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| Record Creator: | Noble, Mattie Wilcox |
| Title: | Journals of Mattie Wilcox Noble |
| Title: | Noble Journals |
| Date Span: | 1892-1948 |
| Abstract: | Journals of Mattie Wilcox Noble, missionary to Korea. She was one of the first generation of Methodist women missionaries to Korea. The collection includes six original handwritten journals and a set of typescripts. |
| Extent: | 0.54 cubic feet |
| Resource ID: | drew.ms.2406 |
Mattie Lillian Wilcox was born January 8, 1872 to James and Martha Wilcox, near Wilkes-Barre, PA. She was the eleventh of thirteen children. She attended Wilkes-Barre public schools and Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA), where she met William Arthur Noble (b. September 13, 1866 in Springville, PA). Mattie left Wyoming Seminary before graduation in order to prepare to go as a missionary. She married W. Arthur Noble, a graduate of Drew Theological School, on June 30, 1892, and they left for Korea in August of that same year. From October 1892 to April 1895, they served in Seoul, Korea, where Arthur was pastor of the Aioga Church and Principal of the Academic Department of Pai Cha School. Their first child, Ruth Emily, was born on June 14, 1894. After returning from furlough in 1896, they served in Pyongyang, where Arthur was District Superintendent and pastor of the Pyongyang church. The Nobles’ second and third children, Cyril Drew (b. January 28, 1896) and May Mildred (b. September 5, 1987) both died in infancy and were buried in Pyongyang. The Nobles went on to have four more sons, Alden Earl (b. February 27, 1899), Harold Joyce (b. January 19, 1903), and twins Glenn Arthur and Elmer Ray (b. January 16, 1909), all born in Pyongyang.
While in Pyongyang, Mattie started eight girls’ schools in northern Korea, including the first girls’ school in Pyongyang and the first village girls’ school in the interior of northwest Korea. She also founded the first Methodist women’s Bible Institute in Korea and organized the first children’s Sunday School in Korea. In 1914, the Nobles were transferred to Seoul, Korea, where they remained for most of the next 30 years, furloughs to the United States notwithstanding. From 1921-1922, they again served in Pyongyang. Arthur ultimately became Superintendent of five Districts in the area, including Seoul. In 1927, Mattie compiled a book titled Victorious Lives in Korea: The First Book of Biographies and Autobiographies of Early Christians in the Protestant Church in Korea. The book was written in Korean and published by the Christian Literature Society. In 1933, it was translated into English and published as Victorious Lives of Early Christians in Korea. Mattie also gave an address titled “Reminiscences of Early Christians in Korea” for the 50th Anniversary celebration of Korean Methodism at the First Church in Seoul, Korea in June 1934.
Although the Nobles were placed on the retired list by Board of Foreign Missions in March 1933, they continued active service in Korea for additional year and a half before retiring to Stockton, CA in December 1934. After suffering a heart attack on Christmas 1944, W. Arthur Noble died on January 6, 1945. Mattie Wilcox Noble died on August 5th, 1956, at age 84.
The Nobles’ daughter, Ruth, married Henry Dodge Appenzeller and served as a missionary in Korea. All four of the Nobles’ sons earned Ph.D.s and became college professors. Additionally, Mattie and W. Arthur Noble had fourteen grandchildren.
This collection consists of six journals written by Methodist Episcopal missionary Mattie Wilcox Noble. There are two sets of documents: the original, handwritten journals and a set of typescripts prepared by Martha Houser Noble, Bell Noble, and Helen Lochrie, with additional help from other Noble family members. The typed volumes include notations to indicate missing or illegible words and other issues. Some journal entries were not typed in the same order in which they occur in the original journals; this is particular prevalent in Journal Number 4. In some instances, pages of the journal were photocopied. Some photocopies and typescripts of items that were within the pages of the journals were included as well, although these loose pages are no longer with the original copies of the journals. Additionally, towards the back of Journal Number 3, there are several pages of Korean writing that were not included in the typescript. Finally, the collection also includes an introduction by Martha Houser Noble and a copy of the Drew Theological Seminary Alumni Record for William Arthur Noble.
Mattie Wilcox Noble’s journal entries span the years 1892 to 1934, from the Nobles’ marriage and departure for Korea through their final year of missionary service. In addition, a small number of entries from 1946 to 1948 document the Nobles’ life after retirement and W. Arthur Noble’s death. The entries chronicle details of the Nobles’ lives (including their travels in Korea, China and Japan, furloughs to the United States and the lives of their children) and missionary work in Seoul and Pyongyang, particularly Mattie’s involvement in Bible training classes (especially for women) and Sunday School. The journals also document Annual Meetings, Great Revivals in 1907 and 1909, and the 50th anniversary of Protestant Missions in Korea in 1934.
In addition to writing about Nobles’ own lives and work, Mattie profiled many individual Korean Christians and wrote about Korean culture and practices, including the Korean class system as it stood in 1892, marriage, wedding, and funeral customs, food and hospitality, childrearing, “heathen” religious practices, naming conventions, and treatment of women and girls. She repeated extolled the benefits of Christianity for Korean women in particular. Additionally, the journals cover many key developments in Korean history, including the beginnings of both the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, the establishment of the Japanese protectorate over Korea in 1904, and Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910. Of particular interest is Mattie’s extensive coverage of the March 1st Movement for Korean Independence in 1919 (Journal Number 4) and its aftermath (Journal Number 5), including the imprisonment by the Japanese of several Koreans affiliated with the Methodist schools. Finally, in addition to dated entries, the journals include various other writings, including poems and songs (by both Mattie and others), copies of letters sent or received by the Nobles, articles regarding the Church in Korea, and documents such as 3/1/1919 Manifesto (copied into the journal in Mattie’s hand).
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
Material is arranged by record type or date.
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Journals of Mattie Wilcox Noble, United Methodist Center, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the items call number as that is not a stable descriptor.
There are no restrictions regarding this collection. Copyright still owned by Drew. Permissions to publish must be directed to Drew.
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
Additional information regarding Mattie Wilcox Noble and W. Arthur Noble can be found in the following collections:
Administrative Files Series of the Board of Missions of the Methodist Church
Mission Biographical Reference Files
Missionary Correspondence of the Board of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Missionary Files Series of the Board of Missions of the Methodist Church
Papers of Marion Cornrow
| Call Number | Folder Title | Date(s) |
| 2141-5-1: 1 | Number 1: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1892-1896 |
| 2141-5-1: 2 | Number 2: Journal by Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1896-1905 |
| 2141-5-1: 3 | Number 3: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1904-1911 |
| 2141-5-1: 4 | Number 4: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1911-1919 |
| 2141-5-1: 5 | Number 5: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1919-1926 |
| 2141-5-1: 6 | Number 6: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1927-1948 |
| 2141-5-2: 1 | Introduction to the Journals of Mattie Wilcox Noble | 1986 |
| 2141-5-2: 2 | Typescript Number 1: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1892-1896 |
| 2141-5-2: 3 | Typescript Number 2: Journal by Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1896-1905 |
| 2141-5-2: 4 | Typescript Number 3: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1904-1911 |
| 2141-5-2: 5 | Typescript Number 4: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1911-1919 |
| 2141-5-2: 6 | Typescript Number 5: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1919-1926 |
| 2141-5-2: 7 | Typescript Number 6: Journal of Mrs. W.A. Noble | 1927-1948 |
