Biography
Joseph Bates Noble was born 15 January 1810 in Egremont, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States to Ezekiel Noble (1787-1856) and Theodocia Bates (1789-1869) and died 17 August 1900 Dingle, Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States of unspecified causes. He married Mary Adeline Beman (1810-1851) 11 September 1834 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, United States. He married Sarah Alley (1819-1846) 5 April 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. He married Mary Ann Washburn (1828-1882) 28 June 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois. He married Susan Hammond (1808-1851) 11 February 1847 in Winter Quarters, Douglas County, Nebraska. He married Millesant London (1805-1871) 12 June 1853 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah. He married Julia Rosetta Thurston (1841-1916) 15 January 1856 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah. He married Loretta Sylvia Mecham (1838-1913) 4 January 1857 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
Early Years
Joseph Bates was the second child and eldest son in a family of six girls and five boys.
When Joseph was five years old the family moved to Penfield, Monroe County, New York. At the age of fourteen, he went to work for Mr. Fullom for five dollars a month. He bought a cow for his father and spent the remainder for clothes. His employer raised his wages because of his faithfulness and industry and gave him many presents. During the winter he went to school. When he was eighteen he worked as a miller with Eber Wilcox for eighteen dollars a month. He worked in the flour milling business from 1827-1837.
In 1832, Brigham Young, Joseph Young, and Heber C. Kimble came to Avon, Swingston County, New York where the Noble family resided at the time, and began preaching the fullness of the Gospel. When Joseph Noble heard the gospel he knew it was true and was baptized a member of the Church by Elder Brigham Young.
Zions Camp Participant
This Judith Mehr rendition depicts struggles endured by members of Zion's Camp, an expeditionary force to help Church members in Jackson County redeem their brethren.
One of the most interesting episodes in the early history of LDS Church was the march of Zion's Camp (1834). The members of the Church in Missouri were being persecuted, and the Prophet Joseph made it a matter of prayer and received a revelation on February 24, 1834. The Lord instructed the Prophet to assemble at least one hundred young and middle-aged men and to go to the land of Zion, or Missouri. (See D&C 130:19–34.)
Zion’s Camp, a group of approximately one hundred and fifty men, gathered at Kirtland, Ohio, in the spring of 1834 and marched to Jackson County, Missouri. By the time they reached Missouri, the camp had increased to approximately two hundred men.
As the year 1834 dawned, Joseph Smith made a call for five hundred volunteers to go to Missouri and help mediate the difficulties that had arisen between the Latter-day Saints and the people of Jackson County. Joseph Noble was one of two hundred and five who went on the thousand mile trek known as “Zion’s Camp.” (Members of Zion’s Camp were called choice men of Israel and were considered true men.) It would be a difficult journey of one thousand miles through enemy territory, but the trekkers of Zion’s Camp were on their way early in May of 1834. They traveled to Clay County, Missouri and during the encampment on Rush Creek, Missouri, cholera broke out. Many were stricken and thirteen died. Joseph played a valiant part in caring for the sick, doing all in his power to alleviate their suffering.
Shortly after his return from Missouri he left for New York. He had been engaged to Miss Mary Adeline Beman for two years previous. They were married September 11, 1834. One week after their marriage they left for Ohio. In less than six days we arrived in Kirtland, a distance of two hundred miles. In 1835 a daughter, Miriam was born, but lived only 2 weeks.
Kirtland Years
In January of 1835, the School of the Prophets was organized. Joseph attended the Elder’s school in Kirtland for the next 6 months while he was engaged as a miller in the neighboring village of Willoughby. On February 28, 1835, Joseph Bates Noble was chosen and ordained a member of the First Council of Seventy in Kirtland. This quorum was to constitute traveling men to go into all the earth wherever the twelve Apostles should call them. This calling had Joseph Noble busy doing missionary work in southern Ohio. A love of missionary service was one of the outstanding qualities of this great man.
Joseph was among those seated in the Kirtland Temple when it was dedicated and witnessed the heavenly manifestations as the Lord accepted the temple. Joseph also received his washing and anointing there.
