Noël Doiron, Canadian Acadia leader (b. 1684)
Noël Doiron (Port-Royal, 1684 – December 13, 1758) was a leader of the Acadians, renowned for his leadership during the Deportation of the Acadians. Doiron was deported on a vessel named the Duke William (1758). The Duke William sank, killing many passengers, in one of the worst marine disasters in Canadian history. The captain of the Duke William, William Nichols, described Noel Doiron as the "father" to all the Acadians on Ile St. Jean (present-day Prince Edward Island) and the "head prisoner" on board the ship.Second only to Evangeline, the most well-known Acadian story of the Victorian era was that of Noel Doiron. For his "noble resignation" and self-sacrifice aboard the Duke William, Doiron was celebrated in popular print throughout the 19th century in England and America.Doiron was commemorated in the naming of the village Noel, Nova Scotia, and the surrounding communities of Noel Shore, East Noel (also known as Densmore Mills), Noel Road and North Noel Road.