Scott County, Virginia Genealogy Trails

Biographies

Joseph Alexander Noblin, M. D.
Dr. Noblin is the son of Alexander Noblin, born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, in 1834, died in Scott County, Virginia, in 1897, and Elizabeth Virginia Smith (nee) Chandler, born in Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, in 1839, and survives her husband. Alexander Noblin was a man of unusual ability and intellect, having acquired a good education by extensive reading and home study. During the war 1861-65 he served in a Virginia regiment of infantry of the Confederate army. Was in several battles during the war and was wounded in the battle of Ball's Bluff. Was at Appomattox the day General Lee surrendered. Elizabeth Virginia Noblin was the daughter of Daniel H. Chandler and Martha (Jones) Chandler, of Granville County, North Carolina. She married William A. Smith, of the same county, in 1857, to which union were born one daughter and three sons, one of whom died in infancy, the other two, W. D. Smith, superintendent of schools of Scott County since 1886 and also an extensive farmer and cattle raiser, and O. M. Smith, now a prominent farmer of Scott County, after twenty-two years of successful teaching in the public free schools of his county. Martha, the daughter, died in 1908, at the age of fifty-three years. William A. Smith, the first husband of Elizabeth Virginia Noblin, was a gallant officer in the Confederate army, holding the title of major, and was killed while in action at Petersburg in 1863. Alexander Noblin and Elizabeth Virginia Smith were married in 1866, in Granville County, North Carolina, and moved to Scott County in 1869. To this union was born two sons and three daughters: Joseph Alexander, of further mention; Logan Preston, married Allie J. Epperson in 1903 and died in 1908 at the age of thirty-six years, leaving two sons, Scott and Floyd; Loudema D., married H. C. Taylor, in 1887; Elizabeth M., married S. P. Maness, in 1892; Dora A., married R. L. Shelton, in 1903. Alexander Noblin was of English and Scotch-Irish descent and Elizabeth Virginia Noblin was of English and German descent.
Dr. Joseph Alexander Noblin, now a practicing physician of Radford, Virginia, was born at Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia, August 18, 1880. He was reared on the farm and attended the public free schools of his county, attaining a good preparatory free school education. At the age of eighteen he began to teach in the public schools of his county and continued to do so until his graduation from Shoemaker College in May, 1903, the last four years of which time he attended college one-half the year and taught school the other half. Dr. Noblin, while attending Shoemaker College was a very active member of the Phoenix Literary Society. He represented his society in the inter-society contests three times, winning the prize for oratory in 1901 and the prize for debate in 1902. He chose medicine as his profession (his soul's desire from boyhood) and entered the medical department of Central University of Kentucky, which is the University of Louisville, at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1904, whence he was graduated Doctor of Medicine, class of 1907. He began practicing the same year he graduated for the Stonega Coke and Coal Company, at Stonega, Wise County, Virginia, coming to Radford, March 31, 1909, where he has since been engaged in successful general practice. In 1910 he took a course at the Post-Graduate Medical School of New York City, and by knowledge and experience is equipped for the profession he has chosen. In 1908 he was appointed by Governor Claude A. Swanson a delegate to the International Congress on Tuberculosis, held in Washington, D. C., September 21 to October 12. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Southern Medical Society, the Medical Society of Virginia, the South West Virginia Medical Society, the Montgomery County Medical Society, and the Association of Norfolk and Western Railway Surgeons. Using these societies and the journals of the profession, he keeps fully informed of all advance made in the treatment and prevention of disease. For the past three years he has been health officer of the city of Radford, and has during his few years of residence in the city secured, not only a clientele most satisfactory, but also a wide circle of personal friends. He has been surgeon to the Norfolk & Western Railway Company since 1910 and is resident physician to the Radford State Normal School for Women. He is a member of Virginia May Lodge, No. 38, Free and Accepted Masons; Central Lodge, No. 103, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Montgomery Castle, No. 4, Ancient Order Knights of the Mystic Chain; Woodmen of the World; Owls; and Sons of Confederate Veterans. In political faith he is a Democrat.
Dr. Noblin married Josephine May Kelly, of Roanoke, Virginia, October 12, 1912. She is a native of Tazewell County, Virginia, and the daughter of Joseph Vincent Kelly and Mary C. (May) Kelly, the former a son of James P. Kelly, a distinguished Confederate soldier and judge of the court of Tazewell County for a number of years, the latter a daughter of Colonel Andrew Jackson May, a distinguished officer in the Confederate army, and for many years a prominent attorney of Tazewell County. Mrs. Noblin is a cousin of Joseph L. Kelly, of Bristol, Virginia, judge of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Dr. and Mrs. Noblin have one son, Stuart Alexander, born August 21, 1913Their residence is on Tyler avenue, East Radford.
[Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Under The Editorial Supervision of Lyon Gardiner Tyler, 1915 – Transcribed by AFOFG]

Francis Smith
     Born in County Monahan, Ireland, on September 30, 1815, is a son of Andrew Smith, who came from Ireland to Virginia about 1816, settled in Fluvanna County, removed in 1832 to Botetourt County, and died there aged sixty-nine vears. His mother was Phebe, daughter of John McEntire, Esq., of County Monahan, born in Ireland, came to Virginia with her husband. Francis Smith married at Holston Springs, Scott County, Virginia, September 20, 1842, Eliza B. Grim, who was born at Abingdon, September 9, 1824. Ten children were born to them: Susan, Wm. Andrew, Charles H., David, D. F., Emma, Milton H., Mary C., Robt. E. Lee, Paul N. Wm. Andrew was killed by accident while at home during the late war. David, Emma and Milton are now deceased.
     The wife of Mr. Smith is of the Grim and Nulton families, both of German extraction, and long settled in Virginia. Her father was William Grim, of Abingdon, formerly of Winchester, where most of the Grim family reside, and who served under Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, and was present at Detroit at Hull's surrender. Her mother was Susan Nulton of Winchester.
     Mr. Smith is a farmer, contractor and builder of Abingdon. He was assistant commissary of subsistance with Captain Aldersonat Abingdon during the war, and the last two years of the war was a member of the advisory board.
[History of Virginia From Settlement of Jamestown to Close of The Civil War by Robert Alonzo Brock and Virgil Anson Lewis, 1888 – Transcribed by AFOFG]

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