2. Francois² Noël (Pierre¹) birth date unknown. His body was interred 26 May 1725 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁶⁸⁾

He married Nicole Legrand in Ste. Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 22 October 1669.⁽⁴⁸⁶⁹⁾ Nicole was born Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France ABT 1648. Nicole was the daughter of Nicolas Legrand and Anne Duplessis. Nicole died 5 October 1713 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, at 65 years of age.

He was baptized 1639. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁰⁾ The Following was Excerpted from the series - "Our French Canadian Ancesters" by Tom Laforest.....

FRANCOIS NOEL:

For centuries, the first-name and family name of Noel was very widespread in France and still is, even in Quebec. Jacques Cartier had a nephew named Jacques Noel. On July 20, 1653, the burial of Michel Noel, who had been killed by the Iroquois, took place. The same scene was repeated on October 25, 1658 at Ville-Marie, for the burial of Jacques Noel, 32 years old, also killed by the Iroquois with his proprietor Jean Saint-Pair, royal notary.

Several Noels came to the Colony, but the most remarkable, both through his life and his descendants, was Francois Noel.

CHIRE-EN-MONTREUIL

Francois Noel, son of Pierre Noel and of Elisabeth Augustin, was born in a small place called Chire-en-Montreuil, located in the canton of Vouille, arrondissement of Poitiers, in the department of la Vienne, a part of the land of the former province of Poitou. At the end of the last century, 922 inhabitants lived in Chire.

Francois, born about 1644, had the opportunity to attend school. He knew how to write, even with flourishes. What events persuaded this young man to cross the Atlantic and settle in New France?..... His indenture contract for Canada has not been found.

ILE D'ORLEANS

The first mention of Francois Noel in our national history is found in the census for the year 1666. Francois, 22 years old, worked as a "hired servant" at the home of ancestor Gabriel Gosselin. Two other companions shared the same work with him: Jean Pacaud, origin unknown, and Louis Sivadier, a native of Ansac-sur-Vienne, in Poitou. The census-takers passed through the island at the beginning of the winter of 1666. Proof: Rene Emond, from the island, stated that his son Francois was 12 days old. Well, we know that this boy was born on February 28, 1666. Conclusion: Francois Noel had arrived in 1665, before the closing of the navigation season.

The following year, Francois had changed masters; he was in the service of Jean-Baptiste Peuvret, owner of the arriere-fief of Mesnu, still on the Ile d'Orleans. The foreman in charge of the seigneur's farm was Jacques LeRoy.

A fief is a noble endowment which a vassal held from a seigneur, with the condition that he pay rent and swear faith and homage. Jean-Baptiste Peuvret, husband of Marie-Catherine Nau, widow of Louis de Lauzon, had obtained the arriere-fief of Mesnu on March 12, 1661. On June 9, 1668, the Seigneur de Mesnu declared himself to be vallas "of messire Francois de Laval"... This act of faith and homage mentioned the names of the censitaires of his small seigneurie. Surprise! Francois Noel appeared on the second line of the list of those who paid seigneurial cens and rentes: Clement Ruel, Francois Noel, Jacques Dubois, Claude Salois, Thomas Rousseau, etc., eleven censitaires in all. Francois Noel owned 3 arpents of front land; he have 3 livres and 3 capons in rent and 1 denier for the cens each year.

Francois seems settled on the island for a long time. Will he be happy? Lucky?

NICOLE LEGRAND

Francois Noel built his house and cleared a portion of new Land. He was ready to set up his home. Since 1663, each year the king had sent good and strong girls, to encourage the population of the Colony. In 1668, he sent 11 of them to Montreal; the same number to Trois-Rivieres; 113 to Quebec. Among those who went to the capital was Nicole Legrand.

Nicole was a Parisian from Saint-Sulpice. Her father Nicolas was dead. Her mother Anne Duplessis was still living. Nicole, 21 years old, had fine manners, easy speech; she wrote her name with confidence.

Francois Noel met her at Quebec at the end of the summer of 1669. They decided to get married. On October 13, there was the signing of the marriage contract in the presence of the notary Romain Becquet, in the house of Anne Gasnier, widow of Jean Bourdon. Nicole brought to the marriage some property valued at 400 livres and a gift from the king worth 50 livres. As was right and proper, Francois offered a prefixed dowry exceeding the ordinary: 500 livres tournois.

The nuptial blessing was given on October 22 on the Ile d'Orleans by the missionary priest Thomas Morel. The curate Henri de Bernieres also recorded the act in his registry at Quebec. On the island, it was said that Gabriel Gosselin was present for the ceremony. Was the marriage blessed at the Gosselin house? I think so.

