John Gerard Coster

[2] After briefly living in Demerara in the West Indies,[3] Coster came to the United States from Haarlem in the Netherlands shortly after the Revolutionary War and founded the family fortune with his brother through the mercantile firm, "Henry A.

[4] They became owners of numerous vessels and traded with the East and West Indies, and exported American commodities to Europe.

[1] Together, they lived in a house which he built at 539 Broadway, north of Canal Street, which was considered "one of the finest residences in New York.

[4] Through his son Daniel, he was a grandfather of Harry Coster, an American clubman who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age.

[11] Through his daughter Julia, he was a grandfather of Henrietta Reubell (c. 1849–1924),[12] who was a prominent figure in Paris society known for hosting a lively salon at her apartment at 42 avenue Gabriel, including James McNeill Whistler, Oscar Wilde, Edith Wharton, and Henry James.