Education  I  had  not,  at  least  a  poor  one ;  was  too  young  to  take  upon  me  with
apparent  propriety  the  management  of  a  family;  my  partner  was,  and  ever  since
has  remained,  feeble,  and  unable  to  endure  hardships;  most  of  her  time  has  been
spent  in  confinement  by  sickness;  she  has  brought  me  five  children,  who,  by  the
goodness  of  God,  have  been  as  healthy  as  an  equal  number  in  families  in  general.
At  the  commencement  of  matrimonial  life,  at  twenty  and  a  half  years,  all  the  prop-
erty we  had  of  any  kind  would  not  decently  furnish  a  house.  Nothing  was  appar-
ently before  us  but  extreme  poverty;  to  work  I  was  unable.  But  by  the  blessing  of
Divine  Providence  I  was,  and  yet  am,  able  with  industry  to  maintain  my  family
decentl}' — enjoying  all  the  blessings  of  life  and  many  of  its  superfluities.  For  some
3-ears  I  lived  at  an  expense  of  near  $1,000  per  annum.  This,  however,  was  previous
to  the  paper  money  system  in  Rhode  Island,  to  which  I  may  attribute  all  of  my
misfortunes  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  and  which  ultimately  drove  me  into  the
westerti  wilderness;  where  the  Lord  only  knows  how  it  will  fare  with  myself  and
family.  I  am  in  no  business;  important  objections  arise  against  my  making
application  for  admission  to  the  practice  of  the  law;  to  work  I  am  unable  (being  at
times  a  great  sufferer  from  calculi  in  the  bladder);  property  in  this  country  I  have
but  little  of — nothing  to  enable  me  to  join  to  any  kind  of  business  to  advantage."


FOSTER    GENEALOGY.  225


Under  date  of  July  14,  1749,  he  writes:  "In  consequence  of  a  commission  from
the  governor  of  Virginia,  appointing  me  a  magistrate  for  the  county  of  Monongalia.