It took courage to leave Paris; this meant leaving the gleaming capital in exchange for a part of the Ile d'Orleans and the whole of the great Saint Lawrence River. Happiness is a property without boundaries.

1670

In 1668, the Seigneur de Mesnu had ceded 3 arpents of frontal land to Francois Noel. The latter had a voracious appetite for land. On March 2, 1670, he obtained 6 more arpents of frontage "joining on one side the said tenant on the other side Jacques Dubois". On this concession, there were about 15-20 arpents of low and high land ready to be cultivated with a shed "erected on it". Instead of 3 livres and 3 capons, Francois would in the future pay 9 livers and 9 live capons in seigneurial rent. In addition, he promised "to pay the said lessor" 55 livers annually, both in silver and in grain. In France, the owner of such an expanse of land would consider himself to be a small king.

Francois also discovered the generous forest of his vast domain. On March 16, in the company of the "nobleman Jean Baptiste Patulet", he appeared in the study of the notary Becquet at Quebec. Patoulet, secretary to Intendant Jean Talon, in the name of the government, ordered him to deliver 150 good pine boards to the sand-bank before the city of Quebec on the first days of the month of June. Francois received "from the hands of the Sr de Comporte" 75 livres cash. An identical amount would be paid to him after the delivery. The terms of the deal did not specify the length of the boards nor the width. Francois improvised as a long-sawyer. Quite a new experience!

1673

Two events in the life of the Noels capture our attention in 1673: a piece of gossip and a forced commitment.

On February 26, 1673, Jean Paulin and his wife Jeanne Barde, appearing very nervous, were in the waiting room of the palace of Governor Frontenac. The notary Becquet and the bailiffs felt the weight of a charged atmosphere. Eight days earlier, Nicole Legrand had claimed that Jeanne Barde "was a whore" and that people "had found her in bed with a lad".... Unless there was an official reparation of honor, there was a danger that the judicial machine would be set in motion and result in long and costly lawsuits.

Therefore, in the middle of winter, Nicole and Francois also went to the heart of the capital to make a reparation of honor in good and proper form. They humiliated themselves; they made apologies; they promised to deny with all their might these slanders in the presence of people contaminated by their wicked statements. They admitted that the Paulins were "folks of honor". Without this serious and sincere reparation, they would have to pay 200 livres to the Paulins, not to mention the court costs. Francois and Nicole signed this notarized document, well-preserved in our national Archives.

Bertrand Chenay, Sieur de LaGarenne, was almost the Caisse Populaire Desjardins (local bank) of that era. Francois Noel had borrowed 62 livres from him, probably after the purchase of merchandise at the quay of the Lower Town of Quebec. On December 29, 1673, LaGarenne closed his account books... Francois did not have the necessary money to pay his debt. So he was hired as a navigator in the service of the businessman. Upon the opening of the next navigation season, he had to be there to faithfully serve his creditor at the rate of 20 livres a month in remuneration. By that time, if he could wipe out his account, he would be released from his obligation as navigator.

Will Francois find another person to bail him out of this extra work?...

TWO LAND SALES

A Russian writer recounts this story. The first inhabitants of his country, desirous of owning land, harnessed a pair of oxen to a plow. They had, from sun-up to sun-down, to make a furrow around the area of land they coveted. The majority, because of their excessive ambition, never returned. At sunset, they were dying of fatigue with their poor beasts, far from their starting point.

After a few years, Francois Noel noticed that his eyes were larger than his ability to swallow his acquisitions. On October 20, 1677, he decided to limit his properties to more reasonable proportions. He gave 3 arpents of frontage to his close neighbor, who had become his friend, Jean Paulin. The latter would pay the seigneurial rents and the annual 27-1/2 livres to the seller, who had to give them to his seigneur according to his obligation of March 2, 1670.

In 1681, the Noels had 5 arpents of land under cultivation, 5 head of cattle, and 1 good hunting gun. At their table, 6 children claimed their food. The neighbors Jacques Bouffard and Thomas Ruel were hardly richer. What we forget is that hunting and fishing brought fresh and substantial food to the majority of homes. The forest provided heat.

Six arpents of frontal land were still too much, especially if we consider the livestock: 5 head of cattle. On March 16, 1687, Francois Gosselin, son of ancestor Gabriel, acquired the 3 arpents of frontage remaining from the purchase made by Noel in 1670. The conditions were the same as for the buyer Paulin. However, Gosselin paid 35 livres tournois in cash, a sort of benevolent gift. Francois Poisson, resident of Gentilly, passing through Quebec, signed as a witness to this sale.

