John Foster volunteered
for service in British Columbia with the Columbia Detachment in 1858.
He traveled on board the
Thames City with the main body of the Detachment, arriving in the Colony
the 12th April 1859.
| As a Sapper Foster Regimental Pay per Diem
would have been 1s. 2 1/2d. plus Working Pay per Diem of 1s.
to 4s. |
Foster remained in the Colony
when the Detachment disbanded in November of 1863.
In October of 1869, George
Leggatt, captain Luard's brother-in-law, was in the Pitt Meadows area of
the Colony looking for a spot to start a cattle ranch.
|
21st October - Just as we were starting, a
man came up, an old sapper (Serjeant John McMurphy ex-RE), who told
us he had just located his claim at the head of the slough. Could
give us no information himself but said his partner could, so went
up with him, saw his partner, Foster, another old sapper,
located there, who could only tell us it was all taken up about
there. He evidently did not want neighbors. Found out that the maple
ridge seen by us on the 17th Inst. Was as we supposed on
the Lillooet creek that the country was good but that this man had
just taken it up.
24th October – Remained at Newton’s all
day. Took a walk out at the back of his place in the afternoon. Followed the timber round as far as our old camp of the 21st
Inst. Saw Foster’s and McMurphy’s shanties in the distance. Day
Fine.
--From the 1869 Journal of George Leggatt |
According to Woodward, Foster
received Crown Grant, Oct 14, 1872, for Lot
267, Group 1, New Westminster District, 150-acres military grant.
Foster was a teamster at
Sapperton and New Westminster from 1876 to 1880.
|
