Pierre is not one of my direct line ancestors. However, his progeny have married into the direct line with such frequency that this page is necessary. Pierre Gilles Noel was born 2 September 1771 in Vecheres, Québec, Canada to Joseph Marie Noel & Madeleine Bilodeau. On 22 July 1799, he married Archange Dragon dit Ethier or Hetier.; other variations of her name are Etheir dit Dragon and Hetier dit Dragon. She was born in Canada around 1780; her parents were Louis Dragon & Archange Bourdon.
Pierre, a farmer, was educated enough to be able to sign his name, as evidenced by his signature appearing on the birth and marriage records of his three known children. At some point, the couple relocated to St. Valentin, where they lived out their lives. Pierre was the first to die, on 8 January 1844, and was buried at St. Valentin the next day. Eleven years later, Archange succumbed to death on 30 April 1855, and was buried the next day with her husband.1
Pierre Gilles and Archange had three known children:Simon Pierre Noel & Dosithee Tremblay Simon Pierre was born 1 September 1800 in Lacolle, Québec, Canada, but was not baptized until 17 October at St. Joseph's in Chambly--the same church that his parents had been married in.1
Simon became a painter by trade. On 29 September 1829, he married Dosithee Tremblay at St. Cyprien church in Napierville, Québec. She was the daughter of Denis Leon Tremblay & Marguerite Allard, born to them 31 May 1813 at Baie-St-Paul, Québec.1
No death details are known for Simon Pierre and Dosithee Tremblay.
Simon Pierre and Dosithee had the following known children:
Boniface- Born 29 September 1832 at St. Valentin, Québec. He married Marie Lei Bachant, daughter of Toussaint & Marie Marguerite Laflamme. Their daughters were Eugenie Albertine & Marie Lei1
Alexandre Noel
Flavie Beausoleil, Marie Roch, Celeste MenardAlexandre Noel was born about 1804. He was a tonnelier, or "edge-tool maker" (think scythes, sickles and the like), which often fell under the category of cooper.
As indicated in the title, Alexandre married three times. Each marriage will have its own section.Alexandre Noel & Flavie Beausoleil Flavie Beausoleil was the daughter of Charles & Marie Isabelle Grenier, about whom nothing else is known; her date and place of birth has not yet been discovered.
Alexandre and Flavie were married 9 February 1830 in Napierville, Québec.1,27. They had the following children:Flavie Beausoleil died sometime before 1842.
Alexandre Noel & Marie Roch On 7 February 1842, Alexandre married Marie Roch, the daughter of Antoine & Marie Feroni.1 Marie died 13 February 1844 in the St. Valentin parish of Lacolle and was buried there the next day; she was 22 years old.1 The couple had no children.
Alexandre Noel & Celeste Menard Alexandre waited four years before marrying again, this time to Celeste Menard, the daughter of Simon & Josephte Levreau, who had been born about 1815.1 The ceremony took place 3 February 1846 in the St. Valentin parish of Lacolle.1 They had the following children:
On 2 October 1882, Felix filed an intention to become a citizen of the United States; exactly one month later, he was granted citizenship.5.
Felix married Mary Jane Coakley on 2 February 1887 in Natick; the daughter of Daniel & Mary Ann Daly7. Felix worked in a shoe factory, as did Mary Jane's father and siblings, so it is possible that the couple met in this fashion.2 They had the following children:Felix bought a home on Mitchell Street in Cochituate in 1892; this was the family home until its sale in 1980. As well as working in the shoe factory, Felix raised a home vegetable garden and enjoyed boating on Lake Cochituate. He was a soft-spoken man who loved good conversation and was at ease in both his native French and the English of his new home, the latter of which he could speak with no trace of a French accent. He enjoyed having young folks around. He was intelligent and place a high value on education, as evidenced by sending all three of his girls to college.2
- Felix Joseph- Born 11 March 1888 in the Saxonville area of Natick, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts. The little fellow died shortly after he was born, but this event did not make it into the death registers; the birth record does not indicate anything was amiss.6
- Marie Celeste- Born 18 May 1899 in the Saxonville area of Natick.6 She graduated high school and was a 1908 graduate of the Framingham Normal School. She worked as a teacher in the Peace Dale, Rhode Island and Attleboro, Massachusetts school systems.2,3
