Henry Bloom Noble - His life and the work of his Trust

Noble (1816-1903) arrived on the Isle of Man from Cumberland as a penniless teenager and through his entrepreneurial skills was reputed to be the richest man in Douglas by his early forties. When he died a widower and without children in 1903 he left his large fortune to his trustees to be used for philanthropic purposes in the Island. Hence some of the Island's best-known features, such as Noble's Hospital, the Villa Marina, St Ninian's Church, Noble's Park, Ramsey Cottage Hospital, etc., were established as a result of his generosity, which is as yet unrivalled on the Island. This pamphlet seeks to establish what kind of man he was, how he made his money, and how his trustees went about their philanthropic task.

Published in 2005 by The Manx Heritage Foundation, Douglas, as a softback booklet (63pp).

ISBN 0 9547 180 3 8