Joseph and his family were among the Kirtland Camp of Saints that left Kirtland for Far West, Missouri in October of 1838. The Saints found no peace at Far West. The Saints found no peace in Far West. Then came the extermination order by Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Thousands of the Saints had to flee the State of Missouri in the depths of winter and take refuge in Quincy, Illinois or other small towns along the Mississippi River. The Noble family located at Montrose, Iowa. Here Joseph was sustained as a counselor to Bishop Elias Smith. Here also he was commissioned a second Lieutenant in the Iowa militia.
The Noble family moved to Nauvoo about 1841. Here Joseph constructed a brick home. Joseph B. was ordained a High Priest and sustained as Bishop of the Nauvoo fifth Ward. He married his first plural wife, Sarah B. Alley, on April 5th, 1843. Then on June 28th, 1843 he married Mary Ann Washburn. Joseph B. enlisted in the Nauvoo Legion and was commissioned by Governor Ford as a Quartermaster Sergeant. He also served as one of the bodyguards of Lieutenant General Joseph Smith.
In December of 1845, Joseph and Mary Beman Noble went with hundreds of others to the Nauvoo Temple and received their endowments. They were sealed January 23, 1846. Before leaving Nauvoo, Bishop Noble called at the home of Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet and gave her the deed to his house and lot in Nauvoo as a parting gift.
In early February of 1846, a large caravan of exiles began their journey. Joseph was in charge of a small company of exiles as they started the journey onto the wind-swept prairies of Iowa. They arrived at the site called Winter Quarters during the summer and early fall of 1846. In the march from Kirtland to Winter Quarters the Nobles had buried six of their seven children. Soon after the arrival of Joseph B.’s family at Winter Quarters, he was again sustained as Bishop and appointed to preside over one of the principal wards. Their 18 month old son died at Winter Quarters.
On March 3rd, 1847, at Winter Quarters, Joseph married his fourth wife Susan Hammond.
In 1847, The Vanguard Company, under the leadership of Brigham Young, left Winter Quarters in early April. Bishop Noble was made a Captain of fifty and assigned to the Company of Jedediah M. Grant. On June 21st, the Jedediah M. Grant Company was ready to march. Joseph’s immediate family consisted of his wife Mary, age thirty-seven, his children, Edward, age six, Ann, age five, and George, four years of age and his three other wives, Sarah, Mary Ann, and Susan. Joseph’s young sister, Susan Noble, who was adopted by his parents also, came West with the same company. On October 2nd, 1847 the pioneer caravan reached the beautiful Salt Lake Valley.
Joseph built three houses for his families in North Fort. There were five Bishops appointed to preside over the Saints and he was called to preside as Bishop of the north addition. His first wife Mary died at the age of 41. She gave birth to 9 children, only 3 grew to maturity.
In 1853 on June 12th, Joseph B. married his fifth wife, Millicent London.
In the Fall of 1856 he received a call to fill a mission to southern Utah. About forty years of his life was spent in this great service.
On January 4th, 1857, Joseph married his sixth wife, Loretta Sylvia Meacham. She gave birth to 11 children.
In 1862 Joseph B. built a home on land he acquired in 1848 and moved his family to Bountiful. When the Davis Stake was organized in 1862, Joseph was called to act as High Councilman, a position he held for many years. He filled all positions with honor and trust and was highly respected as one of the faithful and tried veterans of the Church.
In 1867, on June 27th, Joseph married Jane Wallace. On November 23rd, 1870, he married Hannah Keer, Catherine Wallace and Sarah Wallace.
In 1872 Joseph Bates was called to a mission laboring in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Iowa.
He fulfilled numerous special assignments for the Church, one of which was to speak at President John Taylor’s funeral in July of 1887. Temple building was making rapid progress in the Rocky Mountain area. The St. George Temple had already been dedicated and in May of 1888 the Manti Temple was ready for dedication and Joseph was asked to be one of the principal speakers at the dedication service. He went on several missions for the Church in addition to the task of providing for his large family. In the closing years of his life, he helped compile a book on Noble Genealogy and was active in temple ordinance work. On June 13, 1897, he was called as a Patriarch and ordained by Joseph F. Smith. Joseph Bates Noble loved the Lord. He tried to live a high and holy commandment of the Lord. Through human frailties and probable insecurity, two of his wives chose to live apart. He had thirty-three children. Two of his wives died young.
