18 Descendants of Daniel Cost (1771-1860) and Mary Fisher (1773-1843) – All on One Scrap of Paper

Now and then, as I turn the pages of Sarah Eva Howe's scrapbooks, I find a departure from family stories. I find genealogy! You've already seen an example in "The Immigrant Ancestors: John and Sarah Brown Howe (June 24, 2016).

Today I post a handwritten account of some descendants of Sarah's second great-grandparents Daniel Cost and Mary Fisher. The document is on a half-sheet of paper, obviously vintage with multiple fold lines. It offers no clue about who wrote it. It provides no date, either, but there are clues. The latest generation includes Sarah's grandfather Richard Henry Cost, born in 1831, and younger siblings born circa 1852, so the genealogy was written that year or later. Even without offering the specifics we want, this scrap of paper is a treasure and a valuable guide to researching this family.

A tip for making sense of the written genealogy: The descendants listed on the left side are the children of Daniel (c1771-1860) and Mary (c1773-1843). On the right side are the names of the children of Daniel and Mary's son Henry Cost and his wife Mary Arrison/Arison. My transcription below the image may be easier to read and follow.

In this transcription, I made best guesses when interpreting the handwriting, and I added a few punctuation marks for clarity. My own comments are in brackets.

Daniel Cost born about 1771 – married 1801 Mary Fisher in Baltimore, Md. Died at age of 88 years (or 89). Dan'l Cost was an orphan – raised in Fredricksburg Md. and was bound to the parties that educated him, by name, Col. Boyer, Pa., was of German parentage – they were killed by the British & D.C. [Daniel Cost] was taken by officer of the revolutionary army (Capt. Boyer) at 12 years of age and raised by him.

[I am unclear on whether the "German parentage" refers to Boyer's parents or Daniel Cost's parents. Both surnames could be derivations of common German names (Kost/Kast; Bayer/Bauer) but also could come from other nationalities. I think the writer was referring to Daniel's parents.]

Parents of –
Henry Cost – (Born - Died) – married Mary Arrison
John – married Virginia Riggs
Daniel  –
Maria    "  Arbuse Bruce [The marriage record says Ambrose Bruce.]
Susan    "
Betsy     "  Peter May
Frances  "  Bryant Bruce 
Stephan   –

[Note at bottom of page] Mary Arrison – born 1810 Lancaster, Pa. Had a brother – mother & a sister named Betsy

[Henry Cost and Mary Arrison were] Parents of
Stephan Cost – dead – place unknown – was slightly lame and disappeared somewhere  near 22 or 24 years of age
Mary Ann    –     married Alfred White
Richard Henry –       "     Sarah E. Arnet
Sophia                      "     Anthony Blair [?]
Joseph                     "      Louisa Sneider
Alice                         "      Thomas Wise
Lida                          "      John Morehouse [?]
Julia                      –––      (dead)
Emma                       "      Charles Starr
Mathew                 –––     died in infancy