Mary Celeste married Francis "Frank" Edward Adel 23 July 1916 in Natick.7 They settled in Frank's hometown of Attleboro and had three children. Sadly, their first two, Janet Marie and George would die at ages five and two, respectively.2 Their youngest daughter, Mary Lou, was born 22 May 1927 in Attleboro.2 She married and had children. She died 8 October 1976 in Attleboro.2
Marie Celeste Noel died 21 February 1944 in Attleboro.4,9 Frank Adel lived until 2 August 1952, when he died in Natick; he was buried in Attleboro.7- Agnes Catherine- Born 2 February 1891 in Natick.6 She, too, graduated high school and then the Framingham Normal School, Class of 1912.2 She taught in the Wayland and Natick schools.2 Agnes married Joseph Henry Decatur 7 July 1915 in Wayland, Massachusetts.7 Joseph was born 29 January 1884 in Westford, Massachusetts; his parents were William & Susan Donahue.2 He had blue eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion.16 A corn and apple farmer, Joseph sold his farm for industrial development in his twilight years.2 They had four children. Two are potentially living. The other two are:
Ruth- Born 14 February 1919 in Wayland and became a registered nurse. Married an engineer named Carl DeFranco. Ruth died in Gainesville, Alachua Co, Florida 13 April 1998.2
Beatrice- Born 30 May 1924 in Wayland and graduated Fisher Business School in Boston. Married engineer Robert Holmes. Beatrice died 26 November 1988 in Stuart, Martin Co, Florida.2
Joseph Decatur died about 1961 and was buried in Wayland.2 Agnes Noel died 20 November 1980 in Bedford, Massachusetts; she is buried with her husband.2,423,28- Sarah Jane- Born 12 December 1892 at Natick.6 Jane, like her older sisters, graduated high school and attended Framingham Normal School, Class of 1914. Her career in the Wayland and Natick area began in Sudbury, Massachusetts schools. She went on to teach at the Center School and finally transferred to the Cochituate Grammar School.2
Jane married Ronald Stuart Campbell 23 August 1925 in Wayland, MA.7 Ronald was a farmer and a veteran of World War I; in his later years he became a mechanic for a farm equipment dealer. He was tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. A quiet, soft-spoken man, he was the polar opposite of his talkative, fast-moving wife Jane, which may have been why she seemed to "wear the pants" in the marriage. As fond of children as they both were, they did not have any of their own.2,16
Jane retired from teaching on 30 June 1959 after being at the Cochituate Grammar School for 43 years; the Town of Wayland recognized this milestone at their annual meeting.2 Sadly, she did not live long enough to enjoy a full year of retirement; Sarah Jane Noel died on St. Patrick's Day of the following year and was buried in St. Zepherin's cemetery in the village of Cochituate, Massachusetts. Ronald died 15 July 1983 and is buried with Jane.2
Felix, who was said to be a large man with a barrel chest and broad shoulders,died of a heart attack that occurred while he worked on the roof of his home on 22 October 1920. Mary Jane was described as a small woman, in contrast to husband. She was extremely kind and gentle with a fine sense of humor and was always looking on the bright side of things. Although prematurely gray at 19 years old, her peaches and cream complexion stayed with her until her death in 1934. They rest in St. Zepherin Cemetery, Cochituate.2Alexandre Noël died 13 November 1858 in Lacolle, where he was buried the next day.1 Celeste Menard died 12 April 1861 in Lacolle and was buried the next day at St. Bernard.1
Edouard Noel
Emelie Dumas, Sophie Noel, Marie BoudraultEdouard Noel came into the world 24 November 1811 in Lacolle, Québec; but he was not baptized until 12 February of the following year, at L'Acadie, Québec. His godparents were Joseph Dumas and Agathe Drago. Edouard was a shoemaker by trade and, at one time, had his own shoe shop.1,8
Like his older brother Alexandre, Edouard had three wives, as follows:Edouard Noel & Emilie Dumas Emelie Dumas was born sometime around 1811 to Etienne Dumas & Marie Paulin.1
Wedding bells pealed in Edouard and Emelie's honor on 28 February 1832 in St. Valentin, Québec.1 The happy couple wasted no time in setting up house and having the following children:
Of Doucite and Emilie's 10 living children (they had 15 altogether), I only have information on the following :
- Joseph Edmond- Joseph Edmond was baptized at St. Joseph du Corbeau church on 9 September 1855. Joseph was a stone mason by trade.1,3,8
On 18 October 1877, Joseph married his fifth cousin, Josephine Noel, in Adams, MA.7,13 She was the daughter of Joseph Noel & Elisabeth Carpentier, born in Lacolle, Québec on 14 March 1853 and baptized five days later. She was a dressmaker.1,3 Joseph Edmond and Josephine had seven children. Two months after the birth of her last child, Josephine Noel died of pneumonia on Christmas Eve of 1891 in S. Hadley Falls, MA.7 Joseph married Margaret Carrol on 27 June 1894 and had 3 more children.7,13 Joseph died 7 March 1929 in Northampton, MA; an autopsy revealed pancreatic cancer. He was buried in Notre Dame Cemetery in S. Hadley Falls, MA. Margaret Carrol died 24 September of the same year.7,13- Frank- Born about 1860. Married Julia Garant.3,4
- Adeline
- Emmelina- Born about 1875. Married William Doucette.3
None the worse for wear, Elisabeth married Lewis Bowser on 29 September 1861 in Porter, Indiana. They had five known children. The eldest was Arthur Joseph Bowser; go here to get the scoop on Arthur, including a photo of him as a very good-looking young man. His first wife, Antoinette Adelaide Drago, was his second cousin, daughter of Stephen Drago. The couple would marry twice. The first marriage took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 24 March 1883.Lewis Bowser died 9 March 1912 in Chesterton, Indiana, where he was also buried. Elisabeth Noel died 2 January 1926 in Valparaiso; exactly 68 years and one day after her arrival in that town. She was buried in Valparaiso's Graceland Cemetery, where her son Arthur also rests.3,14,17,18
Emelie Dumas was buried on 6 March 1846 at St. Joseph du Corbeau in Coopersville, NY. Due to her baby Sophie being buried 24 days later, it's possible that they had some sort of contagious disease.
Edouard Noel & Sophie Noel With six children under the age of thirteen to care as well as provide for, Edouard needed a wife--and fast. Five months later, on 8 August 1846, he married his third cousin, Marie Theotiste, or Sophie, Noel in Coopersville, NY. She was the daughter of Charles Noel & Theotiste Champoux, born to them in Trois-Rivières, Québec on 26 March 1822.1 In addition to taking on the raising of her stepchildren, Sophie had the following children with Edouard:
Their other known child, Charles Edward Noel, was born about 1874 in Holyoke, MA. He married Bertha M. Noel on 18 September 1895 in Springfield, MA. She was the daughter of Joseph Noel & Margaret White--a couple that I have not been able to fit into our family as of yet. Bertha Noel died 20 April 1942 in Rutherford, NJ. Charles Edward Noel died in Daytona Beach, Florida on 14 April 1944. His father was listed as one of his survivors. He was buried in Southview Cemetery, North Adams, MA on 17 April 1944.7,10A month and a day after the birth of her last child, Sophie Noel died in Coopersville, NY. French records do not commonly list a cause of death, but one could speculate that she did not recover from the birth. She was laid to rest at St. Joseph du Corbeau.3
Edouard Noel & Marie Boudrault Well, Edouard is once again without a mother for his children, who now range in age from 15 years to newborn. Undaunted, Edouard finds a willing and brave female! He married Marie Boudrault on 7 January 1858 in Coopersville, NY. The only thing I have found about Marie thus far is that she died sometime before 1900. She and Edouard did not have any children together.1,3
The In-Laws In-laws can be a mixed blessing. At their best, they can be perfectly acceptable stand-ins for parents or siblings; at their worst, they can be the stuff of nightmares. The in-laws are listed in alphabetical order by husband's surname. Kindly note that any in-laws above whose link takes you to another page won't be repeated here.
Louis Dragon dit Ethier - Archange Bourdon Louis Dragon was born 20 Oct 1758 in Boucherville, Québec, Canada to Louis Dragon & Josette Aubutien. I hope I have his given name correct, as the marriage record was hard to read. He married Archange Bourdon 16 Feb 1778 at Boucherville. She was the daughter of François Bourdon & Marie Gaultier. Her surname on the marriage record was difficult as well; Bourdon was the best I could do.
