Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Book: The Family History of Donald Joseph La Coste, and Ellsworth John La Coste: NGS Quarterly Report of Oliver La Coste

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Descendants of Oliver La Coste

Generation No. 1

1. Oliver¹ La Coste^1,^2,^3,^4,^5,^6,^7,^8,^9,^10,^11,^12,^13,^14,^15,^16,¹⁷ was born 1630 in Nimes, Languedoc, France, and died Unknown in Languedoc, France. He married Jeanne Bastier 1661 in Nimes, Languedoc, France, daughter of Jean Bastier. She was born 1635 in Nimes, Languedoc, France, and died Unknown in Languedoc, France.

Notes for Oliver La Coste:
While Oliver's parentage is not known, it is possible that he was related to Dr. Amans de La Coste, a Doctor, and Judge of Hierle, in Languedoc, who appears in the Notary records of Nimes, and du Vigan in 1586. These same records show starting in 1652 a local Seigneur, and minor nobleman named Jean Honore' de La Coste, the Seigneur de Valcroze, and Vigan. This Jean knew the Bastier family, especially the father of Jeanne who married Alexandre La Coste, the son of this Oliver. That these families were related in someway is probable, but has not been proved by this author, and many other historians on this family line. This Jean Honore' de La Coste continues to appear in these records from 1652 until 1665. His children that were listed in these notaire records were Violande de La Coste, who married Bernard Nogarede, Jacques de La Coste, Claudine de La Coste, Jeanne de La Coste who married Andre' de Vilette, and probably others. Oliver may have been related to this line, but no proof exists, and he may have also been a Huguenot, but again this is speculation only, for his son was a Roman Catholic of good faith. Most likely the first use of the surname of La Coste was in conjunction with the Italian surname of Costa. The first use of the modern surname of La Coste appears in France in the late 1100's. Before this time the name only appears as Costa, or della Costa. In the 800's the first della Costa's may have settled in Provence, France, and eventually spread throughout France. The first areas in Provence which carried this name almost always appeared as the Territory della Costa. Over time this name changed from della Costa, to de La Costa, and eventually to de La Coste. The Territory of della Costa eventually came to be called de La Coste. Today, very few persons us the "de" prefix to the name, and they usually just use the spelling of La Coste, or a variation of this name. No doubt there were probably numerous origins for the surname, most stemming from southern France. To say that all persons with this surname, rare as it is, are related is probably incorrect. In my 23 years of research I have found the surname of La Coste written in many ways, such as de La Coste, La Coste, Lacoste, Coste, La Cotte, Le Cost, La Cost, La Cote, Le Cotte, Costes, Lacoust, della Costa, La Costa, Costa, de La Condre, de La Court, de La Corrtie, de La Couture, de La Caux, La Caux, La Crouste, La Coista, Costae, La Coist, Le Coste, Le Corte, La Coiste, and La Coast. The name, however, is most often written as either La Coste, Lacoste, and La Cost. While the origin of the surname seems to come from the southern France area, in Northern France the name often appeared as La Cote. For the record I will show the way the name was written in records, even if it was a mis-spelling. Further study on this French surname in France has shown that the names of Costa, Costarat, Coste, La Coste, and Lacoste are names used for an ancient form of Costard; some of which families today still use the ancient form. This latest book, in no way will approach this subject as was done in this author's first published history of the "La Coste Family", a book published in 1988, and which included over 600 pages, dealing with other La Coste families, and a general French history of the surname. The surname of La Coste should not be confused with the Spanish, or Portuguese names of de Costa, or Da Costa. The French surname of La Coste has it's origin taken from the locations in southern France which were early on referred to as "Territories della Costa", and they areas were settled by Northern Italian families usually from the La Vagna area of Genoa, Italy. There has been established since early times a family in Genoa, and Turin, Italy named della Costa, or just plain Costa. This family was of Noble birth, and some members were Counts, and Seigneurs in Genoa. Others were titled as Margraves (Marquises), and they were active in ancient Roman times. Some of these early Genoa families were the Costa Cibo, Costa Vivaldi-Fiesche, Costa Gentile, Costa Spinola, and the costa Pellegrina-Gentile. While it is not proven that the French family of La Coste was descended from any one of these lines, it is possible. It is this author's belief that many of the French families which bear this surname today, received this surname because they came from an area referred to as Costa Territory, and not because of a Noble Italian family. In the 1200's in France, many persons were referred to as "coming from" a particular town or