A Genealogical History of the many Noel Families

                  Noël,  Noell,  Noelle,  Noe,  Noue,  de Noël,  le Noel

The surname name 'Noël', which may have originally meant a person from Noailles (no-ay) and not Christmas (however the given name of Noël does refer to Christmas in most cases), is believed to have origins in the Gallic tribes of Normandy in the north of France.  These people held vast estates in the Duchy of Noailles, Oise, France that dated prior to the 11th Century.  In Normandy, the scion of the family generally adopted his domain name as his own surname so the nobility were the de Noailles. Whatever the common form may have been, the de prefix was dropped by attrition when the people moved from the area and their surname progressively changed with Nouelle (Noalha) as one form.  Since the mass of people were not literate, this may have been done by the priests who recorded the baptisms in French, German or Latin.  The English could not even handle this pronunciation and it was changed to Noel ( pronounced as Noll ). When the Noëls' (pronounced as no-elle) came from France to English America in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds the English recorded the Noel form.   As we see in France and French Canada the Noël form is used.

If many different families from Noailles assumed the Nouelle or Noël surname this may account for the different haplogroups and haplotypes seen on the DNA Results Page. While this may have been the early source of the Noël surname it was also adopted, acquired or derived by other means. There is also reason to believe that the surname was something other than Noël. Since the British, my family and other Noel families do not use the Noël form it may have been the catholic priests, the scribes of the vital records, who first changed the spelling and then the pronunciation to conform with a Christian event. My families pronunciation is No-al. Records show that my great grandfather, born about 1775, spelled his name as Noel but it was written as Noal by the tax recorder. Our Joseph Noel, who came from Europe to Pennsylvania in 1736, wrote his name without the accent mark over the 'e'.
This is the signature of  written on the ship Princes Augusta on his way to Philadelphia, PA in 1736.

 By the 14th century the Noëls branched to Antons, Roc'hldean and Villehuslin in Brittany, Peronniere in Forezand and Poitou in France. By the 15th century they were in Orléans and by 1573 they had acquired estates in Lorraine and St. Simon to the South in Languedoc. For those interested, both French and English  'Coats of Arms' are shown. If your Noels' were from the Nancy area of France, Benoit de Crevoisier gives his Noël line.

A knight, Robert Noel was with William, the Duke of Normandy, in his conquest of England in 1066.  He became the Lord of Gainsborough by King Henry, King of England and Normandy.  A Robert Noel was born about 1123 at Staffordshire. Thomas Noel, born about 1151, married Margaret Strange, born 1156. Their child Alice, born about 1180 at Ellenhall, Staffordshire, England, married Sir William D. Harcourt in about 1202. She died in 1235.  There are Noels living in England and maybe Ireland today. The English must have changed the surname from de Noailles to de Noelli, then to Noelli, and finally to Noel. The Latin names used at Ellenhall were Noellus, Nouellus and Novellus. By 1482 we find other Noels at Dalby, Whitwell and Campden. Sir Edward Noel became the 2nd Viscount Campden.    Noel Viscount Campden

 When Lord Bryon's  (1788-1824) mother-in-law died, a stipulation of her will was that, in order to inherit, her beneficiaries must  take her family name. Byron added it to his and became George Gordon Noel Byron.  His mother in law was Judith Noel, daughter of Sir Edward Noel, 6th Baronet, 9th Baron and 1st Viscount Wentworth of Kirkby Mallory in Leicestershire

A French Lieutenant took a land grant on the bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, in which is now Hants County, and the town of Noel was built.  If the name of Noel was a surname or a given name is not clear.  However many Noels lived in Nova Scotia in the Eighteenth century.  The largest wooden sailing ship ever built was constructed at Noel.   From 1755 to 1762, over 8,000 Acadians were deported to New England, to the southern colonies, and to Europe.  Others went to New Brunswick and the French West Indies or went to live with the native people the Mi'kmaq / Micmac's.  The Acadians were allowed to return to Nova Scotia in 1764  but the Cobequid area  including the town of Noel was not resettled.   The only Noels in the Hants County area today, I was told, are of native American origin.

An early Native American of Nova Scotia was Louis Noel (1790-1849).  His son John was the chief of the Micmac's of Halifax and the surrounding area.  Chief John Noel was born at Port Harbour, Pictou County, N.S, on 3 May 1829 and he died  20 May 1911 at Spring Brook Reserve, Shubenacadie, N.S. at the age of  82 years.

Pierre Joseph Noël, who was born in Paris, France about 1793, was held a prisoner by the English on Melville Island, Halifax, during the Napoleonic war. Following his release, he lived in various places in Nova Scotia, before settling in Cocagne, New Brunswick. He married Mary Hayes, probably in Tracadie, Nova Scotia. Pierre's second wife was Susan Bellinger. Lucas (Luc) Noël the son of Susan and Pierre Joseph Noel married Emelie Goguen and she gave birth to Agnes Noël February 17, 1877.  Agnes married Leon Fontaine June 24, 1912. A Picture of Agnes supports that she was of Native American extraction. See the above page for contacts.

