The following information is a partial translation of the original French document written by [1].
The oldest owner that we found was Aimé de la Côte, bourgeois de Feurs , married to Catherine Du Rozier, bourgeoise de Feurs. They lived around 1560. [2]
The Papon family from Pouilly were the second to own «de la Côte». The official wedding certificate of Jean Papon was found in the parish register of the town hall. It dates back to February 14th 1691 and is published below.
Le quatorzième jour du mois de février mil six cent nonante et un après trois proclamations faites par moy Curé soussigné de Bussières. Du Sieur Curé de Pouilly dont j’ai eu le certificat du futur mariage Entre le Sieur Jean Papon Bourgeois de Pouilly Fils de M° Charles Papon lieutenant de Pouilly et de Damoiselle Helaine Mayosson d’une part et Damoiselle Marguerite Asselin Fille de défunt M. Maturin Asselin «Conseiller» du Roy et receveur des tailles en l’élection de Roanne. De Damoiselle Marie Hélaine Sayette d’autre part n’ayant paru aucun empêchement le mariage s’est célébré entre eux par parole de présent en présence de moy Curé soussigné de Bussières qui leur ay donné la bénédiction nuptiale dans la Chapelle du château de Chenevoux par permission de M. Morange Vicaire Général au spiritual et temporel de Monseigneur l’Archevêque donne à Lyon le dixième de Février mil six cent nonante un en présence de M. Charles Paon Père de l’époux. De Me Pierre Vert Notaire Royal de Néronde Lieutenant de Bussières lesquels avec les époux et épouse ont signé.
Jean Papon was the son of Charles Papon, lieutenant of Pouilly. His wife Marguerite Asselon, female companion of Marthe Cotton from Chenevoux, and daughter of Maturin Asselin, tax collector in Roanne.
The third owner of «de la Côte» was Jean Froget from Pouilly-lès-Feurs, he was married to Pierrette de Chavanne from Cottance.
He is listed as resident of Cottance in a document from 1713 wherein he takes all farm property from the dependent priory of Saint Albin. It is this contract that introduces him Bussières. Not long thereafter he was the owner of «de la Côte».
Jean Froget was an entrepreneur who was very fortunate in business. He acquired a considerable fortune in the canvas business which, back then, was the sole business of the region. Jean Froget was the driving force behind the reconstruction of the great hall (built in 1300 and demolished in 1860 to make way for a new road), in front of the church to facilitate the sale of his fabrics in Bussières. He became lord of the post office in Courzieu, after which he bought château de Noally in Violay in 1736.
He was given cash and the title of Secretary Advisor to the King and Esquire of France. This allowed him to pass into the ranks of nobility after which he signed as Jean Froget, esquire, lord of Noally. He died on August 5th 1742 and his wife the same year.
In her will she left a large portion of the Froget fortune to the poor of Bussières, Cottance, Panissières, St. Colombe and Valsonne. Without a direct predecessor, it was Pierre Froget, Jean’s brother, who inherited all of their remaining assets in 1742. He didn’t stay at «de la Côte» very long and died without a predecessor. This time around it was his nephew Pierre Perrin from Neulise who inherited the château. He owned it for thirty years. Son of a wealthy champagne owner, he had obtained the title of nobility by inheritance. He signed as Pierre Perrin from Noailly, Esquire, Secretary Advisor of the King, House and Crown of France. All these titles are inscribed on the small church bell together with the name of his wife Marie Ducreux (They donated it). Pierre Perrin died on the 18th of April 1788 at the age of 83 in Bussières [3].
Pierre Perrin, having no children of his own, divided his heritage amongst his three nephews.
The exact date is unclear but somewhere between 1835 and 1848 Claude Marie Coste purchased château de la Côte.
In 1848, Claude Marie Coste died leaving the estate to his three children, Jacques François Coste, Joséphine Antoinette Coste, and Georges Antoine Charles Coste.
It was aforementioned Jacques François Coste who expanded the land and rebuilt the castle into the renaissance style we can still see today however it was never finished. He died in 1909 after which the château was passed on to his nieces and grand-nephew; Anne Rosalie Courbon, Marie Emilie Courbon, Mélanie Antoinette Courbon and Claude Marie Courbon.
In 1960, the château was purchased in by Joseph Forest from Panissières. He owned the château until his death in 2011, leaving the estate to his three daughters, Jacqueline, Joëlle and Gisèle Forest.
On December 18th December 2015, «de la Côte» was purchased by, a Dutch/Russian couple with the intention to finalize the work that François Coste started.
[1] - Berchoux 1999 : P. BERCHOUX, "Notes historiques, "Le Château de la Côte"", Bull. Jarnicoton, Les Amis de Néronde, no. 72, 1999, p. 5-7
[2] - D’après un bulletin paroissial de 1910 et le journal Cantons Foréziens no. 28
[3] - Archives de la mairie de Bussières, page 334 du Registre Paroissial