area, and the surname of La Coste, usually denoted a person who came from a remote valley, near a river in southern, France. The earliest records of France shows that persons living in the old della Costa Territory in Provence, and Languedoc, France, were referred to as being from della Costa, and eventually they probably used this appellation as a surname. There were other Costa families which lived in Italy, but my first book covers this more in depth. Copies of my first book can be found in the New York Genealogical, and Biographical Society Library in New York City, in the New York Public Library in the Local History, and Genealogy room, and in the Mormon family history Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. In France the surname of La Coste seems to have had numerous origins. Some early Noble families carried this name, sometimes as a title such as Marquise de La Coste, or Seigneur de La Coste, or Baron de La Coste. Some of these families were Barillon de La Coste of Provence, in which, the family lived on the original property of the original "Territory della Costa", and the present day village of La Coste, and Apt in Provence are located in this area. Another family was the "Berthelot de La Coste" family of Bretagne. The "de Besson de La Coste' family came from the Vaucluse area, and members of this family used the surname of "de Simiane", and they were titled as Seigneurs de La Coste, and members of this line rarely used the last name of La Coste. The "Boyer de La Coste" family lived in Bourgogne, France, but again they usually used the surname of Boyer. The "Domergue de La Coste" family lived in Dauphine, near the French Alps, and they went back to the mid 1500's. The "Gouray de La Coste" family lived in Guinne, and they were titled as Marquises, and Seigneurs. The "de Guiscard de La Coste' family lived in Languedoc, and later in Quercy, and it is possible that some of the La Coste's of Languedoc may re related to this line. The "Certain de La Coste" line came from Paris. The "Montagut de La Coste" family came from Languedoc, and this line did use the surname of both Montagut, and La Coste. It is possible that our La Coste line may be related to this line, unproven, because they came from the Nimes area. Another La Coste line was the "Frottier-Messeleire de La Coste" family from Poitou, and they were high ranking Marquises, and Barons. The "de La Coste De Fontenilles" family usually used the surname of La Coste, and they were from Vaucluse, and Herault, and they also lived in Quercy, and again this old 16th century family may be related to our La Coste line. The "de La Coste de Belcastel" family came from Herault, in Languedoc, and early records indicate that they came from the della Costa territory in Provence. They lived in the areas of Herault, Gard, and Nimes, and it was a very old family, and two towns near St. Julien de La Nef, where our Oliver lived, was named La Coste, after this family, so a distant connection is possible. Early French records indicate that La Coste families lived in such areas as Auvergne, Bourbonais, Champagne, Dauphine, Flanders, Foix, Guinne, Gascony, Ile de Paris, Languedoc, Limousin, Poitou, and in Provence, with the oldest mentions in Provence, and Languedoc. The present day town of La Coste in the Vaucluse area of Provence is located in the heart of the old, and ancient della Costa Territory dating back to the 1200's. The famous Marquis de Sade purchased an old castle in La Coste, which was owned by a La Coste, and today, while it is in ruins, it is a tourist attraction. In 1291 we find numerous tracts of land in Herault, Languedoc, named La Coste, or de La Coste. A Chateau estate in the town of Blavosy was given this name, and the area was named the "Costa Territory". The de La Coste de Belcastel family owned title to lands in this area in the early 1600's, which could mean that this family descended from the original person who moved to this area. Oliver, and his son Alexandre La Coste came from the province of Languedoc, in the departments of Herault, and Gard, just north of Nimes, in the small mountain town of St. Julien de La Nef, near the three little villages named La Coste. It is probable, but not proven, that our La Coste line descended from earlier lines living in this area. The Parish of St. Julien, there were at least 4 of them in this area, were found in the Diocese of Uzes, where numerous persons with the surname of La Coste once lived. This diocese was early on associated with the Cathars, and was a hotbed of Protestantism during the 1500-s to the 1600's. Family legend has it that our La Coste ancestors were French Huguenot, and this has not been proven by research, but it is possible for a Saint Jean de La Coste who lived in this area in the 1500's was burnt on the cross for his religious zeal. Some La Coste's from this region fled to London in the early 1600's, they being Huguenot.

Child of Oliver La Coste and Jeanne Bastier is:

Alexandre² La Coste, born 1665 in St. Julien de La Nef, Languedoc, France; died October 16, 1737 in La Pointe Olivier, Chambly, Quebec.

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