Carol Noel reports that " about 1845 Jean-Bernard Noel emigrated from the south shore of the St-Lawrence River to laMèque, New Brunswick. He had nine sons of which one was named Ignace of which I am a descendant, my father's name was Edouard, my grand father Auxibé, my great-grand father was suppose to be Clement."     

Jean Noel and Marguerite Boudreau had ten children. A son, Lazarc Noel, was born at St Inkerman in Northern New Brunswick in 1871 and died in 10-23-1948. He was the youngest of ten children. He and his brother, Daniel Noel were the only two children who came to the States while most of his family remained in New Brunswick.  A son Joseph L Noel was born in Superior, Wisconsin in 1918. Later the family moved to Madawasko in northern Maine because Lazarc's wife came from that area. Joseph's family were French-Canadian and his mother only spoke French while his father did learn English to become a U S citizen. Joseph was always told that his Noels immigrated from Southern France.  The church records of Saint Michel at Inkerman contain most of Jean Noels siblings and his and Marguerite Boudreau's children.   Contact for the Daniel line. 

The sister of Jacques Cartier, Québec's discoverer, married a Noël, in France. Cartier made three trips of exploration 1534, 1535 and 1541. On his last trip he brought along his two nephews. They lived around the Gaspé region for many years and could have lived near Quebec City ( Iles d'orléeans). In 1588, under the reign of Henry the Third of France, the exclusive trade of the Gulf of St. Lawrence was granted to Chaton and Noel, the nephews of James Cartier; but this grant was soon revoked. Later on a Noël married a Native American woman. Her origin is believed to be Montagnais.  Marie-Nael  is a descendant of Jacques Cartier's sister and the Noël's from the area of St-Malo, France.

While Quebec City was founded on July, 3 1608, the first arrivals of the  "Regiment de Carignan "  was in 1665. With this regiment there where 20 individuals named or surnamed "Noël".  The first settlers to arrived  on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, twenty-five kilometers from Quebec City, was around 1680.  This area was  the home of the Colonel of the first military expedition to North America under Louis the 14th of France. The town of Saint Antoine de Tilly was established in 1702. Latter,  Pierre Noël le Gardeur, 1720 to1748, officer of French militia, had the powers and deeds of this land and it was passed on to Philippe Noël, 1748 to 1760,  and then to Jean-Batiste Noël, 1760 to1805, and then to his son of the same name. The title "de Tilly" represents a  geographic denomination of land given by the French ministry de Paris to the French Gouverneur General  of Canada. This  piece of land was called : "la Seigneurie de Tilly  and that is how the Noël name became Noël de Tilly.  The Tilly Manor was built in 1786.       reference: The French Seigneurial history of Canada.

In Quebec, Canada Jean Noël arrived in 1649, François Noël (1639-1725) in 1657 from Chirzy, Poitou, France and Pierre Noël in 1758 from Artois in the north-east of France.  Selected Noel Records from Quebec 1800  - 1850

Pierre Noël married Élizabeth Augustin from Poitou in the City State of Vienna, now part of France. Their son François married in St Famille Island D' Orléan in Quebec in 1669 to Nicole Legrand. They settled on the "Ile d'Orleans" near Quebec city. The descendants spread mostly in the province of Quebec but quite a few emigrated to the U.S., mainly to the northeastern States.  Nancy Borman lists twenty-nine known variations of the name Noël. They are Amyot, Boucher, Brockden, Charland, Christmas, Delfourneau, Desfourneaux, De Tilly, Didier, Doualle, Duel, Duguay, Duquet, Etoile, Labonte, Lajoie, Latour, Lefebvre, Midelet, Newell, Nouel, Nowell, Sansoucy, Stern, Teasdale, Thisdel, Tilly, Tousignan, and Wells.  Her web page is at "Descendants of Francois Noël and Nicole Legrand" and compiles a data base of the  descendants along the male and female lines of Francois Noël and Nicole Legrand.

In Newfoundland, Clemence Noel arrived in about 1765 at Freshwater, Carbonear. The first settlers are believed to have came here from the the Channel Islands and other British Isles with the fishing fleet during the summer fishing season and never returned in the autumn.

Four of the children of Narcisse Noel and Julie Cheza (who was born in the village of Barvaux-Condroz (near town of Dinant, province of Namur, Belgium on Oct 26, 1844) went at an early age to an area just north of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. See this Page.

