Harry Coster Explained

Birth Name:Henry Arnold Coster
Birth Place:New York, U.S.
Death Place:St. Adresse, Westchester, New York, U.S.
Relations:John Gerard Coster (grandfather)

Henry Arnold Coster (– November 2, 1917) was an American clubman who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age.

Early life

Coster was the son of Daniel Joachim Coster and Julia (née DeLancey) Coster (1806–1890),[1] who married in 1835 and lived at 234 West 14th Street.[1] His father became a member of the auction firm of Hone & Coster.[2] They established the family estate in Westchester (which became part of the Bronx in 1895).[3]

His paternal grandparents were Catherine Margaret (née Holsman) Coster and John Gerard Coster,[4] who came to the United States shortly after the Revolutionary War from Haarlem in the Netherlands and founded the family fortune with his brother through the mercantile firm, "Henry A. & John G. Coster", and died in 1844.[5] His grandparents had twelve children that married into many prominent families including the Schermerhorns and Heckshers.[5] His paternal uncles included Gerard H. Coster who married Matilda Prime (a daughter of banker Nathaniel Prime), George Washington Coster who married Elizabeth Oakey (a daughter of merchant Daniel Oakey),[6] and his aunt was Georgiana Louisa Coster, who married Charles August Heckscher.[5] Among his many first cousins was Charles Henry Coster and John Gerard Heckscher.[7]

His maternal grandfather was Oliver Delancey of the Delancey family, which was one of the oldest families in New York state.[2] His paternal uncles included Daniel Delancey and John Delancey, who later owned part of the Coster Estate in Westchester.[3]

Society life

In 1892, Coster was included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred", purported to be an index of New York's best families, published in The New York Times.[8] Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into Mrs. Astor's ballroom.[9] [10] Coster was a member of the St. Nicholas Society.[11]

The Coster's spent their summers in Newport, Rhode Island.[12] His wife, who was prominent in society in Boston before their marriage, Mary served as vice-president of the Home for Incurables in Fordham.

Personal life

On December 6, 1866,[13] Coster was married to Mary Lee Coles (–1922).[14] She was the daughter of Isaac Underhill Coles and Martha Ellery (née Jones) Coles, who married in Boston in July 1823.[15] Her sister, Grace Coles was married to Edward Templeton Snelling.[16] They lived in New York at 2 East 41st Street[17] and at their country home, known as "St. Adresse", in Westchester County, New York.[10] Together, Harry and Mary were the parents of:

Coster died at his country home in Westchester on November 2, 1917.[24] His widow, who had a summer home in Southampton, New York known as "Wee Cot",[25] died in November 1922 at her residence, 50 East 81st Street, which she inherited from her husband.[26] Her funeral was held at St. James' Episcopal Church on Madison Avenue and she was buried alongside her husband at the Coster family vault in the churchyard of St. Peters' Church in the Village of Westchester (which is now the East Bronx).[14]

After Coster's death, his children auctioned off his estate with the Parish of St. Benedict's purchasing the family mansion in 1929 who used it as a schoolhouse until the Coster Mansion was torn down in 1930 and a new school was built in its place on Edison Avenue.[27] To this day, St. Benedict's School stands on the same site.[3]

