Couperin

The Couperin family was the most prolific in the whole of French musical history. Very active during the baroque era, they originated from Chaumes en Brie, a little town some 30 miles east from Paris in the modern (départment of Seine-et-Marne).

Several members of this family were titular organists to Saint-Gervais' church, near the Hôtel de Ville, Paris, during almost two centuries. This church had a most important instrument.

The most gifted and illustrious among them were Louis Couperin and François Couperin the Great, the former's nephew.

Simplified family-tree :

Organists to Saint-Gervais' church are written in red

• Mathurin Couperin dead in 1640, farmer, instrument player
  • Denis dead in 1656, notary, instrument player
  • Charles the older dead in 1654,instrument player
    • Louis (1626-1661) clavecinist, organist and gambist
    • François (1631-1701) musician
      • Marguerite-Louise (1676-1728) singer
      • Nicolas (1680-1748), organist
        • Armand-Louis (1727-1789), organist
          • Pierre-Louis (1755-1789), organist
          • Gervais-François (1759-1826), organist
            • Céleste-Thérèse (1795-1860), organist
          • Nicolas-Louis (1760-after 1817)
    • Charles (1639-1679)
      • François the Great (1668-1733)
        • Marie-Madeleine (1690-1742) nun, organist
        • François-Laurent (dead after 1740)
        • Marguerite-Antoinette (1705-1778) clavecinist of the King's chamber