John Nicholas Noel, the great-grandson of Francois Noel and Anne Marie Petit, was born  March 6, 1782 at Saar, Lux. Belgium and was married about 1808 at Hachy, Lux Belgium. He died Dec 19, 1865 at Mosalem, Dubuque, IA.  His grandson Joseph Noel who was born May 10, 1861 at Dubuque, Dubuque, IA died Dec 31, 1939 at San Bernadino, Ca. See this Page for details.

From "The NOEL family from Grand Leez, Belgium" by Alice Noel Toebas, c. 1988:   
"Jean Francois 'Frank' NOEL born November 17, 1844 in Aische-en-Refail, Belgium son of Jean Francois 'John' 
Noel and Marie-Catherine NEUVILLE.  He immigrated from Belgium with his parents in 1856. On April 30, 1865
at St. John the Evangelist Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin he married Marie Josephine LADURON. She was
born September 9, 1846 at Meux, Belgium, daughter of Maximilian Laduron and Anne-Joseph HERBINIAT". 

Louis Noel was the son of Jean Francois "John" Noel married Victoria Lardinois in the Town of Scott, WI, on 4/13/1882. Louis was the seventh in this line that is covered on a Web Page.
 

The progenitor of the Virgina line was Cornelius Noel who was born at Leiden in the south of Holland on November 8, 1623 and was christened at the Hooglandse Church.  He was the second son to be named Cornelius as his older brother, Cornelius died as an infant. He obtained a land-grant on Occupacia Creek about 4 miles inland from the Rappahannock River in Essex Co., VA.  He received this land 25 September 1665. Cornelius died June 06, 1699 in Essex County, Virginia. He came to Virginia  from the Netherlands and married Elizabeth Page there in 1660. He was the son of JACOB NOUWELSZ who was born about 1599 at Leiden, died about 1650 in Leiden and Treintje Cornelisdr who was born about 1603 at Leiden. He was the grandson of  Passchier Nowe who was born at Halweijn-Vlaanderen Belgium and his mother Stijntje Jaspers b. Menen, West Vlaandern, Belgium. It believed by some that Passchier's father was Jacque Noel who was born about 1535/45 in Franchival, France. This family is covered by Jennie Noel Weeks in her book, "The Emigrant Cornelius Noel" and is available from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Family History Center. The microfilm is US/CAN film # 1206297 item 1-7 (Volume 1-4). Volume 4 continues on film # 1033752, item 1-5. For more information contact Traces Of The Past.  The town of Noel, Virginia is located 22 miles north of Richmond.

John J. Noel was born in 1810 at Natural Bridge Virgina.  Later we find him widowed with 2 sons.  He then married Jane Trial in Peoria Co. Illinois.  She was the daughter of  John G. & Elizabeth Bowman Trial who had moved to Illinois from Virgina. There is no documentation that this John Noel was related to the Cornelius Noel line.

In 1677 William Penn visited the Palatine area in Europe and encouraged the people to go to Pennsylvania in America. In the early 1700's France's King Louis XIV invaded the Lower Palatinate and many fled down the Rhine to Rotterdam. In 1708 and 1709 the Duke of Marlborough was assigned by Queen Anne (Anne Stuart was born in 1665 and was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, 1702- 1714 ) to transport the immigrants to England. Some of these people were transported to New York and were moved at the expense of the Queen to Livingston Manor, in what is now Sullivan County, NY. Many of these surnames were latter found at Goshenhoppen, PA, now called Bally. Their travel route was either the Delaware River or the New York to Baltimore trail.

Between 1718-1737 the Habsburg's, trying to gain control of all of Europe, supported the 1st Swabian Migration of German Catholics east to the Danube and west into the Alsace-Lorraine area.  These German peoples caused a exodus of the local inhabitants and some came to America. (Lorraine History Page)

The Alsace-Lorraine-Sarrland Area between the 12th Century and 1648 was divided into many states among which the Duchy of Lothringen, the Republic of Metz and the Bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun were the most important ones. All these states belonged to the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne. Lothar, his grandson, acquired the Duchy of Lothringen. In 1648, according to Treaty of Westphalia, Metz, Toul and Verdun became French cities. Between 1648-1766 The Duchy of Lothringen, was surrounded by French territories, and was repeatedly occupied by the French troops. When the Duke Stanislas Leszcynski died in 1766, the Duchy of Lothringen became the French province of Lorraine.

Jean Noel and his wife Elisabeth Chapillat were born about 1690 in Lorraine and of the Catholic faith. They had two children, Jean and Suzanne born about 1710-1715 in Lorraine. They were in Strasbourg, Alsace from 1735.

