THEODRICK NOEL
was born in Caroline county about 1745 and was baptized
in August 1773. He shortly afterward began to preach and with
such power that he was soon formally set apart to the work of
the ministry. The Rev. Andrew Broaddus, I says that few
men were more successful in the ministry than Mr. Noel. He
baptized as many persons as any other preacher of his day. The
first person baptized by Mr. Noel after his ordination was a young
lady. Her brother had threatened to dip any minister who
should attempt to immerse her. True to his threat he made the
attempt on Mr. Noel but did not succeed. Being pursued by some
who resented his attempted treatment of the preacher, the young
man was forced to flee the community. He died a few weeks afterward,
having first sent a messenger to Mr. Noel asking his pardon.
As minister in Salem, Upper King and Queen and Upper Essex
churches, Mr. Noel was eminently successful. Mr. Semple in
his History of Baptist Churches in Virginia says that it was "usual
for him to baptize at every monthly meeting," and that for many
months there were seldon fewer than twenty baptized. A great
revival was experienced in Upper Essex church in 1812 at the
close of which he baptized about three hundred and twenty persons.
Mr. Noel died on August 27, 1813.
