Pinellas County FlArchives Biographies.....Racey, Granville E. Noblit 1862 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 4, 2008, 4:16 pm Author: B. F. Johnson Granville E. Noblit Tarpon Springs, long noted as the ideal resort on the west coast, with its beautiful winter homes, with the advantages offered for hunting and fishing, and in fact every outdoor sport is no longer simply a winter playground, but by reason of the remarkable development of the sponge fishing and resultant activities has grown into quite a commercial and industrial center. A resident of the town from its infancy who has ever given his most earnest efforts to the promotion of its every interest, who has in substantial manner contributed to its growth and improvement, who has served the municipality in various official capacities, who has grown with the town and is one of its substantial factors is Granville E. Noblit. Locating here as a mechanic he grasped the opportunities which he recognized, engaged in various enterprises, established a splendid business and has prospered with the community, being one of the large owners of city and suburban real estate. Mr. Noblit comes of Huguenot stock. His great great-grandfather, Wm. Noblit, settled in Middleton township, in Chester County, Pa., in 1729. His ancestors were among the persecuted French Huguenots who fled from France to the north of Ireland to escape persecution at the hands of Charles IX about the time of the St. Bartholomew Massacre in 1572. The history of the Noblit family is of great interest if our space would permit even the briefest resume of it. As it is, it is worthy of a limited mention. The family was originally of French origin and the records of France, England and Ireland teem with the names of members of the various branches of it in as many as ten different spellings. Thus we find Noblet, Noblit, Noblett, Noblitt, Noblette, Noblat, Noblot, Noblets, Nobletz and Nobilet. We also find that there are as many as ten different coats-of-arms in the family. In some instances, the same man's name will be found in the old records under two different spellings. The French records show Alexandre Noblet in Normandy, 1180. The English records show Reginald and William Noblet as early as 1198. The present spelling in France, England and America is Noblet and Noblit. The family appears to have been scattered through eight different departments of France, and to have, early in its history sent offshoots to England, which later on were largely increased in number during the time of the religious persecution, as many members of the family adhered to the Huguenot faith. The American family apparently comes from the family of Noblet de Romeri, of France. Their coat-of-arms was given as follows: "D'azur au chevron, d'or accompagne de trois aigles d'argent." Now, this coat-of-arms appears in England in 1569 in Herefordshire in one Thomas Noblett, whose name, by the way, is also spelled Nyblett, and in England is thus described: "Or on a chevron gules, three eagles' heads erased argent, in the dexter chief a crescent." It is clearly apparent that this English branch came from the French branch above referred to. The records show these Noblets, in 1416, in Dorset, in 1502 in Buckingham, in 1560 in Hereford, in 1570 in the shape of a Huguenot exile from France, who became naturalized in England, Pierre Noblett, in 1619 in Essex; in 1685 appears another Pierre Noblet in Essex; in 1651 the name crops out in Wales, and in Ireland, it shows up from 1536 on. The most numerous branch of the family appears in England and have been settled in Lancashire, where the records show great numbers of them through several centuries, the favorite names being William, Thomas, James, John and Richard. The founder of the American family from which Granville E. Noblit is descended was William Noblet, born in Ireland about 1700, of Huguenot extraction, who came to Pennsylvania in 1729 with his brothers, John Richard and Francis. He died in Middletown township, Chester county, Pa., about 1777. He was a man of some prominence and in 1739 built a stone house at the junction of the Baltimore Pike and Edgemont Road, which has been conducted continuously as a hotel from that date until the present. In 1839, one hundred years after its erection, the size of it was about doubled, and a photograph taken in 1906 shows it to be in an excellent state of preservation. This Black Horse Hotel obtained its present name in 1787 and is a notable house in that part of the country. Among the children of this William was John, born 1734; among the children of John was Thomas, born 1766; among the children of Thomas was Thomas, born 1808 and William G. Noblit, the father of Granville E. was a son of this last Thomas. The first William had a brother John who settled in York, Pa., and from John is descended the Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee Noblits, the favorite names running through that family appearing to be William and Abraham. The family is now widely spread in France, England and America, covering in America as many as half a dozen States. The father