In September 1736 Joseph Noel aged 56, and family and Enos Noel, aged 36, and family arrived at Philadelphia. They came by best authority with people from the Palatine, Germany (Palatinate region = Pfalz  and Alsace-Lorraine = Elsaß-Lothringen) close to the border of France. They arrived on the ship Princess Augusta from Rotterdam, Holland via Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. (Image of and text of Princess Augusta Ships List)  They took the oath of allegiance to George II at the Court House in Philadelphia on the 17th of September 1736.  The name is French and Joseph's grandson Nicholas, son of Peter, is to have said that they came from Lothringen. However it was said that their bibles were in German. The Joseph Noel family is covered in the book "The Noel Tree" by Charles Noel.

From the Jim Osborn Draft: "This group of passengers ( "The Seven Families" of the Princess Augusta who settled in what is now Adams County, PA) signed their names in French, found rapport with the captain of an English ship who was probably of French origin, assimilated easily into a German culture on the Pennsylvania frontier, spoke German in their homes and with their German neighbors, in the Pennsylvania records were called by the English or German versions of their names, were called French by their descendants, were probable founders of what early writers of the area called a "French Colony", and were Catholics who seem to have gotten along well with their German Protestant neighbors." Also: "Philip Noll and his sons John Yost and George Noll, who later acquired land in the area were not of Joseph Noel's family. Philip immigrated in 1751. When they arrived in the area is unknown. They appear to have been German Protestants."  However there were Noll's recorded at the Conewago Chapel. See: "Ancestors of Lester L. Noll".

While Little is known of Eneas Noel. An Eneas Noel was taxed for 100 acres of land on 11 Feb 1743 in Philadelphia County, PA. He was taxed in 1767 in Berks County, PA. On the Ships List of the Princess Augusta his mark is just above Joseph and Peter. They must have ganged together on the ship and may have known each other in Europe. Why they went their separate way is a good question. The first land record found of the Seven Families  was in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. (The Adams County of today was part of York County which was part of Lancaster County) On 1 Sept 1738, Nicholas Strasbaugh and Nicholas Orie secured a warrant for 100 acres in Conestoga Township. No survey or patent deed followed, which suggests they moved somewhere else. The whole group of these families must have arrived in the Conewago area within a very short period of time, probably in 1738 or 1739, certainly not later than 1740. The first of the land warrants at Beaver Creek obtained by one of the Princess Augusta families was that of John Francis Christian* in 1744. His land was surveyed in 1745 and showed Strasbaugh as a neighbor. In the same year the survey draft of John Bready's land also showed Strausbaugh as a neighbor. Joseph Noel also settled in the Pigeon Hills area of York County (now Adams County), PA.  His sons all raised large families and from Pennsylvania scattered farther west where they settled in many of the western states. The Osburn Map of Pigeon Hills with the locations of the Princess Augusta families is shown with the complete file including his book in a ZIP file of 257K.  Horace Ory gives a good account of the relationships of the Strasbach family with other Pigeon Hills families.

* NOTE! Marie, daughter of Jean Francois Chretien and Anne Noel was born on 19 September 1733 at Plaine, Bas-Rhin, France. The Current research on the European locations of the Noel, Strasbach, Christian/Chretien, Delon, Gerard, and the Ory families who sailed on the Princes Augusta in 1736 indicate that these people came from an area north of Saulxures,  in the Vosges in eastern France, which in 1736 was part of the Principality of Salm that was jointly administered by the Prince of Salm and the Duke of Lorraine and did not pass solely to the Prince of Salm until 1751.  The last chancellor of the Principality of Salm was a Noel!  If you would like to help locate Joseph Noel or the other families in Europe using FHC films, do contact me. DN.  An account of the History of Salm is given and with the Flags of Salm on this page.

Nicholas, John, Peter and Philip, the sons of John and Margaret Noel and grandsons of Joseph Noel, moved to Hampshire County, Virginia (now W.Va.) prior to 1790 and except for John Noel hence to the valley of Scioto River in Ohio after 1792, but before that state was organized, it being the North West Territory organized under the Ordinance of 1787. Later, Michael Noel the son of Blasius of Taneytown, MD and a brother of Joseph moved to Wyandot County, Ohio with members of his wife's family, the Arnolds.  We also find John Noel the son of Andrew Noel near Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, in 1822; thence to Adams Township, Seneca County, Ohio, in 1830.

Philip Noel, Andrew's grandson and the son of John Noel, went to Wisconsin from Illinois in 1839. He bought 40 acres in 1843 and 80 acres in 1846. The farm was located in Koshkonong, Jefferson County. He married Polly Laurinda Webb in 1841. For an interesting account of the Philip Noel family see this Page.

Peter R Noel also a grandson of Andrew and the son of Nicholas went to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1850's.

