Dwight Foster (1828–1884)

For other people named Dwight Foster, see Dwight Foster (disambiguation).

Dwight Foster
Massachusetts Attorney General
In office 1861–1864
Preceded by	Stephen Henry Phillips
Succeeded by	Chester L. Reed
Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
In office 1866–1869
Preceded by	Charles Augustus Dewey[1]
Succeeded by	Seth Ames
Personal details
Born	1828 Worcester, Massachusetts[2]
Died	April 18, 1884[2]
Spouse(s)	Henrietta Perkins Baldwin
Alma mater	Yale

Dwight Foster (1828–April 18, 1884) graduated from Yale College 1848, where he was a member of Skull and Bones,^[3] and was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts the following year. He served as Massachusetts Attorney General, 1861–1864; and a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1866–1869. He married Henrietta Perkins Baldwin, the daughter of Connecticut Governor & US Senator Roger Sherman Baldwin. Their son Roger Sherman Baldwin Foster (1857–1924) was a prominent lawyer.

He was the son of Alfred Dwight Foster (1800–1852), who was a representative on the Massachusetts General Court, and was involved with various civic organizations including the Worcester town council, Massachusetts Governor’s Council, Leicester Academy, Amherst College, the State Lunatic Asylum, and the State Reform School.

His grandfather Judge Dwight Foster (1757–1823) was a Representative and a Senator from Massachusetts; born in Brookfield, Worcester County, Mass., December 7, 1757; completed preparatory studies and graduated from Brown University, Providence, R.I., in 1774; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1778 and commenced practice in Providence, R.I.; justice of the peace for Worcester County 1781–1823; special justice of the court of common pleas 1792; sheriff of Worcester County 1792; member, State house of representatives 1791–1792; elected to the Third and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1793, to June 6, 1800, when he resigned; chairman, Committee on Claims (Fourth through Sixth Congresses); delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1799; elected to the United States Senate as a Federalist to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Samuel Dexter and served from June 6, 1800, to March 2, 1803, when he resigned; chief justice of the court of common pleas 1801–1811; member, State house of representatives 1808–1809; member of the Governor’s council and held other state and local offices chief justice of Worcester County, Massachusetts, a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, the Massachusetts State Legislature, and the Massachusetts Executive Council, and was a U.S. senator serving as a Federalist from 1800 to 1803.

His great uncle Theodore Foster was a Senator from Rhode Island; born in Brookfield, Worcester County, Mass., April 29, 1752; pursued classical studies and graduated from Rhode Island College (now Brown University), Providence, R.I., in 1770; studied law; admitted to the bar about 1771 and commenced practice in Providence, R.I.; town clerk of Providence 1775–1787; member, State house of representatives 1776–1782; appointed judge of the court of admiralty in May 1785; appointed Naval Officer of Customs for the district of Providence, R.I., 1790; appointed to the United States Senate in 1790; elected in 1791 and again in 1797 as a Federalist and served from June 7, 1790, to March 3, 1803; was not a candidate for reelection in 1802; retired from public life and engaged in writing and historical research; member, State house of representatives 1812–1816; trustee of Brown University 1794–1822.

References

1. ^ Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: with Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Volume 1, Philadelphia, PA: J.W. Lewis & CO., p. xxx. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Davis, William Thomas (1900), History of the Judiciary of Massachusetts: Including the Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies, The Province of Massachusetts Bay, and The Commonwealth, Boston, MA: The Boston Book Company, p. 194. 
3. ^ Millegan, Kris (2003). "The Skeleton Crew". Fleshing Out Skull and Bones: Investigations into America's Most Powerful Secret Society. Walterville, OR: Trine Day. pp. 597–690. ISBN 0972020721.  "This list is compiled from material from the Order of Skull and Bones membership books at Sterling Library, Yale University and other public records. The latest books available are the 1971 Living members and the 1973 Deceased Members books. The last year the members were published in the Yale Banner is 1969."

External links

Biography portal

• MHS Foster Family Autograph Collection: Guide to the Collection
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Dwight Foster
• Portraits! Worcester Portraits in the American Antiquarian Society
• Descendants of Captain John Sherman
• Sherman Genealogy Including Families of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, England By Thomas Townsend Sherman
• Hoar-Baldwin-Foster-Sherman family of Massachusetts at Political Graveyard

Legal offices
Preceded by Charles Augustus Dewey	Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1866 – 1869	Succeeded by Seth Ames
Preceded by Stephen Henry Phillips	Massachusetts Attorney General 1861 – 1864	Succeeded by Chester L. Reed

Persondata
Name	Foster, Dwight
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1828
Place of birth	Worcester, Massachusetts
Date of death	April 18, 1884
Place of death