References

Notes
Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: DIED. . January 6, 2019 . . October 3, 1890.
  2. Book: Barrett . Walter . The Old Merchants of New York City . 1864 . Carleton . 190–199 . January 6, 2019 . en.
  3. News: Twomey . Bill . Do You Remember . January 6, 2019 . . July 25, 2008.
  4. Book: Townsend . Annette . The Auchmuty family of Scotland and America. . 1932 . The Grafton Press . New York . 257–260 . January 6, 2019.
  5. Book: Greene . Richard Henry . Stiles . Henry Reed . Dwight . Melatiah Everett . Morrison . George Austin . Mott . Hopper Striker . Totten . John Reynolds . Pitman . Harold Minot . Forest . Louis Effingham De . Ditmas . Charles Andrew . Mann . Conklin . Maynard . Arthur S. . The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record . 1919 . . 305 . January 6, 2019 . en.
  6. Web site: THE COSTER FAMILY SET OF SEVEN CLASSICAL CARVED MAHOGANY CURULE-BASE DINING CHAIRS, ATTRIBUTED TO DUNCAN PHYFE (1768-1854), NEW YORK, 1810-1820 . www.christies.com . . January 6, 2019 . en.
  7. Book: Weeks . Lyman Horace . Prominent Families of New York; being an account in biographical form of individuals and families distinguished as representatives of the social, professional and civic life of New York city . 1897 . The Historical company . New York . January 6, 2019.
  8. News: McAllister. Ward. THE ONLY FOUR HUNDRED WARD M'ALLISTER GIVES OUT THE OFFICIAL LIST. HERE ARE THE NAMES, DON'T YOU KNOW, ON THE AUTHORITY OF THEIR GREAT LEADER, YOU UNDER- STAND, AND THEREFORE GENUINE, YOU SEE.. March 26, 2017. The New York Times. February 16, 1892. en.
  9. Book: Keister. Lisa A.. Getting Rich: America's New Rich and How They Got That Way. 2005. Cambridge University Press. 9780521536677. 36. registration. October 20, 2017. en.
  10. Book: Patterson . Jerry E. . The First Four Hundred: Mrs. Astor's New York in the Gilded Age . 2000 . Random House Incorporated . 9780847822089 . 212 . January 6, 2019 . en.
  11. News: LEADER IN NEW YORK SOCIETY, SOON TO MARRY CLUBMAN . January 6, 2019 . . May 17, 1913 . 11 . en.
  12. News: People and Social Incident . January 6, 2019 . . September 1, 1910 . 6 . en.
  13. Web site: NYC Marriage & Death Notices 1857-1868 . www.nysoclib.org . . January 13, 2019.
  14. News: Mrs. Henry A. Coster Dead Funeral To-morrow From St. James's Church . January 6, 2019 . . November 23, 1922 . 11.
  15. Book: The Manifesto Church: Records of the Church in Brattle Square, Boston, with Lists of Communicants, Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals, 1699-1872 . 1902 . Benevolent Fraternity of Churches . 274 . January 7, 2019 . en.
  16. Book: Dwight . Benjamin Woodbridge . The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Mass . 1871 . J. Munsell . 631 . January 7, 2019 . en.
  17. Saunterings . . December 28, 1893 . X. 26 . 6 . January 6, 2019 . . en.
  18. News: DIED . January 6, 2019 . . April 7, 1955 . en.
  19. News: MISS COSTER WEDS F. S. WOMBWELL; Daughter of Late Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Coster Married in St. James's Church . January 6, 2019 . . November 23, 1923 . en.
  20. News: Oliver Coster; 75, Realty Executive; Pease & Elliman Official 48 Years Dies A Descendant of Prominent Families . January 6, 2019 . . July 12, 1947 . en.
  21. News: MRS. OLIVER COSTER, WIFE OF REALTY MAN; Father Was British Consul at New Orleans During Civil War--Dies at Home . January 6, 2019 . . April 24, 1937 . en.
  22. News: MRS. BOOTH WEDS OLIVER DEL. COSTER Ceremony at Tenafly Church, Followed by Reception at Home of the Misses Coppell. A FULL CHORAL SERVICE With Part of Garden City Cathedral Choir -- Bride Formerly Miss Koppell of 40 Fifth Avenue.. January 6, 2019 . . June 24, 1913.
  23. News: COSTER -- DANSEY . January 6, 2019 . . July 13, 1939 . en.
  24. News: DIED. . January 6, 2019 . . November 4, 1917.
  25. Book: Social Register, Summer . 1920 . . 67 . January 6, 2019 . en.
  26. News: WIFE GETS COSTER ESTATE Residence in East 81st Street is Valued at $50,000 . January 6, 2019 . . August 15, 1918 . 7 . en.
  27. Web site: Parish History . stbenedictchurchny.org . St. Benedict's . January 6, 2019 . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Harry Coster".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.