LEGRAND-NOEL GENERATION

The Legrand-Noel parents threaded 10 new lives on the marvelous abacus of human life. It was between 1670 and 1687, in the present territory of the parish of Saint-Laurent, on the west-side of the island, that all the Legrand-Noel children were born: Philippe, Catherine, Francois, Pierre, Claire, Marguerite, Ignace, Michel, Jean-Baptiste and Madeleine.

Claire, Pierre's twin, died in the cradle. Marguerite died at the age of 12 at the Hotel-Dieu of Quebec, on February 23, 1691, after 2 months of hospitalization. During the same time as the very bad influenza, Catherine and Pierre Noel also were patients at the Hotel-Dieu. Jean-Baptiste Noel died on January 9, 1691 and was buried at Saint-Laurent on the following 12th.

The eldest, Philippe Noel, was godfathered on December 28, 1670 by Philippe Gauthier, Sieur de Comporte, former lieutenant of the Company de La Fouille in the Carignan Regiment. Philippe was married on November 5, 1692 at Saint-Pierre, to Marie Rondeau, daughter of Thomas. Their family counted 12 new members. He was buried on September 30, 1736, in the cemetery of Saint-Pierre on the island.

The eldest daughter, Catherine, became the wife of Francois Chabot on April 24, 1698, and was a mother of 3 children. She was married a second time, on November 15, 1706 to Pierre Parent and enriched the Parent descendants by 8 members. She was buried on May 28, 1752 at Beauport.

Francois Noel, junior, joined his life in marriage to Catherine Brulon, on February 9, 1699. On March 21, 1703, at Saint-Laurent, he was buried, probably a victim of the frightening epidemic which had been ravaging for nearly 2 months.

The most prolific of the Noels was Pierre, Claire's twin, and his wife Louise Gosselin. From their marriage, celebrated at Saint-Pierre on November 5, 1703, were 14 children. His mortal remains were buried in the cemetery of the parish of Saint-Pierre, on October 5, 1748.

Ignace Noel and Marie-Anne Huard, married at Lauzon on November 7, 1707 and raised a family of 10 children at Saint-Laurent. Ignace was buried at Quebec on June 14, 1759, a few weeks before the conquest of Canada by England.

Agnes-Marguerite Garand and Michel Noel founded their home on February 22, 1713 at Saint-Pierre on the island. Michel, responsible for 8 children, was buried at Saint-Laurent on May 27, 1751.

Madeleine Noel, the youngest, baptized on May 12, 1687, married to Antoine Fortier on February 3, 1706, in her native parish of Saint-Laurent, and brought 9 children into the world. She was remarried, to Antoine Pepin dit Lachance at the church of Saint-Jean on the island on February 14, 1752.

Thus, the second Noel generation added 66 new members to the human wealth of the country.

INHERITANCE

From 1687 to 1707, there was the ordinary, happy family and social life at the Noel home. One day, it was necessary to surrender to the evidence: the frost of years had whitened their hair. The ancestor thought at that time to determine the succesion in order to secure their old age. On September 9, 1707, Francois and Nicole went to Quebec to the home of notary Louis Chambalon. All the children had been summoned for the occasion.

The act of donation from the Noel parents to their son Ignace recalls first that each of the major children had received upon their marriage about 200 livres. Philippe, the eldest, had inherited twice this amount. Here are some details about the furniture and real estate that they owned: one piece of land with 3 arpents in frontage minus one perche, "an old house of piece sur piece and a barn with square frame, enclosed with boards and covered with straw with a stable at one end of piece sur piece". Everything had already been appraised by Ignace Gosselin and Guilaume Couture at 1,200 livres.

Then came the livestock: one 9 year old mare, two oxen of the same age; two other oxen 3 and 4 years old, four cows, two steers, two calves, four pigs, seven piglets, twenty-four hens and one rooster.

The obligations imposed on the heir? To his brothers and sisters, to complete the 200 livres which had not been paid; to feed, house, provide heat and to support his father and mother for the rest of their lives, to use 50 livres at the death of each for funeral expenses and for masses.

Then was added a host of particular details: to give them 2 minots of wheat each year, half of the fruit from the garden, a certain quantity of flax, the spinning wheel, etc. If problems arose between the recipient and the donors, the former must then follow the following directives: to provide a heated room on the west side of the house, the necessary furnishings, kitchen utensils, linen-wear, 26 minots of wheat each year, 30 pounds of butter, etc.

