James Noble
of James Noble and Sons, of Rome, Georgia, USA
Born in Cornwall in 1805, the son of a copper and tin mine owner. In 1826 he married Jennifer Ward. At some point he emigrated to the USA with his family, and established a foundry and machine shop in Reading, Pennsylvania. Some time after returning to England to visited the 1851 Great Exhibition, he decided to relocate to the southern states, and established his new foundry in Rome, Georgia, in 1855.[1]
One of James Noble's son, Samuel Noble (1834-1888), became an important ironmaster. Keen to purchase deposits of iron ore and forests for charcoal production, he sought financial backing, and went into partnership with General Daniel Tyler. In 1872 they founded the Woodstock Iron Co. The town of Woodstock was renamed Anniston, and Samuel played a leading role in organizing the town's infrastructure and facilities. See the 'Alabama Biographical Dictionary' for much more information[2]
See also the Wikipedia entry for Noble Brothers.
A large lathe built in 1847 and used at Noble Brothers' Rome foundry is preserved on Civic Center Hill in Rome.[3] [4].