The Newfoundland Noel's were mainly Jerseymen, although some Noel's came from the other Channel Islands as well. There was a concentration of Noel's in St. Martin parish in Jersey. The Early Newfoundland Noels fished or became planters. The early Jerseymen were trading in Europe independent of the English colonial authorities. The first Noel in Newfoundland appears to have been Clemence Noel arriving ca 1765 in Freshwater, Carbonear, Newfoundland. Roland Noel's Freshwater Site will provide a letter that he wrote in 1774.

Early Freshwater names are John born about 1761, Clement who married Mary in 1788, John who married Frances in 1781, and James who was born to John & Charlotte in 1810.

A group of Noels was centered on the south side of neighboring Harbour Grace. Oral history says that they are the descendants of 3 brothers that sailed and traded together. A settlers survey in 1804 indicated that these Noels had been in place for decades. They may be linked to the Freshwater Noels or have come from Jersey to Newfoundland via Poole, England as indicated in one account. The early south side names were Clement b ca 1760, John Frederick b. ca 1815, Clement b. ca 1803, William b. ca 1804, Moses b. ca 1816, Jonathan b ca 1806, Joseph b ca 1811, Richard b ca 1792, Frederick b ca 1827, Josiah.

Some of the others are John in Brigus 1786; Philip in Port de Grave 1786; Isaac Noel in Burnthead 1790.

On The RootsWeb Site The Early Newfoundland Noels  are arranged in four trees and a  miscellaneous listing.

John Frederick Tree -               42 names  -  file   petenoel2

William & Ann  Tree -              16 names  -  file   petenoel3

William & Elizabeth Tree -       17 names  -  file   petenoel4

Selby Noel Tree -                      14 names  -  file   petenoel5

Misc. Noel families -               136 names  -  file   petenoel6  -  use Stanley Noel

By Pete Noel

The Noel's of Newfoundland by David Noel

The Newfoundland and Labrador GenWeb

In other records we find Joseph Noel in Harbor Grace, Newfoundland with wife Mary Sheppard and daughters Mary (born 1841) and Ann (born 1855).  Ref:  LDS FHC # 1761108.  Also Daniel,  Peter, Sr., and  Peter, Jr. are listed as fisherman at Grates Cove, Newfoundland,  1894-1897. In 1898  Arthur and  John Noel are also on the list.

John & Emma were married in Carbonear on November 15, 1865. It is believed they moved to the northern Peninsula in the spring of 1884. One son (twin) born to them did not make the trip and it is believed he died as a child, however little information is known. His name was Samuel Lezer Noel, born October 12, 1868 and was baptized (Methodist?) on June 3, 1871.

Goose Cove on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland was a little village of about 300 back in the 1950s/60s. It contained two little villages - Goose Cove East and Goose Cove West where the Noels livided. Today Goose Cove West is resettled but I have many Noel relatives in a nearby town. There are still people living in Goose Cove East. There were only about eleven families in Goose Cove West. The adults always pronounced Noel as Newell therefore that's how I pronounced it. When I came to Ontario back in 1969 my fellow coworkers didn't understand why I was pronouncing my surname Noel as Newell so I changed the pronounciation to Noel(French) and I still do today. Some years after I left Newfoundland the younger generation changed the pronounciation from Newell to Noel(English). When I visit the folks back in the area I change my pronounciation to Noel(English). I haven't corresponded with the Noels in Harbour Grace/Carbonear but I do believe they use the English pronounciation.

My name is Clayton Noel. I was born in Goose Cove West (now resettled), on the Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland. I am interested in searching for information on the early Noels, in particular, to make connections to Harbour Grace/Carbonear.