We find Mary Ellen "Ellen" Noel of Capon Bridge, Hampshire County, West Virginia (in an area formerly part of old Frederick County, Virginia).  They lived and died there on "Little Timber Ridge."  She was married to Christopher Slonaker (born about 1759 died 1840).  There are other individuals named Noel in that area, including another Mary Ellen Noel, probably all related.  References are made to her and her husband in "Historical Records of Old Frederick and Hampshire Counties, Virginia," by Wilmer Kerns, at pages 286-287, 295.  She  was born in Hampshire County on July 3, 1833.  Nicholas Noel was born there on January 9, 1809.  He had a daughter, Addison Noel born about 1849, and his wife was Nancy Kerns, born about 1812 in Hampshire County. Contact Jerry

An account of the  Early Noels of Western, PA is given on this page and includes Westmoreland, Indiana, Cambria and Venango Counties.  Among the Noels in the 1810 to 1870 Census of Cambria County we find besides the Noels from Westmoreland, Adams County and Taneytown, Md, four Noels from Germany, Philip, John, Peter and Joseph who are now known to have come from Prussia. An account of the Noel's of Franklin County, PA  including Michael and John, Jr are compiled on this page, Franklin County, PA

Johan Henrich Noel  imported on the ship Edinbergh to the State of Pennsylvania, James Russel, Master. He qualified  Sept 16, 1751.

John [ Buckskin] NOEL  (b.28-Jun-1776 in France d.14-May-1846 in Adams Co., PA.) was said to have left France as a young man and stayed in Germany for a few years before coming to America in about 1810. He settled in the Wenksville, Menallen Twp., Adams Co., PA. area where he married Elizabeth (b.31-Apr-1793 d.27-Apr-1853). They had children  John A Noel ( b.14-May-1829 d.3-Dec-1897) who never married and David Noel (b.28-Dec-1823 d.21-Jun-1874) who married Mary Ann Irvin (b.29-Oct-1834 d.26-Apr-1904).

The Jacob Noel family, except for Hanna, arrived in the Ligonier area of Westmoreland County, PA in 1823. Jacob was the son of Andrew Noel from Adams County, PA, the grandson of John Noel, and great-grandson of Joseph Noel from Europe.  The Noel graveyard is now on private property.  There is am image and  plot map on the page linked above.

Also in Michigan and reported by Wesley Brown:  Catherine Noel Braun was born July 11, 1802  at Baden and lived in the Nancy area prior to living near Mulhouse, Haut Rhin, France, maybe in Reiningue.  She married  Nicholas Braun from Reiningue and they came to the Monroe, Michigan in 1847 with five children.  From there, the family went to Ohio, Minnesota, and, later, to North Dakota.  Her son, John Baptist Broun was the priest who had the catholic cathedral, St. Bernard's, built in Akron, Ohio in about 1900.  Catherine  was the sister of Michael Noell who came to Monroe, MI with his family in the 1850s. He came with his wife Anna Stein and five children from Dept 54, Meurthe, France in 1853,  as seen in the 1860 census.  They had 3 more children after coming to the USA.  They came via Havre.  Also John and Marie Noel Schaffer lived in Alsace-Lorraine until 1869 when they emigrated to the USA with their son Nicholas and two daughters, landing in New York.  Michael and John were assumed to be brothers.  I don't know that I'm related to them.

A Joseph Noel was born in Pennsylvania in what was probably the 1780s or 1790s, as was his wife, Mary Cooper. Moving westward, they spent time in Perry County, Ohio, then  White County, Ohio, where Joseph Noel died in 1848. Their son James Noel was born in Perry County on March 30, 1830, one of sixteen children. He came to Mahaska County, Iowa, in 1852 and married Mary Marilla Bacon. They settled in New Sharon, Iowa, and had six children--Rubie, Alfred, Almeda, Otis, Olive and Lillian. Alfred Cooper Noel was born 11/26/1855 in New Sharon, and died 1/2/1924. He married Clara Tice (a daughter of state legislator Hardin Tice) and had 10 children, who all grew up in the Oskaloosa area. Contact Mindy

My Grand Uncles Adam, John, Joseph and Peter, and maybe my grandfather Jacob, all went to Davenport, IA in 1835 with the Lindsey family. They are listed with the first residents of Davenport. Adam and his wife, Susannah Lindsey, encouraged their friends and relations in Pennsylvania to move to the rich farmlands in Iowa. These included the Hurd's, McGuire's and the Wagner's. The Noel's in Westmoreland County, PA were in close contact with those who went to Iowa and my grandfather Jacob Noel did go to Iowa but returned ( see Speculation above). The town of Noel, Iowa is 12 mi North of Davenport. John moved to Missouri and died at Kingfisher, Oklahoma. The town of Noel, Oklahoma is located 45 miles NW of Enid while Kingfisher is 40 miles south. His sons went to California after his death. One Grand Uncle went to South America where he had a cattle ranch. This must have been George Noel.

 The Noel and Noah Connection     In London, England, in 1781, Zvi Noah married Minka Levy.  Later Zvi changed his name to Henry Noel. Others in the family also changed to the Noel surname. A branch of this line came to the United States through Canada in the 1850’s while others may be in France and Australia.

