Henry Bloom Noble JP[1] (18 June 1816 – 2 May 1903) was an English Cumbrian-born philanthropist and businessman who at the time of his death was the richest resident of the Isle of Man.

Noble bequeathed a large amount of his vast fortune to the people of the Isle of Man, resulting in numerous civic amenities such as recreation grounds, swimming baths, a library and a hospital.

[2][3][4] The elder Spittall was a wine and spirits merchant, whose principal place of business was Whitehaven, Cumbria, although he had a branch established in Douglas.

Noble did not stay in the employ of Spittall for very much longer, but set up in the wine and spirits business on his own behalf; his first shop was on Fleetwood Corner.

[2][3][4] Henry Noble is said to have made his first money whilst still in the employ of Alexander Spittall, by speculating in the shares of the Great Laxey Mine.

[2][3][4] The first ship he owned was named Jane and Agnes, and the next the Rebecca and Maria, said to have been two of the finest and smartest schooners operating from Douglas.

[2][3][4] He used the ships in two ways: By the 1880s Henry Noble had also become a major shareholder in the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company,[2][3][4] serving on the board of directors and being appointed chairman.

However his vision for the company, which would have seen the introduction of fast screw-driven steamers from the 1880s, was in opposition to the rest of the board who favoured paddle-driven ships.

[2] In 1868 Noble bought the Villa Marina which at that time was rented by the Isle of Man Government as the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, Francis Pigott.

[citation needed] Because of Noble's business dealings it was inevitable that he attracted the ire of others, being accused of sharp practice on more than one occasion.

[7][8] In April 1862 Henry Noble married Rebecca Thompson, a granddaughter of Calcott Heywood (who had been a captain in the Manx Fencibles).

[2][3][4] Mrs Noble is also remembered as a great benefactor to poor people, a specific legacy from her being the founding of the Douglas Orphanage, a plight which was said to be particularly close to her heart.

In addition the Henry Bloom Noble Scholarship Trust provides funding for Manx students to complete their education at a university in the United Kingdom.

[8] Noble was also a chief contributor to the voluntarily supported home for the aged poor, more formally referred to as the House of Industry, and for many years he supplied those in residence with their Christmas dinner.

[2] Rebecca Noble bequeathed land she owned in the vicinity of what is now Crellin's Hill in 1885, and having unveiled the foundation stone she oversaw the initial construction of the hospital, although she died before its completion.

The first sustained, powered and controlled flight on the Isle of Man took off in July 1911 from Noble's Park, a Farnham biplane piloted by Claude Graham-White.

[2][3][4] In December 1906 at a special meeting of Douglas Town Council, an application was made to the Trustees of Noble's will pointing out the desirability of the provision of public swimming baths, and requesting if they would be prepared to make provision for the same, pointing out that the corporation had had an offer of the baths situated in Victoria St, Douglas, together with adjacent recreational venues.

In response, John Clarke, Secretary of the Trustees, wrote to the council advising that the Trustees were willing to make a bequest of £10,000 (£1,169,000 as of 2018), citing that the acquisition of the Victoria St baths would be of immense benefit to the town of Douglas, however citing the following proviso: [11] The inauguration ceremony of Noble's Baths took place on Wednesday 1 July 1908, and was an occasion of immense civic pride for the town.