Joel Foster is found on the 1790 Census of District 96, Abbeville, SC living next door to his father, with 1 male over 16 and 1 Female. Pendleton Co, 1 Feb 1793 Joel Foster, Thomas Hamilton and William Hamilton were listed in the book of debts in the estate of Asa Tourtellot, along with many others.
In Pendleton Dist. Deeds: Pages 446-447: "I, William McCaleb for $600 sold to John Baylis Earl 300 acres on W side of Keowee River, bd on S by land laid out to Maj. Saml. Taylor, being bounty tract granted Captn. Jess Baker." Date: 20 Jun 1798. Wit: D. McCaleb, Joel Foster. David McCaleb made oath to G. W. Earle, DCC, 5 Dec 1798. Rec: 12 Dec 1798
Page 447: "I, William McCaleb, planter, for $100 sold to John Baylis Earle, 359 acres on W side of Keowee River, bd NE & NW by bounty survey, NW & SW by Saml. Taylor, SW by Jesse Baker, NE & SE & SW by Banister Harper, surveyed by Thos. Loften, 24 Aug 1791, granted McCaleb by Arnoldus Vanderhorst, 4 Apr. 1796. Date: 20 Jun 1798. Wit: D. McCaleb, Joel Foster. David McCaleb made oath to G. W. Earle, DCC, 5 Dec 1798. Rec: 12 Dec 1798
Page 416-417: Samuel Robinson for $100 sold Joel Foster 171 acres, part of 198 acres granted Robinson 5 Feb 1798, on NW side of Seneca Crk., bd. SW by John Knox, NW by Robert Waugh and Colonel Earle, SE and SW by Robert Armour. Date: 15 Nov 1804. Wit: Robert Waugh, Edw. Adair. Robert Waugh made oath to Jno. Adair, J.P., 19 Apr 1806 (Plat.) Rec: 9 Jan 1807 (no record found yet where he sold this land prior to moving to TN)
Tradition states that Joel and Mary (Armstrong) Foster migrated to Bedford Co., TN between the birth of Mary Ann, b. 1 June 1807 in SC and the birth of son Thomas Jefferson, b 1809 TN. Lincoln County was formed from Bedford County in 1811 and it is thought that they wound up in the northern part of Lincoln County near Petersburg in an area known as Foster Hollow. The Foster Cemetary is found on Joel's land. Joel was on the 1820 Census of Lincoln County, TN and the 1830 Census of Marion County, AL. It is said that Joel followed his sons ambrose and Benjamin to Marion County, AL 1823/24 with all of the family except his son James Littleton Foster, who with his brother-in-law Samuel Moore bought the Foster land. There was a Thomas Foster, born ca 1799 listed on the 1830 Marion County, AL census near Joes and is assumed to be the brother of Joel Lewis Foster.
