Jean-Marie Cottreau was from Normandy.

Still young, he went fishing off Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.

In 1793, while France was at war with England, he was captured on the high seas with others, and taken to Halifax as prisoner.

He escaped during the night, reached Sambro, stole a row-boat, and from cove to cove, he arrived in southern Nova Scotia, where, he had been told, there were French people.

He settled in Wedgeport, where he was married in 1795 to Marie Hinard.

She was the daughter of Pierre Hinard, who, from Pennsylvania, where he was in exile, came to Massachusetts with his father-in-law Joseph Mius, and thence to Wedgeport.

While living in Wedgeport, Jean-Marie worked as a farmer.

The young couple stayed at the home of Marie's father, Pierre.

The property was handed down from father to son in the Cottreau family.

Jean Marie Cottreau and Marie Hinard had eleven children.

Source:

https://novascotia.ca/archives/newspapers/archives.asp?ID=5267&Page=201503523

Pour son ami, Antoine Richard, voir mon numéro 654296