Sergeant (later Lieutenant) John Noble
John Noble was born on 6 January 1891 at 78 Alfred Terrace, Belfast, the first of five children of book-keeper (later steamship-owner, colliery agent and merchant) John Robinson Noble and his wife Annie Reid Noble (née Orr). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 1 Sandyloaning Street, Belfast, with his parents, grandmother, two aunts, and three sisters. His occupation was recorded as sergeant in the North Irish Horse and coal merchant.
Noble enlisted in the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry, probably in 1907. (The article below mentions that he joined before his seventeenth birthday.) In July 1908 the regiment was disbanded and replaced by the North Irish Horse, Noble joining the new unit on its formation. He left the regiment around 1912, having reached the rank of sergeant.
Following the outbreak of war, on 4 December 1914 Noble was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. He was posted to the 116th Brigade, 26th Division, embarking for France on 19 September 1915. The Belfast Evening Telegraph of 30 September 1915 published the photo above with the following caption:
Second-Lieut. Jack Noble, 116th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, Codford, Wiltshire, eldest son of Mr. John R. Noble, Castle Market and Middlepath Street, and "Garnerville," Belmont. Mr. Noble had four years' connection with the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry, afterwards the North Irish Horse, having joined before he reached his 17th year, and in which he obtained the rank of sergeant. He ceased connection with the N.I.H. three years ago owing to business reasons, but on the outbreak of war he evinced a keen desire to serve his country and become associated with his old regiment, but there not being then any vacant commission, he was offered and accepted his present appointment in December last.
In November 1915 the 26th Division moved to the Salonika front, remaining there for the rest of the war.
Noble was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 1 July 1917. He relinquished his commission on completion of his service on 10 January 1919.
On 21 June 1927 he married Christina McCrudden in Rathmore, Dunmurry.
Northern Whig, 22 June 1927
He died at his home, Culvennan, Strandtown, Belfast, on 23 February 1977, and was buried in the City Cemetery.
Belfast News-Letter, 25 February 1977
First image provided by Nigel Henderson, researcher at History Hub Ulster. Second image sourced from Ancestry.com Public Member Trees – contributor 'Solvit Noble' via 'CunninghamDavid'.
This page last updated 23 March 2025.