Henry Wilkens Noel was born Nov 4, 1811 in St. Peters Port, Isle of Guernsey, Channel Islands the son of Jean Noel and Elizabeth Wilkens.  There was an older brother named Jean. Henry W. Noel was in New Orleans in 1845. Henry  was married to Louisa Turner and he died in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio in 1858.

Thomas Noel born 1815 in PA married to Sally, with children: George, William, James, Mary Jane, Samuel, John were living in Cherry Tree Twp, Venango County, PA in 1850. Thomas Noel born 1775 in PA - wife Mary born 1766 may have been the parents. There was also a Susan Noel born 1820 married William Reynolds.  Contact

In the southwest part of Missouri there is the small town of Noel which was named after Willis Bridges Noel, of Kentucky. Contrary to  Jennie Noel Weeks book on the Cornelius Noel line Willis is in the line of Benjamin Noel and not Cornelius Noel  See: The DNA Results Page. He was issued a land patent in June of 1859 for 28 acres in McDonald County. A James Clifford Noel was born in Noel, MO on the 13th of Oct. 1890 and registered for the WWI Draft at Shoshone, Idaho. There is also a town with the Noel name 22 miles SSE of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and another 45 miles SE of Grand Junction, Colorado.

Garrat Noel, a bookseller and merchant was born in England in 1711 and arrived in New York in 1750 from Cadiz, Spain, with children by his wife, Frances Matilda Jaymee, who died prior to that date. Their child Mary Noel, married Anthony L Bleecker in 1763. Josepha Matilda married Antonio de Miera. Their only son Alexandria, died at sea in about 1764. From a second marriage with Experence Young there were three children, Eleanor, Garrat, and John Young Noel. John died in Chattam, GA on Nov. 1, 1817. Garrat Sr. died at Elizabeth, Union, N.J. on Sept. 22, 1776.  Garrat Noel  sold a first printing of BLACKSTONE IN AMERICA in 1764 and the book today is offered at $1600.

The Dorchester County Maryland family of James Nowell Sr was there by at least 1676.  This family appears to be English as they were originally Episcopalian. Capt. Septimus Noell, born about 1732 the son of Basil Noel and grandson of James Sr, married Ruth in 1757 in Baltimore, MD. Ruth's death is recorded on the 3rd of April 1787 in the  Maryland Gazette and/or the Baltimore Advertiser as being at an advanced age. The descendants of Basil apparently used the spelling NOELL.  Of note is that the Archives of Maryland records that on Thursday 18 July 1776. C. S. J.  Council meet and Ordered That the 'Treasurer of the Western Shore pay to Septimus Noel seven pounds ten Shillings for Boat hire to transport the Troops to Head of Elk.

William Bazel NOEL, b. 1762 in England, owned ships in Baltimore, Md. but lost them in a storm. He was married and had children, but both his first wife and children died in an epidemic in Maryland. "Kentucky Marriage Records" have a record of the marriage of Bazel NOEL and Mary GREGG in Shelby Co. Basil NOEL is listed in "Ohio Source Records" as an Elector in Champaign Co., Oh. on October 8, 1811 along with John NOEL and Daniel NOEL. A daughter, Mary NOEL, b. 1811, married first Isaac KITCHEN in Greene Co, Oh. They had 13 children. After he died she married James HATFIELD in Clark Co., Oh. Of interest in the Archives of Maryland,   Volume 6, Page 506  is a Correspondence by Governor Sharpe to Lord Calvert. The letter was transmitted on the 3rd of November 1756 by Capt Noel,  Sr.

Thomas NOEL a native of County Kilkiney, Ireland and a subject of Queen Victoria arrived at New York about Apr 4, 1849 and filed  his DI on 01 Jun 1853, aged about 32 years and living in Derry Twp., Westmoreland County, PA.  He was admitted as a citizen  on the 24 Aug 1855. He was vouched for by Conrad Henry and Blonus (Blasius) Noel the  son of John Noel.   Ref: OLD WESTMORELAND, Vol. III Num 4, May 1983; pp. 32-33; Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, P.O.Box 253, Laughlintown, PA 15655.(Note: At the invitation of Queen Anne in the spring of 1709, about 7 000 harassed Palatines sailed down the Rhine to Rotterdam. From there, about 3000 were dispatched to America, either directly or via England, under the auspices of William Penn. The remaining 4000 were sent via England to Ireland to strengthen the protestant interest. Although the Palatines were scattered as agricultural settlers over much of Ireland, major accumulations were found in Counties Limerick and Tipperary. As the years progressed and dissatisfactions increased, many of these folk seized opportunities to join their compatriots in Pennsylvania, or to go to newly opened settlements in Canada. ) Also a Thomas Noel arrived in New York on the Ship City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown to New York, April 29, 1878. He is listed as 24 years old and from Ireland.

