- Joseph Bates Noble was born January 14, 1810 at Egremont, Berkshire County, Massachusetts to Ezekiel and Theodocia Bates Noble. 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 1827-1937.
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.
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.
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.
Sources:
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.
Southern Ohio
1836-1838
Age Called: Unknown
Southern Ohio
Start Date: 1836
End Date: 1838
Mission type: Proselytizing
Notes: Served mission to southern Ohio, 1836-1838 - Noble, Joseph Bates from The Joseph Smith Papers.
New York
1844-Unknown
Age Called: Unknown
New York
Set Apart: 1844
Mission type: Proselytizing
Marital Status: Married
Notes: Journal History Apr. 15, 1844 p. 1
Nauvoo, Illinois
1844-Unknown
Age Called: Unknown
Nauvoo, Illinois
Departed From Home: 1844
Mission type: Proselytizing
Marital Status: Married
Notes: Called to fill mission at general conference Oct. 6, 7, and 8 (Journal History Oct. 8, 1844 p. 2)
United States
October 1871-March 1872
Age Called: 61
United States
Set Apart: 10 October 1871
End Date: 16 March 1872
Priesthood office: High Priest
Called From: Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States
Set apart by: W Woodruff
England
June 1877-October 1877
Age Called: 67
England
Arrived In Field: 22 June 1877
Departed From Field: 17 October 1877
Mission type: Proselytizing
Marital Status: Married
Priesthood office: High Priest
Called From: Grantsville, Tooele, Utah, USA
Notes: English climate did not fare well with Elder Noble. He had illness the full time in England and had an early release. This information from: Boyack, Hazel Noble. 1962. A nobleman in Israel. The Pionee
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