Côté

also Costé

The Côté family is one of the oldest in Nouvelle-France, but their origin is uncertain; the immigrant, Jean Côté, was probably from the Mortagne, like many other first settlers. He arrived with his wife Anne Martin in July 1635 (probably aboard the St-Jean), and lived in Québec city. Historians disagree about whether he was in that first contingent recruited by Robert Giffard. Some think that Anne Martin was the sister of Abraham Martin dit l'Écossais, but this is also in dispute. The marriage did take place in Québec city, so Anne did not come over with her husband. There were eight children, seven of whom had descendants; it is thought that nearly all French-Canadians are descended from this couple.

They settled on the Île d'Orléans, and all of their sons lived there too, though in the third generation we find Côtés spreading all up and down the St Lawrence. The children: Louis (1635-1669, married Élisabeth Langlois (daughter of Noël and Françoise Grenier, 3 children, all born at Château-Richer); Simone (1637-1698, married Pierre Soumande); Martin (1639-1710, married Suzanne Pagé, 9 children); Mathieu (1642-1696, married Élisabeth Gravel, 9 children); Jean (1644-1722, married Anne Couture, 7 children, and Geneviève Verdon, 11 children - the image above is his signature, from a deed); Noël (1646-1701, married Hélène Graton); Marie (born and died 1648); Louise (1650-1696, married Jean Grignon).

Louis Côté and Élisabeth Langlois were married at Beauport on November 6, 1662, and lived at Château-Richer. Their children were: Marie-Madeleine (born September 19, 1663, married Louis Lemieux at Île-aux-Grues on November 26, 1682, and died at Cap-St-Ignace on August 25, 1689); Louis (1665-1714, a militia captain, married Geneviève Bernier, sister of our ancestors Pierre Bernier and Élisabeth Bernier Caron, 8 children); and Jean (1667-1687).

Louis Lemieux and Marie-Madeleine Côté had two children; see Lemieux. They were great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of Marie Eva Jean Martin.