ALEXANDER NOBLE, engineer at the Avondale Colliery, Plymouth. Among the many steady-handed, cool-headed engineers none, perhaps, is more trustworthy than he whose name opens this sketch, and who has been handling the enormous hoisting engines at the Avondale Colliery for twenty-three years. Mr. Noble was born at Glasgow, Scotland, February 15, 1834, and is the fourth in the family of six children of James and Ann (Scobie) Noble, also natives of Scotland. Our subject was reared and educated at the place of his birth, and at the early age of ten years was given charge of a stationary engine, he being taught the trade by his father who was a skilled machinist and engineer. This business our subject followed in Scotland until 1864, when he came to America and located in Lackawanna county, Pa., near Scranton, where he was employed as hoisting engineer for the Delaware & Hudson No. 3. He continued at this until 1869, when he moved to Plymouth, and has since been engaged at the Avondale. While at this colliery he designed a dial signal, numbered like the face of a clock, and having a hand which, when the signal is given, will indicate, by the figure the hand stops at, just what is desired. Mr. Noble has been twice married: First, in 1850, to Margaret, daughter of Alexander Ross, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and eight children were born to this union, namely: James (deceased); Agnes, wife of Mansfield Roberts, of Plymouth, Pa.; Margaret, wife of William Collins, of Bernice, Pa.; Jeanette, wife of William Nelson; Alexander, Jr., engineer at the Avondale; James, Mary, David and Andrew. The mother of these children died in 1880, and Mr. Noble was married April 19, 1881, to Mrs. Harriet Young, widow of Fletcher Young, and daughter of William and Elizabeth (Wynn) Pointon, natives of Shiffnal, England. Mr. Noble is a Republican, and is a member of the I.O.O.F. The family attend the Presbyterian Church.
History of Luzerne County Pennsylvania; H. C. Bradsby, Editor
S. B. Nelson & Co., Publishers, 1893

Married second wife Harriett Pointon Young(b.June 1840) Apr 19 1881.
Son Andrew (b. Nov 1873), Mary (b. Apr. 1866), and Alexander (b. Oct 1861)who was father to Plymouth School Teacher William Noble