LE NOBEL

History & Genealogy


Dutch ancestor

Jan Lenart Lenobel, † 08-08-1750

He is the earliest known 'le Nobel' in the Netherlands and is therefore seen as the Dutch ancestor. His date of birth is not known, but he was baptized on 27 May 1700 in Ronq (north of Lille - France). His French name is Jean Léonard LENOBLE. Research on his (for) parents is currently taking place.

In Middelburg (the Netherlands, province of Zeeland) he found his new home port After the abolition of the Edict of Nantes (1685), when the Protestants in France no longer enjoyed religious freedom, he is possible, like many other 'Huguenots' fled to the Netherlands. His French name Jean Léonard LE NOBLE, was 'corrupted' to the Dutch Jan Lenart Lenobel, phonetic almost equal sounding. There he married around 1725 with Cataleintje de Meulenaar. From this marriage 2 sons were born: Cornelis and Jacobus. These two (vocal) names return in many generations. Cataleintje dies on 17-03-1748 (age unknown). Jan married again on 01-07-1749. He married Sara Abekerke and together they got 1 son. This son (unknown name) was born in 1750 but died in the same year. Whether this was at birth or some time later is not known.

Jan is deceased in Middelburg on 08-08-1750 (age possible 50-51 years) and buried on 12-08-1750 at the Oude Kerkhof in Middelburg. At the time of his death he lived in the Vlissingsestraat in Middelburg. Striking or coincidental, the first name Jan of Jean is to date no longer used in the family (but as a call sign). We are now 11 generations and spread over 3 countries in the world: the Netherlands, Canada and Germany.


French ancestors

Our Dutch ancestor, Jan Lenart Lenobel, of French origin is actually called Jean Léonard LENOBLE. He was baptized on 27 May 1700 in Ronq (France). Currently, research is being conducted into his (for) parents by Matthew House.

Jan's father was named Léonard LENOBLE. He was the son of Henri LENOBLE and from the province of Berry. Until the French Revolution Berry was one of the provinces in France with the capital Bourges. Léonard was fierce as a maitre surgeon in Ronq, succeeding his father. Léonard married Chréstienne CAMBIER on 12 August 1695. Not much is known about this marriage.

He has remarried with Elisabeth FAUVELLE, where and when is (still) unknown. From this marriage Jean Léonard LE NOBLE is born, our Dutch ancestor. His exact date of birth is not (yet) known, but he was baptized on 27 May 1700 in Ronq, located north of Lille (Rijssel). This village still exists and is located on the Kortrijk-Lille motorway. However, in both world wars (WW I 1914-1918 and WW II 1939-1945) it was completely destroyed and then rebuilt. As a result, almost no traces from the old days can be found. After the abolition of the Edict of Nantes (1685), when the Protestants no longer enjoyed religious freedom in France, he, like many other 'Huguenots', fled to the Netherlands. This was probably around 1700-1720.

Currently, research is being conducted into the parents and ancestors of our Dutch ancestor Jan Lenart Lenobel. There are indications that his grandfather Henri LENOBLE is from Berry (France).

Berry was one of the provinces of France until the French Revolution, with Bourges as its capital. Berry was an independent county in the early Middle Ages, before being divided by the Duke of Aquitaine and the Counts of Anjou and Blois. At the end of the 11th century, the French kings began to interest themselves in the area and gradually added it to their domain. In 1360, King John II the Good founded the Duchy of Berry for his third son Jan. The title of Duke of Berry remained within the royal family for centuries.

In 1790 all those titles were canceled and Berry was divided over a few new departments. Haut-Berry was in general the department of Cher, with the addition of Saint-Amand-Montrond and surroundings, which lay in the province of Bourbonnais. Bas-Berry became the Indre department, together with a large part of the Brenne, from the province of Touraine). Smaller parts of Berry went to the Loiret and Loir-et-Cher departments. All these departments are now part of the Center-Val de Loire region.