He passed away the 17th of August 1900 at Dingle, Bear Lake, Idaho, while visiting a daughter, Eliza Theodocia Dalrymple and husband Edgar. He was in his ninety-first year at the time of his death. He was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Meriam Noble (1835-1835) | |||
| Joseph Heber Noble (1836-1844) | |||
| Nephi Noble (1838-1838) | |||
| Louisa Noble (1839-1839) | |||
| Edward Alvah Noble (1841-1909) | |||
| Mary Adelia Noble (1843-1843) | |||
| Hiram Brigham Young Noble (1845-1846) | |||
| Eliza Theodocia Noble (1847-1927) | |||
| Benjamin Noble (1849-1921) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| George Omner Noble (1844-1911) | |||
| Ann Noble (1846-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mary Elizabeth Noble (1847-1855) | |||
| Tamar Noble (1849-1849) | |||
| Joseph Bates Noble (1853-1921) | |||
| Hyrum Noble (1855-1855) | |||
| Alfred Noble (1856-1857) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Louisa Adeline Noble (1849-1944) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Rosetta Joseph Noble (1858-1901) | |||
| Harriet Bates Noble (1860-1930) | |||
| Sarah Maria Noble (1863-1938) | |||
| Charles Edwar Noble (1864-1877) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Susan Vilate Noble (1857-1909) | |||
| Elnora Mecham Noble (1859-1944) | |||
| Bates Mecham Noble (1862-1920) | |||
| Mary Beatrice Noble (1864-1959) | |||
| Erastus Alma Mecham Noble (1867-1948) | |||
| Artemesia Mecham Noble (1869-1919) | |||
| Franklin Mecham Noble (1871-1948) | |||
| Loretta Sylvia Meacham Noble (1873-1873) | |||
| William Wallace Noble (1876-1956) | |||
| Joseph Parley Noble (1880-1944) | |||
| Zina Pearl Noble (1883-1959) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sarah Ann Deming Noble (1808-1880) | |||
| Joseph Bates Noble (1810-1900) | 15 January 1810 Egremont, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | 17 August 1900 Dingle, Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States | Mary Adeline Beman (1810-1851) Sarah Alley (1819-1846) Mary Ann Washburn (1828-1882) Susan Hammond (1808-1851) Millesant London (1805-1871) Julia Rosetta Thurston (1841-1916) Loretta Sylvia Mecham (1838-1913) |
| Eunice Mariah Noble (1813-1874) | |||
| Rhoda Noble (1816-1889) | |||
| Leonora Cordelia Noble (1818-1854) | |||
| Mary Sophia Noble (1820-1891) | |||
| Rebecca Maria Noble (1820-1874) | |||
| John Ezekiel Noble (1823-1899) | |||
| Harvey Sylvester Noble (1825-1857) | |||
| Robert Delano Noble (1828-1884) | |||
| Susan Fairchild Noble (1832-1914) | 25 July 1832 Sheldon, Wyoming County, New York, United States | 9 March 1914 Bountiful, Davis County, Utah, United States | Jedediah Morgan Grant (1816-1856) George Davis Grant (1812-1876) |
Residences
See Also
- Joseph Noble
- Noble Family
- Noble in Erie County, New York
- Noble in Hancock County, Illinois
- Noble in Salt Lake County, Utah
- Joseph Noble - JosephSmithPapers.org
- Joseph Bates Noble - History of the Church Data Base.
References
- Biographical Sketch of Joseph Bates Noble, Pioneer to Utah in 1874 by his
granddaughter, Hazel Noble Boyack.
- A Brief History of Joseph Bates Noble by Lorelle Boyson Gurney
- Life Sketch of Joseph Bates Noble by Ora M. Simmons – her sources were from the Journal History, Historical Record, Vos. 5,6,7,8, Noble Genealogy, Biographical Books and family tradition.