Who was Edgar Allan Poe's foster father?

Edgar Allan Poe’s foster father was John Allan.

Poe was born Edgar Poe in Boston in 1809. His father, actor David Poe Jr., abandoned the family, and his mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, died in 1811. John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant, and his wife, Frances, then took the young Poe into their household. The family gave him the middle name Allan, creating the name by which he became famous.

The relationship was complicated because the Allans never formally adopted Poe. John Allan provided a home and financial support at various points, but he and Poe frequently quarreled, especially over money, education, gambling debts, and Poe’s literary ambitions. Allan’s later remarriage and deteriorating relationship with Poe contributed to their estrangement. Thomas Dunn English, Rufus Griswold, and John Neal were writers or critics associated with Poe’s life and reputation, not his foster parent.