Henry Bloom Noble 1816-1903

His mother, the only child of Daniel James Bloom, carpet weaver of London, had 2 sons by her previous marriage to 'John Mason of London, Gentleman' and remarried at age 38 John Noble, aged 32 - the children were Henry and Thomas (b. 1818 but of whom no further record can be found). His father John was by 1829 living in Whitehaven and working as a 'locker in Customs' - a very junior post.

He is quoted as saying that he arrived in Douglas with his mother by schooner from Maryport as a youth of nineteen "owning only one pair of trousers and they were patched".

Watkin describes his rise to wealth and power as "meteroric and mysterious" and discounts his account as exagerated - he did however arrive at age 19 and was taken on by Alexander Spittall (wine Merchants etc of Douglas and Whitehaven) - she speculates that he might already have worked for the firm in Whitehaven using connections of his father. His father did not die until 1850

Alexander Spittall died by 1841 and it would appear that the 24 year old Henry was effectively running the company. He soon set up in business on his own account in opposition to the Spittalls as timber merchant as well as wine & spirit dealer. He was also involved in loaning money with no compunction about calling in the coroner on any default..

He married in April 1862 , at the age of 45, Rebecca Thomson , grand-daughter of Calcott Heywood, daughter of Margaret Heywood Thomson and Samuel Thomson.

They moved to Athol Terrace and in 1868 Villa Marina which he bought for £7,000 (a wise investment )

...

TBC

References

Jessica M. Watkin Henry Bloom Noble 2nd ed Douglas: 1987