Christopher Noble
English surveyor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Noble (18 August 1902 – 20 July 1986) was an English surveyor who served as the ninth Surveyor-General of the Federated Malay States from 1953 to 1956.
Christopher Noble | |
|---|---|
| |
| 9th Surveyor General of Malaysia | |
| In office 26 January 1953 – 25 March 1956 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred George Billing |
| Succeeded by | Luis Sigismund Himley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 August 1902 Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 20 July 1982 (aged 79) Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex |
| Spouse | Barbara Constance Watherstone |
| Occupation | Surveyor |
Early life and education
Christopher Noble was born on 18 August 1902 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England, the oldest of two children to William Hobkirk Noble (Chief Lithographer - Survey Department, Kuala Lumpur) and Jane Annie née Ward.
He attended Hanson Grammar School, Bradford, West Yorkshire before travelling to Australia, where he qualified as a licensed land surveyor at the University of Western Australia in March 1925.[1]
Professional career
On 18 April 1925 he was appointed as a surveyor in the Singapore Survey Department and on 30 April 1934 was promoted to senior surveyor.[2] Until 1930 he worked mainly with the Toposurvey Branch, in Pahang, before working with the Survey Department in Kuala Lumpur, serving as the acting Assistant Surveyor-General between February 1940 and June 1941.
On 13 July 1942 he enlisted in Melbourne in the Royal Australian Air Force and served as a flying officer. He was honourably discharged on 24 June 1944 and returned to Malaya.
Noble was appointed as deputy Surveyor-General of the Federated Malay Straits in August 1949,[3] and then Surveyor-General on 26 January 1953.[4] He retired on 25 March 1956 and was succeeded by Luis Sigismund Himley.[5] Upon his retirement he returned to England,[6] where he died 20 July 1982 in Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, at the age of 79.
Personal life
Noble married Barbara Constance Watherstone (1908-2001), the daughter of Charles Watherstone (Assistant Under-Secretary of State and Director of Finance at the War Office) and Constance Eva née Clarke, on 3 November 1934 at St Mary's Church, Harrow on the Hill in northwest London.[7] Noble's sister, Maude (1912-2003), was married to Watherstone's brother, David Charles,[8] who served as the Chief Secretary, Federation of Malaya and was knighted for his service in 1956.