Peter Franz Von Noel, born  24 Sept 1736 in Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, died 23 Mar 1809 at Frankfurt, Hessen was the son of  Franz Noel, born before 1710,  and Johanna Margareta Spanier.

In 1666 Marie Nicolas the wife of Jean Noel gave birth to their first child at Belgique, Gerouville, Luxembourg. If any of this line came to North America is not known. Jean-Baptiste Noel born August 20, 1794 in Medingen, Luxembourg, arrived in the United States in 1837 and lived in St. Donatus, IA. Anthony MOLTER (b. 1844 in Luxembourg; d. 1919 in Detroit, MI) m. Victoria NOEL (b. 1839 in Belgium; d. 1919 in Plymouth, IN) in New Regal, OH, in 1864.  A Link to Luxembourg Noels.  Also we find that Armand Noel, OF St. Sauveur, a Belgian migrated to the Wisconsin Northeast. The reference is the book Wisconsin Historical Collections (VOL. XIII).

John NOEL, the father of Joseph C. Noel who was born in Zanesville Ohio March 11, 1856, was born in England. Joseph's mother was ----- Milton from the Isle of Mann.

William Percival Noel, who was from Ohio and moved to Indiana after the Civil War, was the father of James W. Noel, born Nov. 24, 1867 in Melmore Ohio and raised at Star City, Indiana.  See this Page.

Mathias Noel was born about 1822 in Alsace-Lorraine, France. He was married in Europe to Anna Marie Friedrick/Friedrich. They probably immigrated to the U. S. about 1856 and settled in Lee Co., Illinois. Nicholaus Noel was a son of Matthias. He immigrated to America with his parents, a brother and two sisters.  Nicholaus was first married in 1875 to Kathryn Albright. (FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG)

The 1880 Pittsburgh, PA Census lists Bissiere Noel born in France about 1845 married to Mary C also born in France. There are two boys Cass age six and Noel and one girl Allice. All were born in this country. In the 1870 Census a Phillip Noel born in France about 1843 and maybe a brother of Bissiere married Caroline in August of 1869. Caroline was born in Wirtemburg, Germany.

The descendants of the Swabian Migration (Donauschwaban in German) to Eastern Europe can be found in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis as well as Canada, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Noels from eastern Europe have been reported. Anna Noel (husband's first name unknown) gave birth to: Elisabeth On May 23, 1907 and Anna on October 23, 1910 in the Mercydorf area of the Hungarian Banat (now Romania). They spoke German. Also a Josefine Noel married Peter Reiter and immigrated to Philadelphia. They were from the town of Gross Jetscha in the Banat. Michael A. Noel was born in Hungary between 1896-1898. He married Margaret Ebner, who was born in Gross Jetscha Village in Hungary. Their son Frank M. Noel was born in Philadelphia in 1918.

Michael Noel who was from the Banat died in 1968 in Munich, Germany He was the father of Andreas Noel, who was born in Germany. The  grandmother of Andreas  moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1960 with her second son Hans. She died in 1998 at the age of 100. Family  members are still living in both Germany and the USA. 
          A Ships List from the Banat

Peter Noel, a Native American,  was born about 1860 in or near Stigler, Oklahoma and was married to Lorinda  Bohanon and she died in 1895 (est.). He was full blood Choctaw.  His wife Lorinda was 1/2 Choctaw and 1/2 Chickasaw. It is said that Peter was an elected Chief of the Choctaws.  (Have not proven this yet.) and  also Peters great grandson.

There is a reference to the Noel surname in The National Melungeon Registry.  The Melungeons are a group thought to have been Turks and Portuguese of the 1600's who were dropped on the North Carolina coast and who interbreed with the Native Americans of the Appalachians and later with other Europeans. This is one way the surname could have been introduced to a Native American line. If you are of a Melungeon line or know of someone who is, be sure to check the Melungeon Health Page. This Page has a short history of the Melungeon People.

John Henry Noel  was born in Prussia  in 1844. He settled in St Louis, Mo and married Amelia Franke in 1867. They had 1 child Harry born in 1870. Harry had a daughter Louisa. Contact Bruce

The Noels of the Caribbean    At the Citadel in Cap-Hatian in the Fort built in the 1700's, Prince Noel is entombed . (The History of Haiti. The name Haiti is a old native word meaning "mountainous land;") There are both European and Afro-Caribean families with the Noel/Noël surname living in the Caribbean islands with many on Carriacou an island off Grenada. Joseph Noel, of European descent,  was born at nearby St. Vincent 12 Dec 1872. Napoleon Noel whose father also was named Joseph was born on St Andrews in 1885.

