THE CÔTÉ NAME

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Côté

Jean 'Coste' Cote, originally brought the name from France to North America in 1635.

Coaty

When a 6th generation decendant of Jean Baptiste 'Lefrise' Cote, son of Jean 'Coste" Cote, moved from Quebec, Canada to French Island, Wisconsin the name Côté was changed to Coaty. This transformation occured either sometime during the trip across English speaking Ontario, Canada, or as a result of the 1880 Wisconsin census taker's interpretation of the name.

The connection was verified by matching the 1880 Wisconsin Census information to the 1870 Canadian Census report. Locating Francois 'Coaty' Cote and his wife 'Julie' Julia 'Jacques and then comparing their children's names and ages we validate this connection.

A note of the parish of St. Jean Deschaillons Cte. Lotbiniere, Quebec, Canada (located at 1040 Marie Victorin, Deschaillons, Cte. Lotbiniere. GOS 1GO Phone no 292-2050 Code Reginonal 819) states that on 22 August 1848 the undersigned priest did marry Francoise Cote and Julie Jacques of this parish. Sign by Leclerc, Priest.

• Frank Coaty, age 56, born in Canada
• Julie, age 53, wife believed to be Julia Jacques
• Emily daughter, age 25
• Jute Jules Judy son, age 23
• Vitaline daughter, age 21
• Adolf son, age 19
• James son, age 17
• Camille daughter, age 15
• Joseph son, age 11
• Frank son, age 9.

Coady

When three members of the Joseph Francois 'Cote' Coaty family moved East to Moosup, Baltic and Jewett City, Connecticut, the name was further Americanized to Coady. This occured either because this new spelling was more English and allowed the families to more easily blend into their new surroundings, or once again the census taker's misinterpretation of the name.

Cote

Frank Hermenegilde Coady, a son of Joseph Francois 'Cote' Coaty, moved to a French community in Slatersville, Rhode Island. Knowing the history of the Côté name and the transformations that lead to the Coady name, Frank Hermenegilde Coady's french wife Amanda Bouchard insisted on changing Coady back to its original spelling.

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Bouchard and Letourneau

Mary Amanda 'Maude' Bouchard, paternal grandmother of Joseph Cote, was born in Canada in 1869. She was the daughter of Remie Remi Bouchard and Beatrice 'Chippawa-OJIBWA-Indian' Letourneau, and 7th generation descendant of Clement Michel Bouchard.

She met and married Francois Frank Hermenegilde 'Coaty' Cote in 1895 somewhere in Connecticut while he, having left his first wife in Wisconson, was visiting his sister Vitaline Vitlian Nicole 'Coady' Cote who was currently married to Mary Amanda Bouchard's brother Eli. In Connecticut Frank Coaty and Mary Amanda Bouchard had 3 children, Stella, Josephine and Mary Eva. In 1901 Frank Coaty moved his family to Slatersville, RI where they had 3 more children, Ida, Ernest (my father) and Mabel.

While in Slatersville, a French area of Rhode Island, Amanda Bouchard had her husband change his name back to its original spelling of Cote.

The Cote and Bouchard families have know each other since 1880, and their affections for each other can be seen in the multiple interfamily marriages of early time. Three each of Remie Remi Bouchard and Joseph Francois Frank Cote-Coaty children married each other:

• Vitaline Coaty to Eli Bouchard
• Frank Coaty to Mary Bouchard
• Camille Coaty to Reme Bouchard-Boushor

Poitras and Bigras

Joseph Poitras, maternal grandfather of Joseph Cote, was born on 2 May 1882 in St. Cyrille, Drummond Co. Quebec, Canada. He was the son of Henri H. Poitras and Odile Laliberte, making him a 7th generation Descendant of Jean Baptiste 'Poitras Poydras' Poitras.

Joseph Poitras married Emilina Bigras on 25 August 1902 at North Pawnal, VT, and together they had eleven children: Lucia, Laura, Evelina, Ena, Philip, Alma, Doria, Paul, Marguerite, Theresa and Jacqueline. They resided over the years in Pawnal, VT, Somersworth, NH and Manville, RI. They moved back and forth, depending on the availability of work in the mills, from St. Christine, Bagot Co. Quebec, Canada and the United State as if there was no border.

While the Poitras family was in Manville RI, Ena Delmina 'Edna' Poitras married Joseph Ernest Hermenegilde Cote and gave birth to me Joseph Paul Albert Cote. We all stayed in Manville for several years until my Grandparents finally settled in Cumberland, RI were my sisters and brother (triplets) were born and my grandparents died.

Poitras: By following another branch of Jean (Coste) Cote down eight generations the name Poitras appears and then two further generations later a Poitras marries a Cote. The first Poitras I know of is Joseph-Marie Poitras married in Ste Foy, Canada in 1761.

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