Celebrity medium and psychic, who performed seances at the invitations of Victorian era literary figures and luminaries, including Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Alfred Tennyson. Foster was reported to have exhibited paranormal phenomena at the age of 14, such as rapping on furniture, as well as exhibiting writing that appeared on his body. He made a living as a medium in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, exhibiting skin writing and performing readings employing pellets of paper on which patrons had written names of passed loved ones. Foster would draw a pellet from a satchel and say the name without unfolding and reading it, after which he would pass a message from the named deceased. He travelled to England in 1861 as the guest of novelist Edward Buler-Lytton, who introduced him to literary and society figures in his circle. While in England, however, his seances became more theatrical, employing levitation and manipulation of furniture, which illusionists called out as parlor tricks. Criticism spurred him to leave England for the continent, where he was presented to Napoleon III, who had a keen interest in spiritualism. Foster also toured Australia before returning to the United States. Spiritualist John Truesdale denounced him as a fraud in 1872 in his book, "Bottom Facts Concerning the Science of Spiritualism." But he was defended by an ardent biographer, Charles Bartlett in his book, "The Salem Seer," in 1891. Arthur Conan Doyle devoted an entire chapter to Foster in his book, "A History of Spiritualism," in which he describes Foster's personality in terms that might today be the basis of a diagnosis of manic depression.
Celebrity medium and psychic, who performed seances at the invitations of Victorian era literary figures and luminaries, including Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Alfred Tennyson. Foster was reported to have exhibited paranormal phenomena at the age of 14, such as rapping on furniture, as well as exhibiting writing that appeared on his body. He made a living as a medium in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, exhibiting skin writing and performing readings employing pellets of paper on which patrons had written names of passed loved ones. Foster would draw a pellet from a satchel and say the name without unfolding and reading it, after which he would pass a message from the named deceased. He travelled to England in 1861 as the guest of novelist Edward Buler-Lytton, who introduced him to literary and society figures in his circle. While in England, however, his seances became more theatrical, employing levitation and manipulation of furniture, which illusionists called out as parlor tricks. Criticism spurred him to leave England for the continent, where he was presented to Napoleon III, who had a keen interest in spiritualism. Foster also toured Australia before returning to the United States. Spiritualist John Truesdale denounced him as a fraud in 1872 in his book, "Bottom Facts Concerning the Science of Spiritualism." But he was defended by an ardent biographer, Charles Bartlett in his book, "The Salem Seer," in 1891. Arthur Conan Doyle devoted an entire chapter to Foster in his book, "A History of Spiritualism," in which he describes Foster's personality in terms that might today be the basis of a diagnosis of manic depression.
Bio by: Bob on Gallows Hill
Gravesite Details
Gravestone is severely weathered but still readable.
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