The complete reading of this very interesting notarized document implies that the Noels wanted to avoid quarrels and problems at any cost. They had foreseen all scenarios. Surprise is added when we discover that the sons Philippe, Ignace and Pierre signed with ease, along with brother-in-law Antoine Fortier. Did they get schooling from their parents? Culture and grace may be inherited as well as wealth.

NEW DEPARTURES

The Noel's retirement continued peacefully for a few years more. Nicole Legrand was the first to die, on Thursday, October 5, 1713, after harvest time. The missionary priest Yves Leriche sang the libera on the morning of the 6th, at the church of Saint-Laurent. The 82 year-old Francois Noel was also buried in the cemetery of Saint-Laurent, on May 26, 1725. The good curate Leriche drew up very poor acts. He recorded the names of the deceased, nothing more...: "Le bonhomme Noel".

Five years after the death of our ancestor, his grandson Jean-Baptiste Noel, son of Philippe and of Marie Rondeau, was ordained a priest. For 54 years, this priest served the parish of Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly where he died in 1797. At the consecration of the new church of Tilly, on September 24, 1788, the Seigneur Jean-Baptiste-Marie-Noel, attended the ceremony. He was the great-grandson of Ancestor Francois through Philippe to Philippe.

The daughter of Jean-Baptiste-Marie Noel and of Genevieve Dussault was Marie-Genevieve Noel (1766-1829). She became the wife of Joseph Drapeau on October 14, 1782, in her native parish of Tilly, Joseph Drapeau, merchant at Quebec, ship builder, a considerable land owner, left her a fortune upon his death on November 3, 1810. Genevieve Noel took possession of the seigneuries of Lessard, Nicolas-Rioux, Rimouski, Metis, Riviere-du-Gouffre, even part of the Ile d'Orleans. She managed her properties as an intelligent and respected seigneuresse. The history of her life would deserve a whole volume.

Laurent Noel, 8th generation, child of Remi and of Albertine Nadeau, was born at Saint-Just-de-Bretenieres (Montmagny), on March 19, 1920. He became auxiliary bishop of Quebec on July 25, 1963. His Excellency, Msgr Laurent-Noel has directed the diocese of Trois-Rivieres since 1975.

The Legrand-Noel ancestors were active witnesses of an era. Because of their tenacity, their courage and their indestructible faith, they are today the torches lighting and guiding men and women who will live, towards the good horizon.

FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS

There are twenty-nine known variations of the name Noel. 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.

Francois Noël and Nicole Legrand had the following children:

+ 3 i. Philippe³ Noël.

4 ii. Claire Noël. Her body was interred 7 October 1677 in Ste. Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁷¹⁾ She was baptized in Ste. Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 20 September 1677. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁷²⁾

5 iii. Jean-Baptiste Noël. Jean-Baptiste died 9 January 1691. He was baptized in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 30 September 1685. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁷³⁾

6 iv. Francois Noël. Francois died 20 March 1703 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, at 27 years of age.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁴⁾ His body was interred 21 March 1703 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁵⁾ He married Catherine Bruslon in St. Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 9 February 1699.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁶⁾

He was baptized in Ste. Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 17 September 1675. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁷⁾

7 v. Pierre Noël. His body was interred 5 October 1748 in St. Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁸⁾ He married Louise Gosselin in St. Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 5 November 1703.⁽⁴⁸⁷⁹⁾

He was baptized in Ste. Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 20 September 1677. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁰⁾

8 vi. Marguerite Noël. Her body was interred 28 May 1752 in Beauport, Quebec, PQ, Canada. She married twice. She married Francois Chabot in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 27 April 1698.⁽⁴⁸⁸¹⁾ Francois was born 1673.⁽⁴⁸⁸²⁾ Francois was the son of Mathurin Chabot and Marie Mesange. His body was interred 5 March 1703 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁸³⁾ She married Pierre Parent in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 15 November 1706.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁴⁾

She was baptized in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 23 November 1679. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁵⁾

+ 9 vii. Ignace Noël.

10 viii. Michel Noël. His body was interred 27 May 1751 in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁶⁾ He married Marguerite-Agnes Garand in St. Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 22 February 1713.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁷⁾ Marguerite-Agnes was the daughter of Pierre Garand and Catherine Labrecque.

He was baptized in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 28 March 1683. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁸⁾

11 ix. Madeleine Noël. She married twice. She married Antoine Fortier in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 3 February 1706.⁽⁴⁸⁸⁹⁾ She married Antoine Pepin dit Lachance in St. Jean, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 14 February 1752.⁽⁴⁸⁹⁰⁾

She was baptized in St. Laurent, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, PQ, Canada, 12 May 1687. Religion: religion unknown.⁽⁴⁸⁹¹⁾

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