mother almost penny less. These boys kept her, as long as she lived, by their earnings; devoting themselves, for her sake, to hard and self-denying manual labor. Upon his arrival at man's estate, Joshua came over the line into Delaware, and soon after purchased the farm now known as Kirk farm, almost in sight of where we are now assembled. He then married Sally, daughter of Solomon Twiford. This marriage occurred in the year 1797. Their children were Charles, Daniel, John, Archibald, Lovey, Elizabeth, Solomon, Hester, James, Alexander, William 1st, Amelia, William 2d, now Sheriff Noble, Twiford, Rhoda and Jane; sixteen, of whom twelve grew to maturity. Daniel and Johu died when young men, unmarried. Daniel at his father's, and John near Chillicothe, Ohio. Charles Noble married Mahala, daughter of Rev. Wm. Davis. He died leaving four children: Mary, Jonathan, William and Sarah Ann. Mary and Jonathan are with us today. Sarah married twice. Her first husband, Arthur Neal, died, leaving two sons, James and Jonathan Neal, deceased. Her second husband was Samuel Ward. She died leaving two children of this marriage, Mary and William Ward. Mary, daughter of Charles Noble, is the wife of Alfred Davis. Their children are Emily, wife of Henry Cannon, of Seaford; Augusta, now Mrs. Booth, of Philadelphia; Mary Adaline, deceased 1874, married Joseph James, of Seaford, and left three children, Rose, Frederick and Lena. Charles, resident of this vicinity; and Sallie C., wife of W. E. Carpenter, of Cannon's Ferry. Anna, who died 1883; James, and Laura A., wife of Oliver Obier, of Seaford, Delaware. Jonathan Noble, of Charles, married Eliza Ward; their children are Mary, wife of Isaac S. Warren; Sarah, wife of George Williams; Joseph, who died in early manhood, 1871, and Charles, now in Arizona Territory. He William Noble, of Charles, known as Dr. Noble, died in Federalsburg, 1879, after years of successful practice in his profession; one of the nobility of earth; a man of honor and worth; a scholar, a man of rare genius and a christian gentleman. was twice married, first to Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Vickers, and of this marriage there is one survivor, Mrs. Corinne Johnson, of Sioux Rapids, Iowa. For his second wife he married Miss Mary A. Houston, who survives him. By this second marriage are four sons, William H. Noble, M. D., of Port Deposit, Md; Robert, Lieutenant U. S. Army, a graduate of West Point, and now stationed in Arizona; Charles Noble, M. D., Philadelphia, Pa., and Herbert, a student of St. John's College, Annapolis. Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua Noble, married Anthony R. Adams. She died at the house of Sheriff Noble, 1875, leaving one surviving daughter, Ruth, wife of James Harris, of Seaford, Delaware. Emily married Noah Lednum; she died leaving one son, Francis Lednum. Margaret died unmarried. Hester, also died unmarried. Solomon, son of Joshua Noble, born 1809, married Harriet, daughter of Noble Williams. He died February, 1868, leaving a widow and ten children, of whom eight are yet living; those are Lottie, now Mrs. Raimey, of Baltimore, Md.; Martha; Joseph died April, 1885; Rhoda, wife of John Mark Davis, of Baltimore, Md.; Harriet, wife of Wm. Alberger, Federalsburg; Clementine, now Mrs. Zebdice Fountain, of Andersontown, Md.; Hally, wife of Alfred Noble, Federalsburg; S. Maddux and Robert. Hester, daughter of Joshua Noble, married Charles Smith; she died leaving one daughter, the late Mrs. Ross, who left two sons, William, and Noble Rolph, children by her second husband, Mr. James Rolph. Md. James, of Joshua, married Mary Howard, of Somerset County, He died 1866, leaving a widow and four children, all living. These are Frances Josephine, now Mrs. Lieutenant Windsor, U. S. Navy; Ella, wife of Alva Hubbard, of Baltimore, and Mary Belle. Alexander, of Joshua, married Louisa, daughter of Aaron Wright; died 1853, leaving five children: Daniel F.; James A., merchant, Linchester, Caroline County; Mary C., wife of R. D. Bradley, Charles W., who died 1860, and Harriet, wife of John Pert, of Andersontown. Amelia married William N. Collins. Rev. Wm. Collins, of St. Louis, is one of ten surviving children; Joshua, who died 1883, left a wife and children; Henry, a resident of Indiana; Sallie, widow of Robert Bratton; he died 1884; Georgiana, now Mrs. Studly, of Kansas; Emily married Henry Schock; Henry and Laura are married, and Rhoda and Edward yet unmarried; all residents of Kansas except William and Henry Collins. William 2d, known as Sheriff Noble, of Caroline County, born 1818, married Rhoda Ann, daughter of Warren and Anna Maria (Davis) Kinder. Three of their children died in infancy, and Sallie, wife of James M. Andrews, of Dorchester County, is their only surviving child. Twiford S., of Joshua, was born 1820, and died February, 1882, leaving a widow and four children. He married first, Ruth Hannah, daughter of Jacob and Hannah Leverton. She died leaving two sons, Jacob L. Noble, M. D., engaged in the practice of medicine on Taylor's Island, and Rufus, a merchant, also of Taylor's Island. His second wife was Caroline, daughter of Caleb P. and Nancy Davis, who died leaving Ada, now Mrs. Robert Jarrell, and Alexander, farmer, at the homestead near Preston. His third wife was Levisa A. Martin, widow of James Rumbold, who survives him. Jane, daughter of Joshua Noble, born Jan. 21st, 1824, was twice married; first to Wm. Henry Wright; of this marriage were four children: Twiford N., Sally C., who married Tilghman Davis; Louisa, now Mrs Daniel Moore, of Federalsburg, and Maggie, now widow of Eli Gullett, late of