Jean Bernard Couret

1818 - 1887  (68 years)

• Name	Jean Bernard Couret
  Relationship	with Gustave Jean Baptiste Pitard
  Born	14 Jun 1818	Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1850	New Orleans, Louisiana
  aged 31, born in France; "barkeeper"
  Census	1860	New Orleans, Louisiana
  aged 41, born in France; works in a coffee house; real estate valued at 6,000; personal estate at 3,000
  Census	1880	New Orleans, Louisiana
  aged 62, born in France; "proprieter coffee house"; living at 394 Canal Street.
  Obituary	Obituary, Times-Picayune, 3 May 1887, p4: In the death of John B. Couret the community is called upon to mourn the loss of a worthy citizen and an estimable gentleman. Born in the town of Aspet, Department of Haute Garonne, France, the deceased came to this city at an early age, and after a few years of apprenticeship embarked in business on his own account. For forty years past he has been known as the proprietor of “The Ruby,” one of the first-class saloons of this city. No man in his line of business or in the ordinary walks of life was more respected than John B. Couret. Quiet, good-natured and ever ready to oblige, he was one of Nature’s noblemen, and many there are who will read the announcment of his death and mentally exclaim that a cleverer gentleman than John B. Couret they never knew. His funeral will take place today at 5 o’clock P.M. from his late residence, 394 Canal street.
  Occupation	cafe owner
  Died	2 May 1887	New Orleans, Louisiana   [2, 3]
  Obituary in the Bee/L'Abeille
  Notes	Aspet is in the Pyrenees, near the town of Couret. According to the parish records of his family (as in for instance the record of his father’s death), his family lived “au hameau de Sarradère,” in the hamlet of Sarradère, which is basically a street on the edge of Aspet. Jean Bernard moved to New Orleans in (about) 1836, and ran a coffee shop in the French Quarter named Ruby's. He seems to be the patriarch of the family's presence in New Orleans in his death, since obituaries identify other family members as his relations. I have not been able to find a connection between this Couret family and the family of Jean Louis Couret and his daughter Marie Octavie, who married Paul Gelpi. If there is one, it must be back in France. In 1855 or 1856 he opened a coffee shop and saloon at No. 87 Common St. called The Ruby. This is about him, from the biography of his grandson, Maurice: "Couret, Maurice, M. D., was born in New Orleans, La., Sept. 17, 1874; son of John Francis and Louise (Lamothe) Couret, both of whom were born in the Louisiana metropolis (the father in 1849), and reside there at this time. The paternal grandfather, John B. Couret, was a native of France, and came to America when a young man. He engaged in business in New Orleans and conducted this throughout the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1886. The maternal grandfather, Lamothe, was a native of Hayti [sic], and came from that island to the United States, locating at New Orleans, at the time the French were expelled from the land of his birth the year following Napoleon's seizure of the ruler of Hayti [sic]. He was a silversmith, especially skilled in the manufacture of spoons and forks, and articles of this description of his handiwork are still retained in the family. He conducted a jewelry store at New Orleans. One of his brothers also became a citizen of the United States and served in the Revolutionary war" A note appeared in the Times-Picayune, 16 Jan. 1887: "After an illness of many weeks the good natured face of Major John B. Couret of the Ruby, is seen on the streets. The veteran is a little pulled down, but a good constitution will soon place him on deck again." Calling him a veteran is I suspect just a figure of speech. He died later this year. According to his death certificate he died of a "carcinoma of the intestines." His succession was filed in the First District Court, (no. 4478). Microfilms are available at the New Orleans Public Library/City Archives. [4]
  Person ID	I3101	lansdalepitard
  Last Modified	11 Apr 2021

  
  

  Father	Thomas Couret           b. 10 Aug 1783, Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France           d. 6 Oct 1870, Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France  (Age 87 years)
  Mother	Marie Françoise Agert           b. 13 Sep 1793, Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France           d. 26 Jan 1862, Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France  (Age 68 years)
  Married	29 Jun 1811	Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France
  Family ID	F2588	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner	Lucie Maurice           b. 28 Nov 1828, New Orleans, Louisiana           d. 22 Apr 1890, New Orleans, Louisiana  (Age 61 years)
  Married	2 Feb 1845	St. Joseph's Church, 1802 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana   [5]
  Children	+ 1. Marie Francoise Couret           b. 24 Jan 1847, New Orleans, Louisiana           d. 20 May 1943, New Orleans, Louisiana  (Age 96 years) + 2. Jean Francoise Couret           b. 9 Apr 1849, New Orleans, Louisiana           d. 18 Jun 1931, New Orleans, Louisiana  (Age 82 years)   3. Thomas Leon Couret           b. 2 Apr 1852, New Orleans, Louisiana           d. 17 Nov 1882, New Orleans, Louisiana  (Age 30 years) 4. Emma Olivia Couret           b. 10 Aug 1855, New Orleans, Louisiana           d. 26 Jan 1926, New Orleans, Louisiana  (Age 70 years)
  Last Modified	11 Apr 2021
  Family ID	F2132	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to hide
  		Born - 14 Jun 1818 - Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France  Married - 2 Feb 1845 - St. Joseph's Church, 1802 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana  Census - 1850 - New Orleans, Louisiana  Census - 1860 - New Orleans, Louisiana  Census - 1880 - New Orleans, Louisiana  Died - 2 May 1887 - New Orleans, Louisiana   = Link to Google Earth
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• Documents		New Orleans Daily Creole, 25 October 1856 This snippet announces the opening of Jean Couret's bar & cafe the Ruby.
  		Times Picayune, 3 May 1887 A second obituary for Jean B. Couret
  		Weekly Advocate (New Orleans), 26 Apr 1855 This note tells about a setback that occurred before Jean Couret could open the Ruby.
  		Death Certificate for J.B. Couret (d. 1887) Transcription: " . . . declares, that John B. Couret (white) a native of Aspet, dept. de Haute Garonne, France, aged 69 years, departed this life yesterday (2 May 1887) at No. 394 Canal Street in this city. Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Intestines. Certificate of Dr. E. Souchon. Deceased was married 40 years in city, a merchant by occupation. . . ."
  		Obit. for John B. Couret, d. 2 May 1887. The obit. appeared in the The New Orleans Bee/L’Abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans on 3 May 1887.

  
  

• Reference

  Pitard, Derrick. "Jean Bernard Couret". Genealogy at Pitard.net. https://ancestors.pitard.net/getperson.php?personID=I3101&tree=1sttree (accessed August 4, 2021).