***Coats of Arms***

aunt minerva collection
The Foster Family by W.T. Foster cont.

The Cross is used by all Christians as a memento of noble deeds of Jesus and the grand humanitarian principals taught by him. Therefore, the Christian Cross has a very significant meaning. The Christian Crusaders wore the cross on their right arms, 1095 to 1291 and from that came the name, Coat of Arms. The Knights Templar originated at Jerusalem early in the twelfth century, from Norman-French knights of noble birth for defense of the Holy sepulchre and the King of Jersalem, Baldwin II, who was a Foster, and who gave financial and other aid toward starting the Knights Templars. That Foster became Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Cross was made the crest of their coat of arms, the Knights Templars was an honorary organization of the Army and thus was established Heraldry and the Coats of Arms. The Knights have adopted many other symbols of noble deeds and now wear them as mementos of human efforts worthy of being commemorated.
The whole civilized world practices heraldry. The Masons wear the square and the compass, Oddfellows, the three links, Woodmen of the world an Ax. Thor, son of Odin and God of thunder-same as Jupiter-in the religion of the Aryans, wore the hammer and our ancestor Charles Martel was called "The Hammer." Living or dead the human race clings to its mementoes and thety are found in the palace, the hovel, and the cemetery. The ignorant fool who is not in touch with his race rails out against coats of arms because he nor his have ever accomplished anything worthy of being memoralized.
The ancestors of most Americans have, at some period of the family's existance, occupied high and honorable positions and in honoring them we encourage our descendants to noble and honorable efforts. Monuments are erected to great men and women more as educators than otherwise. I hope that descendants of the Fosters will honor their ancestors by using the Foster coat of arms on letter heads and envelopes.
Zieber's American Heraldry says:-"The United States has in its coat of arms a beautiful heraldic devise, its flag is herladic as are the seals of its various departments. The seals of the war-ships are heraldic and their flags likewise. The seals of the State are heraldic or symbolic. State flags bear coats of arms. Our money is stamped with the arms of the Treasury department or with the national arms. The private seal of the President is a fac-simile of the national seal. Colonial societies have heraldic insigna, historic and heraldic devices and seals. Corporations, charitable institutions and colleges often find heraldry a necessity in order to emphasize certain features or objects. It may be fairly stated that heraldry and genealogy are ignored only by those who have no ancestors in whom they can take pride. The love of ancestry has been deep-rooted in men's minds for centuries and no educated man will affect to despise a long line of illustrious decent or the emblems which bespeak the bravery, wisdom and honor of the race. Heraldry was practiced in the colonial days of America. A fine display of coats of arms may be seen in the national cemetery on Gettysburg battlefield. With the love of ancestry which exists in the hearts of all true Americans it is very natural that they should cling to the relics and heraldic insigna of their forefathers. "George Washington's English coat of arms is among the keep-sakes of our country."
As stated above, the Foster's have the symbols commemorative of noble deeds of our ancestors and these will be hereafter used on our American Escutcheon. The spear in hand represents the conquering of Northern Europe by the Danish Noble, Anacher, our ancestor. The oxhorn bugle naturally accompanies the spear adn is a distinctive race symbol. The ox-horn, form the great Oxus river belongs to the Aryan race while the war bugle of the Semites is the ram's horn. The latter represents a pastoral race, the former an agricultural race. The lyre, the oldest of stringed musical instruments, on Anacher's coat of arms, indicated art and a refined people. They are included on the coat of arms of the second Great Forrester and the First Baldwin who was granted the stag, by the King as an emblem to memorialize the office of Great Forrester, which he and his father held; therefore the stag was placed at the top as the crest of Baldwin I. This continued as the Forster coat of arms for more than three hundred years till Sir John Forster became the most honored hero of England, because he turned a disastrous defeat into a world famed victory in Palestine, saving the life of the English King, prevented the destruction of the English armies and a final defeat of the Crusades. For this Sir John Forster was granted the green chevron which became the permanent crest of our coat of arms.
but while our family was in Sctoland, Ireland, The American Revolution and on the frontiers, 1640 to 1860, we have no commemorative symbols and I propose the following which I have included in our American Escutcheon, in order to complete our emblematic history from the State of Eden in the highlands of Asia to the new Eden in the great central west of America. This Escutcheon does not change our coat of arms but includes them to represent the ancient home of our ancestors in the highlands of Asia I propose and have adopted a map of Eden, now called Turkestan, indicative of the highly intelluctual, refined and educated position to which they have attained I have included the chart of the starry heavens which they established. For their first migration westward, their crossing of the Caucassians is mapped. Then the Viking Ship, used by them on the Baltic and the North sea in Commerce and war. Following these are the three coats of arms mentioned above. Then I adopt Bamboro castle, followed by the Scotch symbols, the Irish harp, the statue of William Foster, the Revolutionary War soldier; the crossing of the Alleganies, floating down the Ohio and the crossing of the Mississippi river, each symbolzie notable events. The Escutcheon follows.
Since writing the foregoing I have learned that John Flint, ancestor of the Missouri Flints, was an officer in the American Revolution and was credited to Massachussetts. I have also learned that the ancestors of the Terrys and Selbys were soldiers in that war. The Flints, Terrys and Selbys should apply to the pension office for proof.

I have also learned that the Flints, Terrys, Selbys and Bryants of England accompanied Prince Henry who became Henry II of France, in the wars against the catholics who were oppressing the Huguenots of France and that each of these families were highly honored by Henry II for important military achievements and were granted coats of arms only given to officers of high grade and great valor. I have included these honors in the coats of arms of the four families.