Louis supported his family as a 'boulanger', or baker before his death in Napierville on 27 December 1828. He was buried on the 29th at St. Cyprien.1Most French-Canadian families were large; Louis and Archange's family was probably no exception. However, I only have information on two of their children:
On 8 July 1828 in Napierville, Québec, , Pascal married Sophie Dumas, daughter of Etienne Dumas & Marie Paulin, and sister of Emelie Dumas, wife of his nephew Edouard Noël. Over time, he modified his surname even more than it had been, by shortening the Dragon to Drago1.Pascal Drago was a blacksmith by trade, so it could be safely assumed that he watched the coming of age of rail transportation with a keen eye. When railroads began their westward expansion toward Chicago, Pascal moved his family from their native Canada to Valparaiso, Indiana and opened the blacksmith shop that he would work until he died. A brief history of his son William at Civil War Veterans at Maplewood claims that the family arrived in the late 1830's, but a perusal of the 1840 census of Porter County, Indiana yields no trace of Pascal, so it's possible that the actual relocation of his family did not occur until after 1840.19
From his vantage point in Valparaiso, Pascal saw opportunities galore for hard-working, enterprising individuals. Pascal knew a lot of hard-working, enterprising individuals; most of them were his relations. So he put the word out to his family and friends: Come to Valparaiso! Rail construction labor needed! Farm labor needed! Opportunities abound! And so they came; we know that his niece and nephew, Elisabeth Noel and Wilford Noel were among those that enriched the population of Valparaiso at Pascal's urging, along with members of the Bushore, Chartier, and Dumas families. To serve the religious requirements of the predominantly Catholic French-Canadians, Pascal and Sophia offered their home as a place for them to worship.14,19
Pascal Drago spent the rest of his life in Valparaiso. Three of his sons--Simon, William, and Charles--became blacksmiths, working for their father.14,19Sophie Dumas died sometime before 1870, as she is missing from that year's census. Pascal Drago died 17 Jun 1885 in Valparaiso, Indiana.3,18,19
Etienne Dumas - Marie Angelique Paulin Etienne Dumas was born in Canada. His father was Ignace Dumas; his mother's first name was Magdeleine.
Marie Angelique Paulin was born about 1782 in Coopersville,NY; her parents were Captain Antoine Paulin & Theotiste Cottard.1,17,20
Etienne and Marie were married in L'Acadie, Québec on 14 Oct 1805. Two of their children are known at this time: Emelie and Sophie
Marie Paulin died 30 June 1867 in Coopersville, NY, and is buried in St. Josephe du Corbeau cemetery in that town. Etienne Dumas' death details are not known.17Captain Antoine Paulin - Theotiste Cottard This couple hails from Grenoble, France; which is located in the Rhone-Alpes region of France, at the foot of the French Alps. Both of them were born there around 1737. The names of their parents are unknown, as well as any details of their immigration to Canada.20
Antoine and Theotiste were married 4 August 1761 in Grenoble's St. Hughes Parish. Their known child is Marie Angelique1,20
Antoine Paulin was captain of a Revolutionary War infantry company in the 2nd Canadian Regiment known as "Congress' Own". The regiment was not attached to any specific American state, but was under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen. Captain Paulin appeared on Army payroll lists from June 1778 to July 1779.20
Disenfranchised from his now British homeland for siding with the Americans in the Revolutionary War, Captain Paulin joined other Canadian refugees who had established themselves on the shores of Lake Champlain in the state of New York to escape punishment by the British. In 1787, the Commissioners of the Land Office passed an order which set apart a large tract of land for these exiled Canadians.22
Captain Paulin was one of the lucky ones who received a parcel of this land. He established a hamlet that he originally christened "Corbeau", but later changed to Coopersville. Captin Paulin would live out his life in his little village, surrounded by his family. He died 7 September 1813 and was buried in Shutes Cemetery in Coopersville. His military headstone bears the name "Antoine Poland". Therese Cottard's death details are not known.17,20,21,22Sources:
1. The Drouin Collection at Ancestry
2. Maggie D., family member
3. Census Records
4. Social Security Death Index
5. Naturalization Records
6. Birth Records New England Historic Genealogical Society
7. Marriage Records New England Historic Genealogical Society
8. Death Records New England Historic Genealogical Society
9. Massachusetts Death Index
10. Kitty W., family member
11. City Directories
12.Fitchburg, MA Sentinel News Article
13.Family Bible pages
14. The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN news article.
15. Indiana Marriage Collection at Ancestry
16. Draft/Military Records
17. Find A Grave
18. Porter County, Indiana GenWeb Death Index
19. Civil War Veterans at Maplewood; information in the article via Jim Scott, William Drago's great-nephew.
20. Sons of the American Revolution application of Arthur Bowser, Jr.
21. "Three Centuries in the Champlain Valley" by Mrs. George F. Turner, DAR
22. "J'aime New York; A Bilingual Guide to the French Heritage of NY State" by SUNY Press
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Noel Family of Brockton, MA by Jolynn Noel Winland is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States LicenseWhat does this mean? .
Email: littleangeljw@yahoo.com