of Granville E. Noblit was Wm. G. Noblit, a blacksmith and his mother was Catherine Krafft. He is closely related to John Hyndman Noblit, who is a member of the Huguenot Society of London, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and the Historical Societies of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Granville E. Noblit was born in Brockwayville, Jefferson county, Pa., April 6, 1862. The only education he received was in the public schools of Pennsylvania from 1868 to 1876. In 1880 he was apprenticed to a carpenter and serving his time at that trade became an expert mechanic. Removing to Florida, he located at Tarpon Springs, July 25, 1884, and went to work at his trade. There was plenty of work to be done and he soon became engaged in general contracting at which he was remarkably successful. In 1886 he engaged in merchandising, handling hardware and kindred builders supplies, and building up a splendid business. In 1892 he purchased the Safford Livery Stables and managed them in connection with his other business until 1903 when he disposed of this interest to advantage in order that he might the better meet the increasing demands of his business upon his time and attention. Feeling the need of larger quarters, he designed and constructed the splendid stone structure known as the Noblit block on Tarpon Avenue, and which is adapted to the needs of his business. It is beautifully finished and contains within its walls a finely selected stock of hardware and builders supplies, it being said of him that he can fill any order from a tack to a diving suit. He is a man who is capable of looking after diversified interests and anything that is of interest to Tarpon Springs interests him. He was largely influential in perfecting the organization of the Tarpon Springs Board of Trade of which he is president He is a Director in the Sponge Exchange Bank of Tarpon Springs and one of the largest owners of desirable city and suburban property that there is in the city. He has served his community as tax assessor, as chairman of the Board of School Trustees and as City Councilman, having recently been re-elected to the latter office for a fourth term. He has been a notary public for eight years and for about the same length of time was a member of the Hillsboro County Republican executive committee. Recently, however, he has affiliated with the Democratic party. When it was decided to establish a system of water works and provide a proper sanitary sewerage system the executive work was wisely placed in the hands of Mr. Noblit and as superintendent of construction, he has secured in substantial improvement the value of every dollar expended and the city has a splendid up-to-date system that with extensions from time to time will meet her needs for years to come. While not a member of any church, Mr. Noblit is in faith a Universalist. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He realizes the benefits to be derived from the intelligent advertising of the attractions offered in Florida, and thereby securing desirable settlers and an influx of capital. He is an advocate of internal improvements believing that convict labor should be utilized in building good roads. He also believes in the improvement to the highest degree of utility the harbors and waterways of the State. He believes that all public offices should be filled with able, honest, upright men, of character and of responsibility, selected from the sterling citizenship of the State. He advocates the government ownership of the telegraph and telephone systems. He suggests for the improvement of home conditions that fruit and vegetable growers should form an organization through which to place their products on the market. Florida offers so many advantages for stock raising on a large scale that he believes it would be profitable to prepare stock for the market and butcher it at home, tanning the hides and manufacturing the by-products into fertilizer. To those who would attain success in a mercantile career he suggests: "To be a successful merchant, one must be a judge of quality and must buy at the right time and place. Sell at one price to all, extend credit to only those deserving it. Press collections of accounts when due, and pay your own obligations promptly. Give every one a square deal. Be ever found pushing your business, your town's, county's, States's and country's best interests, and if you have git, grit, and gumption, you ought to succeed." Mr. Noblit was married November 16, 1888 to Emma Ewing a daughter of Christopher C. and Adaline (Metcalf) Ewing of Lawndale, Logan county, Ill. They have three children, Ruby Noblit, Roy Ewing Noblit and Granville E. Noblit, Jr. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. III. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. McCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. COPYRIGHT 1909 B. F. JOHNSON Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/pinellas/photos/bios/racey59gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/pinellas/bios/racey59gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 10.8 Kb