family and name have been suggested by correspondents from time to time, one of which comes from the far West, and is as follows: "I think our branch of the family descended from Philip de la Noye, who came over in the ship Fortune in 1621, landing at Plymouth. He was cousin to Priscilla Moulines, afterwards wife of John Alden. Both were French Huguenots, but came from England. They added an "s" to the name, making it Noyes, and left off the prefix. The Delanos are of the same origin.'

Another writes as follows: "The crest of the coat of arms-to wit, the dove with an olive branch in its mouth,— gives color to the fact that the family comes from the ark. I am told that the words Noah and Noyes mean the same thing-saved from drowning; and from the fact that there are men near the bridge over the Seine, in Paris, who have for their occupation the saving of drowning people, and on their signs, indicating their business, is the name "Noyes.” From these circumstances I frequently claim that I belong to the oldest family in the world. I have heard that the name was originally De la Noye, or from the drownedsaved from drowning; which takes us back to the flood, and the ark, and the name Noe (Noah). It is said that some of the family took the name Delano."

Numerous other opinions might be copied, but these are fair samples of many. It has been suggested that a "Noyes Association" be incorporated, and funds raised to explore Mt. Ararat for the remains of the ark, to ascertain if Noah left any records to sustain the later theory, and if such a plan materializes, Col. Noyes offers to head the expedition,. and give his services to the association gratis.

(NOTE. The French verb "Noyer" means to drown: the past participle is Noyé, drowned: used as a substantive, in the plural form, it is Noyés, meaning drowned persons. The second person, singular, of the present indicative and subjunctive modes is Noyes, which probably accounts for the words being on the life saving stations.)

"However it be, it seems to me

'Tis only noble to be good;

Kind hearts are more than coronets,

And simple faith than Norman blood."

In 1896 a letter was received from Col. Henry T. Noyes, of Rochester, N. Y., from which the following extract is made: "In 1883 I visited Choulderton, Wiltshire, England, and found some interesting facts. Rev. William Noyes' family at one time owned the living in Wiltshire, but their lands were confiscated by the crown, on account of the dissenting views held by them.

I have a sketch of the old church, which, however, has been remodelled and a part made over into a parish school. The wife of Rev. William Noyes was a sister of the scholar, Robert Parker, whom Mather called one of the greatest scholars of the English nation, and was, in a measure, the father of all Non-conformists.'

The old church at Choulderton, of which Rev. William Noyes was rector, as shown in the cut, was forty feet two inches in length, by sixteen feet three inches in width. It was said to have been torn down, or remodelled to a parish school, in 1850.

SPELLING AND PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME.

There is much more uniformity in spelling the name than with some families; with a single exception, the only departure from the usual way of spelling it that has been noticed in a correspondence extending over ten years of time, and in several thousand letters and circulars, is that a few have spelled it Noyce; as for the proper pronunciation, that of the early generations in this country, to rhyme with choice, is no doubt the correct way, as indicated on the tombstone of Timothy2, son of Nicholas1 Noyes (born 1655). This stone still marks his grave in the Newbury cemetery :-(See dedication and chapter V).

"Good Timothy in his youthfull days

He lived much unto God's prays,

When age came one he and his wife

They lived a holy & a pious life.

Therefore you children whos nams are Noyes
Make Jesus Christ your only choyse."

Some biographical encyclopedias give

"Noiz "
"Noiz " as the

proper pronunciation; but this implies a sound of “z,"

which is not correct.

GIVEN NAMES.

(Extracts from "Puritan Nomenclature" by Charles W.

Bardsley.)

*

"There were no Scripture names in England when William the Conqueror took possession; even in Normandy they had appeared but a generation or two before then. Before many generations had passed, Simon, Peter, Thomas, Nicholas, John, and Elias, had engaged a third of the male population: yet Domesday book had no Philip, no Thomas, and only one Nicholas. From the advent of William the names of the Normans began to prevail: he brought

* * *