Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster

Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster (1788–1855) was born in Wilmington, Delaware. She was raised by her maternal family, the Claylands, in Baltimore following the death of her mother. Her family was among the first settlers along the eastern coast of Maryland and was considered part of an aristocratic social class. The Claylands had emigrated from England in 1670 and were Episcopalian. Historically, the Clayland family are documented as wealthy, involved in political and social life during the American Revolution, and as slaveholders.

Following her mother's death, Eliza was effectively orphaned, as her father had remarried after her mother's passing and relocated to Kentucky. She spent her early years in Wilmington, Delaware, until her marriage. It is suggested that she may have been influenced artistically by her maternal lineage, as biographers have noted that her son, Stephen Foster, likely inherited a "poetic temperament" from her.

She met William Barclay Foster in Philadelphia while staying with an aunt. William was on business in the city after being promoted to a partnership at the firm Denny & Beelen. The couple married on November 14, 1807, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Eliza was nineteen years old at the time, and William was twenty-eight. Their marriage led to a two-week horseback journey to Pittsburgh, which was then a frontier town with a population of fewer than 3,000 inhabitants.

Eliza Foster is recognized as an early settler of Pittsburgh. Her marriage to William ushered in a new chapter as they established their life there amidst the hardships typical of frontier settlements. She and William Foster had nine children: four daughters and five sons. Not all survived childhood; two died in infancy, and one girl died in her teens. Among her children was Morrison Foster, who later provided personal descriptions of her character, emphasizing her virtues of purity, truth, and Christian virtue. She was known for fostering a harmonious family environment, with no unkind words or strife reported among her family members.

Eliza also raised William Jr., an illegitimate son of her husband’s from another woman. She experienced economic hardships during her lifetime, especially when William faced losses related to property and financial stability.

Eliza’s family connections extended further: her first cousin or possibly aunt, Sarah Tomlinson, was married to Oliver Evans, an engineer and inventor. Eliza visited Sarah during her lifetime, during which she met William Foster. Morrison Foster, her son, was employed by Oliver Evans at one point.

Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster died in 1855, shortly after her husband William, leaving behind her children and legacy as an early settler of Pittsburgh. Primary source materials, including family letters and related documents, are preserved and accessible through the University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives Service Center, where they have been digitized for remote access.