COSTER; DAVIS

[John Gourlay]

I'm still searching for one of my 2nd great grandfathers, THOMAS COSTER. Was he born in England or did he migrate and maybe anglisise his name on arrival? The only hard documentation we have been able to get is his death certificate. He died at 1 Dacre St, Westminster, London on 9/2/1853 at the age of 52, meaning he was born c1801.
His wife ANN registered his death. We think her maiden name was EDWARDS, but have no firm proof of this. Ann went on to marry a HENRY DAVIS and they appear in the 1861 census at Westminster, with the 4 COSTER children, Thomas, Mary, William and Frederick plus 2 new DAVIS children c1858 born Ann and 1861 born Amy. I can't find any of the DAVIS children, later in history.
A very frustrated, John Gourlay

[Astoria]

Hello,

Do you have the census reference for 1861? Have you found any of them in 1851? :)

[georgiep]

Hi John
Just listing 1861 to help everyone with your search,
as spelt
Hy Davis 41, Ann 40 bn St Margaret's Westminster, Thos Caster 21, Mary 19, Wm 16, Frd 14, Ann Davis 3, Ann Davis 5.
RG9/48/86/16

Georgie

[Astoria]

Thanks Georgie :)

[Astoria]

Just looking at the image for 1861 - very faint. Thomas's age could be 27 rather than 21, what do you think?

[janbooth]

Could Thomas have perhaps been married twice? There is a marriage registration on FreeBMD in the December qtr 1851 at St Margaret's Westminster, vol 1, page 467 and one of the other names on the page is that of an Ann EDWARDS.

Janet

[Red Kite]

Was he born in England or did he migrate and maybe anglisise his name on arrival?

I think Coster is a Dutch name.

[AdeleE]

I'm not sure what the connection is, but I have found this family in the 1851 census living at 3 Dacre Street in St. Margaret's, Middlesex:

Jeremy Coster, head, married, 44, labourer, b. Surrey, Roehampton
Mary Coster, wife, married, 38, b. Middlesex, St. Margarets
Jeremy Coster, son, 11, b. ditto
Mary Ann Coster, daughter, 9, b. ditto
Thomas Coster, son, 7, b. ditto
Frederick Coster, son, 4, b. ditto

Class: HO107; Piece: 1480; Folio: 232; Page: 49

The transcription was indexed as Cooter. There is no Coster family at 1 Dacre Street.

Adele

[AdeleE]

Here's a better match in the 1841 census:

Thomas Costar 35, labourer
Ann Costar 20
Thomas Costar 1

All born in county

Dacre Street, St Margaret, Middlesex
Class: HO107; Piece 738; Book: 5; ; Enumeration District: 11; Folio: 35; Page: 24;

The family is indexed as Cortav, but the image reads Costar.

Adele

[John Gourlay]

Dear Astoria,Georgie, Janet, Red Kite & Adele
Thank you all very much for your interest and quick responses. This is going to keep me busy for some time. Some of you have answered some of the questions raised on my behalf and accurately.
The 1851 census is interesting and I'm not sure whether the census taker, my family or both were drunk at the time or whether Jeremy Snr and Mary were brother and sister in law to my Thomas & Ann. The latter, according to other census info were born 1801 and 1821 respectively. The children however are mine, according to my previous work but a couple of names are wrong. Mine are Thomas 1840 [Jeremy Jnr], Mary 1842, William [Thomas ] 1844 and Frederick 1847.
A cousin has the birth certificate from St. John the Evangalist of Mary Ann Coster 1842 showing her mother as Ann Edwards. Looks like they may have delayed their marriage somewhat.
I will need to buy this marriage certificate and hopefully that will give me Thomas and Ann's parentage.
I'll keep you informed.
regards - John gourlay

[John Gourlay]

I forgot to mention that my copy of the 1861 census, clearly shows Thomas as 21.
John G

[John Gourlay]

I have now sent off for the 1851 marriage certificate of Thomas Coster [Costar, Cooter, Costav] & Ann Edwards which is due to leave the GRO on the 12th, so should get to me here in Australia by the end of next week.
I mentioned that we had their daughter Mary's birth certificate [15/4/1842] but have been unsuccessful at finding the birth of the other siblings; Thomas c1839 [my great grandfather], William c1844 and Frederick c 1847. They would most likely to be registered at St. Margaret or St John the Evangalist, Westminster. If anyone has access to these originals, I'd appreciate a look up.
The other outstanding issue is the birth of Thomas Coster, c1801 according to his death certificate [Costar, Cooter, Costav]. We have come up with the possibility of his parentage of Thomas and Ann and having been born 29/9/1803 at St. Dunstan, Stepney. The 1851 census has blown us a bit off course with Jeremy Coster appearing on the scene. That shows Jeremy being born c1808 and coming from Roehampton, Surrey. Does anyone have access to these parish records? There is a possibility that Jeremy was Thomas's brother.
The only close name is I can find is on IGI where a widowed c 1808 Jeremiah Coster is in New York in the 1880 USA census.
John Gourlay

[John Gourlay]

An update, now that I have the marriage certificate of my 2nd great grandparents, Thomas Coster and Ann Edwards

They married at St. Margaret, Westminster on 22/12/1851 which is some years after the birth of their 4 children. Thomas's 1853 death certificate advises that he died of phthisis [TB] which had been 'certified' for 2 years. So we must assume that his impending death may have triggered the decision to finally marry. They gave their both addresses as 1 Dacre Street and they were bachelor and spinster of full age.

I think that also tells us that the 1851 census taker was really having a bad day.

Thomas's father was Thomas Coster, a carpenter and Anne's was William Edwards a coal porter, so now my search moves to that generation.

regards
John Gourlay