Coste
Francois Coste was born in 1671 in Martegue, parish of Marseille, a coastal town in Southern France. A very capable mariner, he arrived in Acadia prior to his marriage to Madeleine Martin about 1695 in Port Royal. Seven children were born to this couple in Port Royal including Jacques born November 9, 1705.
In 1714, Francois Coste received permission from the authorities to resettle in Isle Madame. He appears to have been the first settlor at L’Ardoise where he is listed as a resident in the 1752 census of Sieur de LaRoque.
Francois’ son Jacques married Francoise Petitpas about 1727 in nearby Port Toulouse. Three children were born to this couple including Claude born about 1730 in Port Toulouse. Claude married Marguerite Vigneau about 1753 in Port Toulouse and ten children were born to this couple including four brothers who settled in Harbour au Bouche; Jacques, Jean, Felicien and Jean-Baptiste. Daughter Pelagie married Paul Bushee, a pioneer settlor in Harbour au Bouche and daughter Agnes Anne married Jean Baptiste Deslauriers of Tracadie. Agnes Anne died in Tracadie and the other five siblings all died in Harbour au Bouche.
In the 1770’s, the inhabitants of Isle Madame were required to relocate to escape American privateer Captain John Paul Jones and it appears that Claude and his family spent time in Fortune Bay, Prince Edward Island and Chezzetcook near Halifax for a few years before returning to Arichat where Jacques was married in 1779. Claude Coste and his family brought the Coste/DeCoste name to Harbour au Bouche by 1784.
Claude’s son Felicien Coste received a land grant of 100 acres running from the waters of the bay all the way to West Havre Boucher along the east side of what is today known as New Road. For many years and still today, most of the land along the east side of New Road belongs to DeCoste’s or families that married into the DeCoste’s.
Jacques married Archange Langlois in Arichat around 1779 and Felicien married Archange’s sister, Marie Langlois in 1792. Jean married twice, first Ludivine ‘Louise’ Benoit from Tracadie in 1785. Ludivine died in 1812 and Jean remarried in 1815 to Genevieve Mius. Jean-Baptiste married Osite Lavandier of Harbour au Bouche in 1803.
When Paul and Sophie DeCoste’s son Jeffery was baptized in 1860, Father Charles Martell changed his last name to DeCoste. In French, it means “son or daughter of Coste” and that began a modification of the Coste surname that survives to this day.