became a member of the First United States Congress, under the first Constitution of the United States of America, as a Representative from New Hampshire until March 3, 1791. He returned to the New Hampshire Senate in 1791 and served there until 1794. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1792,<ref>{{Cite web |title=A New Nation Votes |url=https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/0v838181r |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=elections.lib.tufts.edu}}</ref> but was successfully elected again in 1794, serving there from December 7, 1795, to March 3, 1803.<ref>{{cite web|title=Abiel Foster|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/abiel_foster/404246|publisher=Govtrack US Congress|accessdate=5 July 2013}}</ref>
On July 14, 1798, Foster voted in favor of the Alien and Sedition Acts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24520942/foster-abiel-sedation-act-july-14/|title=Foster, Abiel, Sedation Act July 14, 1798|date=March 7, 1842|work=The Tennessean|access-date=2020-04-10|pages=2}}</ref>
==Death== Foster died in Canterbury on February 6, 1806. He is interred at the Center Cemetery, Canterbury, New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite web|title=Abiel Foster|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/foster.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=5 July 2013}}</ref>
==Memorial==
March 22, 1942, the California Shipbuilding Company launches its 16th Liberty type, 10,500-ton freighter, S.S. Abiel Foster.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24509431/uss-abiel-foster/|title=U.S.S. Abiel Foster|date=March 23, 1942|work=The Atlanta Constitution|access-date=2020-04-10|pages=2}}</ref> The day before, the S.S. Benjamin Franklin, launched November 16, 1941, completed its test run. The S.S. Abiel Foster took part as a troop supply ship during World War II and contributed to the Invasion of Normandy.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stingley|first=Alisa|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24513539/the-times/|title=D-Day: 50 years later|date=June 6, 1994|work=The Times|access-date=2020-04-10|pages=1}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [ftp://digitalpreservation.gov/pub/drstaff/lawmaking/JnlContCong/PDF-files/Jnl-Cont-Cong-v26.pdf Journals of the Continental Congress 1784-1789]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} {{Commons category}} {{CongBio|F000297}} *{{Find a Grave|7840244}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=New Hampshire | district=AL | before=''(none)'' | after=Jeremiah Smith | years=June 23, 1789 – March 3, 1791}} {{US House succession box | state=New Hampshire | district=AL | before=Paine Wingate | after=David Hough | years=March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1803}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Abiel}} Category:1735 births Category:1806 deaths Category:People from Andover, Massachusetts Category:18th-century American Congregationalist ministers Category:Harvard College alumni Category:Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire Category:New Hampshire state senators Category:Federalist Party United States representatives from New Hampshire Category:Clergy from colonial Massachusetts Category:People from Canterbury, New Hampshire Category:19th-century New Hampshire politicians Category:19th-century United States representatives Category:18th-century United States representatives Category:Candidates in the 1792 United States elections