St. Peter's Cathedral in Wilmington, New Castle County, DE served parts of Chester County PA before parishes were established there and from the "Catholic Parish Registers - Diocese of Wilmington, DE" LDS microfilm # 1846653 we find André Noël, a free Negro, and Laurette, his wife, a mulatto with the following births: Marie Zoé Marianne Noël - born 5 Apr 1800,  Jeanne Noël, born 20 Apr 1811 Sponsors: Germain Noël, Marie Louise, and Marie Louise Noël, born in Wilmington, 14 Mar 1817

John Noel an Afro American barber resided at  42 North Howard St., Baltimore, Maryland as reported by  Louis S. Diggs from "The Baltimore Directory", compiled by Samuel Jackson in 1819. An Afro-American,  Scott Noel was born in VA about 1848 and  is found in the Census Index of Anne Arundel County, MD in 1870. From the Hamilton Co, Ohio Genealogical Society, Cemetery CD of the Union Baptist African American Cemetery there is a Melvin Noel born Nov 23 1902, died May 31 1928, kindred Henry Noel.

Also Edmond Noel (d. 1804/1808), an Afro-American, had children born between 1775 and 1793, and lived at Lloyds, Essex County, Virginia. His son, Edmond Faver Noel (1793-1871), lived at Holms County, Mississippi. The Family History Center has a micro film of "The Noel family record, 1775-1871, and Negro family records, 1769-1870" by Edmond Faver Noel et al.

In other parts of the world we find:

Costa Rica - Joseph Flavian Charles Noel was born to Joseph Noel and Maria Magdalena Charles on January 22,
1907 at Limon, Costa Rica .

India - Sarah Jane Noel was born to Thomas Noel and mother Elizabeth  on the 20th June 1858 at <meerut>, Bengal, India.

Caribbean and Indian Ocean Islands - Pierre Noel was born in 1675 at Woodward on the Island of Saint Christopher in the  Caribbean. His wife was Marie Lauret (Source FHC  Film Number: 447841). Also a Pierre Noel was born in 1705 St- Paul, Reunion, Indian Ocean Islands. His parents were Pierre Noel and Marie Lauret ( Source FHC Film Number: 447842). His brother Etienne was born in 1717. Joseph Noel was born on August 2 1908 to Alexandre Noel and Marie Emilia Cecilia at Rose Hill, Plaines Wilhems District, Mauritius, Indian Ocean Islands

Pacific Islands - Yvonne Noel was born about 1901 to Ludger Noel and Leonide Langlais on the Pacific Island of St-Coeur De Mari.

Panama - Serafin Noel married Manuela Sandoval in  1907 at Cocle, Panama.

Philippines - Josefina Noel was born about 1816 and married Vicente Nojapa about 1837. (See below)

South Africa - Maria Noel  was born about. 1818 at Klipheuvel, Stellenbosch, Cape Of Good Hope, South Africa and married Derkt Otter on the 15th January 1839.

Sweden - Anna Sophia Noel was born on the 14th of Dec 1811 at Lastringe, Sodermanland, Sweden to Simonis Noel.

Tasmania - Helen Richardson Noel was baptized on the 14th of  May 1859 at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Her parents were Thomas Peter Noel and Caroline Louisa Jones.

So the Noels are in every State of the United States and every Province of Canada as well as most other countries in the World. The American Noels came from several founding families, from France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany and Hungary/Romania. However their genes were in Normandy, France a thousand years ago.  In France today there are 54,400 Noël's and in the past Century there were 44,245 births. That equates to 1.1 Noël per 1,000 Frenchman or about one for every ten square miles of France.  In the US there may be 21,600 Noels and we rank as the 999th most used surname. Take these figures with a grain of salt.   See these pages:      France USA

Noels in Australia

Noels in New Zealand

Noels in the Philippines

Noels in South America

The Viscount de Noailles and the forty Noëls at Yorktown

Descendants of JOSEPH NOEL of Adams County, PA

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Other Countries from the FHC Page

Barbadoes, Caribbean - Helena Augusta NOEL Christening: 14 Oct 1873 at Saint Andrew
Hait, Caribbean - Anette NOEL Birth:  Abt. 1840  Jacmel
India - Sarah Jane NOEL Birth:  20 Jun 1858 at <meerut> Bengal
Jersey, Channel Islands - Aaron NOEL Birth: 27 May 1678 at St. Clement

Puerto Rico, Caribbean - Gregoria Dolores NOEL Birth: Abt. 1870  Maricas

Saint Christopher, Caribbean - Pierre NOEL Birth: 1675 at Woodward

South Africa -Maria NOEL  Birth:  Abt. 1818 at Klipheuvel, Stellenbosch, Cape Of Good Hope
Zimbabwe - Byron William NOEL Birth: 18 Jun 1921 at Indwe
 

Flags courtesy of ITA's Flags of All Countries used with permission.