Mark Noble (biographer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Noble was an English clergyman, biographer and antiquary.
, Birmingham
, the third surviving son of William Heatley Noble, a merchant there. His father sold, among many other commodities, beads, knives, toys, and other trifles which he distributed wholesale among slave traders, and he had also a large mill for rolling silver and for plating purposes. Mark was educated at schools at Yardley
, Worcestershire
, and Ashbourne, Derbyshire
. On the death of his father he inherited a modest fortune, and was articled to Mr. Barber, a solicitor of Birmingham. On the expiration of his indentures he went into business on his own account; but turned to literature and history.
In 1781 he was ordained to the curacies of Baddesley Clinton
and Packwood
, Warwickshire
. On the sudden death of the incumbent, Noble was himself presented to the two livings (‘starvations,’ he called them). Noble, now a married man, took a house at Knowle
, Warwickshire, conveniently situated for both his parishes. Here he divided his interests among his congregation, his books, and a farm.
The Earl of Sandwich
supported his writings, and Noble was a frequent guest at Hinchingbrooke House
, and a regular correspondent of Lord Sandwich. Lord Leicester
also became a patron, and appointed Noble his chaplain. On the recommendation of Sandwich and Leicester Lord Chancellor Thurlow presented Noble to the rectory of Barming
, Kent
in 1786, where he lived for 42 years.
He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
on 1 March 1781; and was also F.S.A. of Edinburgh. He died at Barming on 26 May 1827, and was buried in the church, where a monument was erected to his memory.
of Lynn in "A Review, &c.", 1787. A copy containing unpublished corrections belongs to his descendants. Thomas Carlyle
made use of the book in his "Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches". Out of his materials Noble made two volumes, "The Lives of the English Regicides", Birmingham, 1798. From the materials left by Granger and his own collections Noble compiled a "Continuation" (3 vols. London, 1806) of James Granger
's "Biographical History of England".
His other works are:
He contributed five papers to Archæologia. His library, which was sold in December 1827, included a large number of manuscript works by him.
A youthful portrait of Noble, engraved by Robert Hancock, was prefixed to the first edition of his ‘Memoirs of Cromwell.’ An oval portrait, engraved by John Keyse Sherwin
, was prefixed to the second edition.
Life
He was born in DigbethDigbeth
Digbeth is an area of Birmingham, England. Following the destruction of the Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is undergoing a large redevelopment scheme that will regenerate the old industrial buildings into...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, the third surviving son of William Heatley Noble, a merchant there. His father sold, among many other commodities, beads, knives, toys, and other trifles which he distributed wholesale among slave traders, and he had also a large mill for rolling silver and for plating purposes. Mark was educated at schools at Yardley
Yardley, Birmingham
Yardley is an area in east Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee.Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its Member of Parliament is John Hemming.-Features:...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, and Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
. On the death of his father he inherited a modest fortune, and was articled to Mr. Barber, a solicitor of Birmingham. On the expiration of his indentures he went into business on his own account; but turned to literature and history.
In 1781 he was ordained to the curacies of Baddesley Clinton
Baddesley Clinton
The moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton , located just north of the historic town of Warwick in the English county of Warwickshire, was probably established sometime in the 13th century. When large areas of the Forest of Arden were cleared and eventually converted to farmland this large...
and Packwood
Packwood
Packwood House timber-framed Tudor manor house near Lapworth, Warwickshire. Owned by the National Trust since 1941, the house is a Grade I listed building. It has a wealth of tapestries and fine furniture, and is known for the garden of yews.- History :...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. On the sudden death of the incumbent, Noble was himself presented to the two livings (‘starvations,’ he called them). Noble, now a married man, took a house at Knowle
Knowle
Knowle is a large village a few miles southeast of the town of Solihull, UK. Knowle lies within the historic county boundaries of Warwickshire, and since 1974 it has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull within the West Midlands...
, Warwickshire, conveniently situated for both his parishes. Here he divided his interests among his congregation, his books, and a farm.
The Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
supported his writings, and Noble was a frequent guest at Hinchingbrooke House
Hinchingbrooke House
Hinchingbrooke House in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was built around an 11th century nunnery. After the Reformation it passed into the hands of the Cromwell family, and subsequently, became the home of the Earls of Sandwich, including John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, reputedly the "inventor" of...
, and a regular correspondent of Lord Sandwich. Lord Leicester
George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend
George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend, PC, FRS , known as The Lord Ferrers of Chartley from 1770 to 1784 and as The Earl of Leicester from 1784 to 1807, was a British peer and politician....
also became a patron, and appointed Noble his chaplain. On the recommendation of Sandwich and Leicester Lord Chancellor Thurlow presented Noble to the rectory of Barming
Barming
Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone, the county town, and had a population of 2234 persons . The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1786, where he lived for 42 years.
He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
on 1 March 1781; and was also F.S.A. of Edinburgh. He died at Barming on 26 May 1827, and was buried in the church, where a monument was erected to his memory.
Works
In 1784 Noble produced a compilation "Memoirs of the Protectoral House of Cromwell" 2 vols. London, 1784 (2nd edit., "with improvements", 1787); it contains many errors. Both editions were severely handled by Richard Gough in the preface to his "Short Genealogical View of the Family of Oliver Cromwell" (printed as a portion of the "Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica" in 1785), and in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1787 (p. 516), and by William RichardsWilliam Richards (minister)
-Life:He was born at Penrhydd, near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, towards the end of 1749. His father, Henry Richards , was a farmer, who moved in 1758 to St. Clears, Carmarthenshire. He had only one year's schooling, in his twelfth year....
of Lynn in "A Review, &c.", 1787. A copy containing unpublished corrections belongs to his descendants. Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
made use of the book in his "Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches". Out of his materials Noble made two volumes, "The Lives of the English Regicides", Birmingham, 1798. From the materials left by Granger and his own collections Noble compiled a "Continuation" (3 vols. London, 1806) of James Granger
James Granger
James Granger was an English clergyman, biographer, and print collector. He is now known as the author of the Biographical History of England from Egbert the Great to the Revolution .-Life:...
's "Biographical History of England".
His other works are:
- "Two Dissertations on the Mint and Coins of the Episcopal Palatines of Durham", Birmingham, 1780.
- "A Genealogical History of the present Royal Families of Europe, the Stadtholders of the United States, and the Succession of Popes from the Fifteenth Century to the present time", London, 1781.
- "An Historical Genealogy of the Royal House of Stuarts from Robert II to James VI", London, 1795.
- "Memoirs of the illustrious House of Medici", London, 1797.
- "A History of the College of Arms", London, 1804 (some copies are dated 1805).
He contributed five papers to Archæologia. His library, which was sold in December 1827, included a large number of manuscript works by him.
A youthful portrait of Noble, engraved by Robert Hancock, was prefixed to the first edition of his ‘Memoirs of Cromwell.’ An oval portrait, engraved by John Keyse Sherwin
John Keyse Sherwin
John Keyse Sherwin was an English engraver and history-painter.-Biography:Sherwin was born at East Dean in Sussex...
, was prefixed to the second edition.