Federalsburg. For her second husband she married John T. Fleetwood and died leaving one child, Ida Fleetwood. Mark Noble, younger brother of Joshua, of whose family we have given the foregoing sketch, was married three times. His last wife was Betsey, daughter of William Maloney, of Delaware. His children were Daniel, Nathan, Milly, Joshua and Ridson. Daniel, of Mark, married Nancy, daughter of Garey Leverton. Of this marriage, five children grew to maturity. Willis Noble; Isaac, a resident of Preston, Caroline County; Amelia, now Mrs. Bland, of Cambridge; Daniel James, and Garey L., who became a oldier in the late war; a member of the 8th Maryland Regiment, U. S. Service; died 1863 in the 23d year of his age. Nathan, of Mark, married Mary Hubbard, of Bloomery, Caroline County. They had four children: Henry, deceased; Elisha and James, residing in the west; and Elizabeth, widow of Greenbury Nichols, residing near Pine Grove Church, Caroline County, Md. Joshua, of Mark, became extensively known as a minister of the Society of Friends. He resided near Federalsburg, where he died 18th of August, 1870, in the 62d year of his age. His children are Joseph M., of Hurlock's Station, Dorchester County, Md; John H., Mark E., and Alfred Noble, all of whom are living within a few miles of the parental homestead. In intelligence, integrity and industry, this family has a most honorable record, and as eulogy is inappropriate in such a paper as this, we submit this brief sketch of the history of Noble family. Address of Rev. P. H. Rawlins Dear friends and kindred: I am neither a Davis, a Noble, nor a Kinder, but I number among my most intimate friends, members of each of these families; and my wife, as you all know, is a descendant of the Kinder family, and her father, Lewis N. Wright, has had honorable mention today. We have met on historic ground, and have come from far and near to greet each other in this old, time-honored temple. We have come to renew our friendships, and re-kindle in each other's hearts the fires of kindred love, and to extend our acquaintance to others who claim a relationship of consanguinity or affinity. But few remain to meet with us that were acquainted and associated with the fathers of the past generation. A few yet linger to whom we look up and call "the fathers and mothers."' The fathers, whose memories are recalled today, have passed to their long home. Their graves are with us, and on them we would place fresh immortelles, as we are reminded of their names, and deeds, and heroic struggles. They labored long and well to make the “desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.’ It is not mine to repeat the story of their lives and the histories of their families; that has been the work of others better prepared than I am to do them justice. Could the Nobles, Kinders and Davises, of a hundred years ago, look down upon this audience today as we are gathered here, what an army of their descendants would they behold! And who shall say that they do not, from the battlements of the upper world, behold this assembled multitude? Who knows how near they are permitted to come to this congregation? The veil is thin that intervenes, and with the clearer vision of the disembodied, they may be permitted to look through upon us now. Many of us cannot claim to be their lineal descendants, but charmed by their virtues and fascinated by the smiles of their fair daughters and granddaughters, we sought a place in their circle, and to be twigs on their family trees. Thus, “'Tis but one family, the sound is balm, A seraph whisper to the wounded heart." No towering obelisks mark the resting places of our ancestors. No long drawn histories tell their noble deeds. No poets have sung of their virtues and thus embalmed their memories; but we, their descendants, have embalmed them in our hearts. Bring the spices and lay around their sleeping forms! Polish their tombs and re-write their names. Tell the story of their lives to our children Honor the fathers and the mothers. 66 'Tis memory of the pious dead, "A twinkling speck, but fixed and bright, "For there is one who, musing o'er the grave "Where lies interred the good, the wise the brave, "'No,' says the generous heart, and proudly swells, "'With God his spirit dwells.'” There are lessons for us to learn today. We are not to make this simply a festival, an hour of pleasant intercourse, which, like a dream, is forgotten when one awaketh, shall pass from our memories, as we go forth again into the battle of life. Every heart here should be glad to greet its kindred hearts, and every hand to grasp its kindred hands. But then, we may be profited by relating to each other something of life's struggle the hopes and fears that alternately prevail. Oh! who has not a story to tell, an experience to relate? Το some, the wind has seemed to be tempered, while upon other heads it has poured out its severe, tempestuous blasts. With some perhaps the pathway has been comparatively smooth while others have found it rough and thorny. A benign Providence has smiled upon some and their barns have been filled; no bands have seemed to bind them while others again have sown in tears and reaped in sadness. Yet let us remember that we be brethren. If Joseph rules, it is his brethren that have come to buy corn; let no sacriligious hand destroy the band that would bind together their hearts, or invade the sacred precincts where, falling upon each other's necks, they weep. The re-union has long been deferred. The dark waves have rolled between them and threatened to separate them forever, but the hour has come for these things to |