While Duke William was transporting Acadians from Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island) to France, the ship sank in the North Atlantic on December 13, 1758, with the loss of over 360 lives.
Nichols survived the sinking and received international attention when his journal recounting the tragic incident was published in popular print throughout the 19th century in England and America.
[3] Noel Doiron (1684 – December 13, 1758) was one of over three hundred people aboard Duke William who were deported from Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island).
[4] For his "noble resignation" and self-sacrifice aboard Duke William, Noel was celebrated in popular print throughout the nineteenth century in England and America.
Girrard had been the parish priest for Noel Doiron and other Acadians who lived on Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island).
[6] Louisbourg fell to the British on July 26, 1758 and within two weeks a deportation order was issued for the Acadians of Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island).
Captain Nichols recorded: "We continued in this dismal situation three days; the ship, notwithstanding our endeavours, full of water, and expected to sink every minute.
"[4] Captain Nichols reports that he gave up and announced to the Acadians and crew: "I told them we must be content with our fate; and as we sure certain we had done our duty, we should submit to Providence, to the Almighty will, with pious resignation.
Upon lowering the life boats, Noel Doiron sharply reprimanded a fellow Acadian Jean-Pierre LeBlanc for trying to board a lifeboat while abandoning his wife and children.
The Federation des Associations de Familles Acadiennnes of New Brunswick and the Société Saint-Thomas d'Aquin of Prince Edward Island has resolved that December 13 each year shall be commemorated as "Acadian Remembrance Day" to commemorate the sinking of Duke William and the nearly 2,000 Acadians deported from Ile-Saint-Jean who perished in the North Atlantic from hunger, disease and drowning.