The Honourable Gerard James Noel was born on 28 August 1923, in Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, the second of the four children of Charles Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough and 3rd Baron Barham (1781-1866) and his 3rd wife, Arabella Noel née Williams (1785-1829). On 5 February 1824 he was baptised at St George's Church, Hanover Square, Westminster, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register his family was shown as living in Upper Grosvenor Street, Westminster. His parents were described as Lord and Lady Barham.
His three siblings were: Mary Arabella Louisa Noel (1822-1883); Henry Lewis Noel (1824-1898) and Catherine Hamilton Noel (1829-1855).
Whilst his Wikipedia page gives much information about this man we also know that on 18 July 1842 he purchased a commission as a Cornet in the 11th Hussars, a cavalry regiment in the British Army. He went on to purchase a Lieutenancy on 29 December 1843 and a Captaincy on 13 July 1847 in the same regiment. He retired from the army on 25 July 1851. On 7 August 1847 he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Rutland and continued to represent the constituency until 21 August 1883 when he applied for the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds (of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham).
In the 1861 census he is shown as aged 37 years and a Member of Parliament, living at Exton Hall, Exton, Rutland, Rutlandshire, the home of his brother The Honourable Henry Lewis Noel and his brother's wife Emily Elizabeth, The Honourable Mrs Henry Noel (1830-1890), together with their three children, Evelyn Mary Noel (1853-1945), Gerard Thomas Noel (1856-1941) and Gertrude Arabelle Noel (1859-1928). There were also 11 servants recorded: a valet, a footman, a groom, a housekeeper, a cook, two house-maids, a dairy-maid, a nurse and two nursery-maids.
On 30 June 1863 he married Mary Augusta Lowther (1825-1916) in the Parish Church of St Georges, Hanover Square, Westminster, Middlesex, where in the marriage register he is shown as The Honourable Gerard James Noel, a bachelor of full age and residing in St Marylebone, Middlesex (now Greater London), whilst his wife was described as a spinster of full age and living at 31 Bruton Street, Middlesex, the daughter of The Honourable Henry Cecil Lowther (1790-1867). They were to have two children: Gerard Cecil Noel (1864-1925) and Henry Cecil Noel (1868-1931).
He was shown as aged 47 years and an M.P. in the 1871 census, living at 31 Bruton Street, Westminster, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife, together with a butler, a footman, a coachman, a lady's maid, a cook, two house-maids, a head laundry-maid, a 2nd laundry-maid and a kitchen-maid.
He was appointed as the First Commissioner of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings on 14 August 1876, a post he held until 21 April 1880. As a member of Benjamin Disraeli's Conservative Party cabinet he automatically became a Privy Councillor (PC) and 'The Honourable' title that he was born with, as the son of an Earl, therefore changed to 'The Right Honourable'.
When the 1881 census was undertaken he was described as aged 58 years and a member of Parliament, residing in Catmose Lodge, Catmose Street, Oakham, Rutland, with his wife, together with a butler, a footman, a groom, a gardener, a lady's maid, a cook, three house-maids, a kitchen-maid and a scullery-maid.
He was described as aged 67 years and a magistrate living on his own means in the 1891 census, residing at Catmose House, Catmose Street, Oakham, with his wife, their son Gerard Cecil Noel who was shown as a Captain in the Northamptonshire Militia, together with a butler, an under butler, a footman, two grooms, two gardeners, a housekeeper, a lady's maid, a head housemaid, a 2nd housemaid, a 3rd housemaid, a kitchen maid, a scullery maid and a stillroom maid.
The 1901 census shows him as aged 77 years and living on his own means at Catmose House, Catmose Street, Oakham, with his wife, both of their children: Henry Cecil Noel and Gerard Cecil Noel, their grandson Tom Cecil Noel (1897-1918), together with a butler, two footmen, a valet, two grooms, a housekeeper, a lady's maid, three housemaids, a kitchen maid, a stillroom maid, a nurse-maid, a scullery maid and a nurse.
When he completed his 1911 census return for he described himself as an employer, living in a 35 roomed property called Catmose House, Oakham, with his wife, their son Henry Cecil Noel, their daughter-in-law Frances Mary Noel née Cockerell (1871-1944), together with a butler, a valet, two footmen, a hall boy, a housekeeper, a lady's maid, three housemaids, a stillroom maid, a kitchen maid, a scullery maid and a nurse.
Probate records confirm that he died, aged 87 years, on 19 May 1911 at Catmose House, Rutlandshire. His death was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1911 in the Oakham Registration District, Rutlandshire. Probate was granted on 11 July 1911 jointly to his son Henry Cecil Noel, a retired army Captain and to a nephew Gerard Thomas Noel (1856-1941), a retired army Major. His effects totalled £94,404-3s-4d.
He is shown as The Right Honourable Gerard James Noel PC, MP., on the Gloucester Gate Bridge (NW) tablet in Parkway, London, NW1.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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