Henry Bloom Noble JP (18 June 1816 – 2 May 1903) was a Cumbrian-born philanthropist and businessman who at the time of his death was the richest resident of the Isle of Man. Noble bequeathed a large amount of his vast fortune to the people of the Isle of Man, resulting in numerous civic amenities such as recreation grounds, swimming baths, a library and a hospital.
Biography
Early life
Henry Noble was born in the village of Clifton, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria) on 18 June 1816, the first son of John Noble and Mary (née Bloom). It is said that he came from a poor failed farming family, his father finding work as a customs official.
Business
Wine & Spirits
His first connection with Douglas was due to his association with Alexander Spittall, father of James Spittall, a Douglas advocate. The elder Spittall was a wine and spirits merchant, whose principal place of business was Whitehaven, Cumbria, although he had a branch established in Douglas. Noble was employed by Spittall as a clerk, rising to the position of manager in 1835 following which he moved to Douglas with his mother. The Nobles took residence in a house belonging to Spittall on the south side of St Barnabas' Square. Noble did not stay in the employ of Spittall for very much longer, but set up in the wine and spirits business on his own behalf; his first shop was on Fleetwood Corner.
Henry Noble is said to have made his first money whilst still in the employ of Alexander Spittall, by speculating in the shares of the Great Laxey Mine. He continued his wholesale wine and spirits business and supplemented this by the sale of seeds and other commodities for farmers. He then opened a timber yard at the corner of the Lake under Bank's Hill. In time he transferred his wine and spirits business to premises in St George's St (now occupied by Joseph Bucknall & Sons) and had his saw pits and timber yard in the large area between Hill St and Mytle St, in the area where St Mary's Church now stands; the whole block at that time belonged to Noble.
Large profits were generated from both these concerns, and this led Noble to invest in shipping.
Shipping
The first ship he owned was named Jane and Agnes, and the next the Rebecca and Maria, said to have been two of the finest and smartest schooners operating from Douglas. He used the ships in two ways:
in connection with his own business and those of other charterers of the Port of Douglas; they were also put to work for the Great Laxey Mining Company.
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
By the 1880s Henry Noble had also become a major shareholder in the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, serving on the Board of Directors and being appointed Chairman. However his vision for the company, which would have seen the introduction of fast screw-driven steamers from the 1880s, was in opposition to the rest of the board who favoured paddle-driven ships. This largely brought about his resignation, however by the turn of the century it was clear that Noble's vision was the way forward. After resigning from the board, Noble did not desert the company altogether, but offered financial assistance to help the company to compete in a price war with the Isle of Man, Liverpool and Manchester Steamship Company. He advanced at short notice a loan of £20,000 (£2,500,000 as of 2018). The security was a mortgage on the company, which was paid off in a short time, following the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's acquisition of the Isle of Man, Liverpool and Manchester Steamship Company in 1888.
Utility companies
In the 1840s the town of Douglas was beginning to experience an influx of tourists, which led to a boom by the turn of the century. Noble helped the town to development infrastructure to accommodate this. He invested in the Douglas Gas Light Company and was one of the founders of the Douglas Water Works Company: he was appointed Chairman, a post he held until the company was acquired by the Douglas Town Commissioners for the huge figure of £144,000 (equivalent to £18.3 million in 2018).