James Foster of Stourbridge (1786-1853) by Editor: Roy Peacock
 
The Foster family is renowned as iron founders in the Midlands and this book was published to celebrate the life of James Foster on the 150th anniversary of his death. It is the culmination of an alliance to bring together historical information from Stourbridge Historical Society, the Black Country Society and St. Mary's Church, Old Swinford. The Fosters were one of several Black Country families whose circumstances and business acumen made them very rich, very quickly. Primarily from the manufacture of iron in their foundries during the Industrial Revolution. James Foster was also a manufacturer of railway engines and some of them are still iconic in the history of the development of the railways. Foster built the 'Agenoria' and Stourbridge Lion locomotives. These will be familiar names to many rail enthusiasts. The Agenoria is now preserved in York Museum, and the Stourbridge Lion – which was the first locomotive to run on tracks in America – is now owned by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington with remaining parts on display at a museum in Ohio.