FOSTER, William. Southsea, Portsmouth 19.11.1863 — 11.5.1951. Sir. British Historian of Indian Colonial Period. Son of William F., a civil servant, educated at Cooper’s Grammar School and London University (B.A.). In 1882 joined the India Office. In 1891-95 edited India Office List. From 1901 Assistant to the Registrar and Superintendent of Records, then himself Registrar and Superintendent of Records at India Office in 1907-23, historiographer 1923-27, then retired. C.I.E. 1913, knighted 1925. Married in 1911 Jessie Winifred Holland.
Foster did a great work editing early records of the E.I.C. He was the President of Hakluyt Society in 1928-45.
Publications: Edited with G. Birdwood: The First Letter-Book of the East India Company, 1600-19. 34+530 p. L. 1895.
– Edited: Letters received by the East India Company. 1-6. L. 1897-1902.
– The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul, 1615-19. L. 1899, rev. ed. 79+532 p. L. 1926; The Founding of Fort St. George, Madras. 43 p. L. 1902.
– The English Factories of India. 1-13. L. 1906-25 (the period of 1618–69).
– Early travels in India, 1583–1619. 351 p. L. 1921.
– Edited: Clement Downing, A History of Indian Wars. 32+206 p. L. 1924.
– The John Company. 10+286 p. 24 ill. L. 1926.
– British Artists in India, 1760–1820. 88 p. Walpole Soc. 19. Oxford 1930/31.
– Edited: The Voyage of Nicholas Downton to the East Indies, 1614–15. 224 p. L. Hakluyt Soc. 1939; The Voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to the Moluccas, 1604-1606. 44+210 p. Hakl. Soc. 2nd Ser. 88. L. 1943.
Sources: C.F. Beckingham, JRAS 1951, 224; Buckland, Dictionary; *A. Farrington, Sir W.F., 1863–1951: A Bibliography. 6+27 p. India Office Library & Records Occasional Publ. 1. L. 1972; Wikipedia briefly.
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