Tom was born in 1893 at Burton Agnes. He lived for a time in Harpham where his father was a shepherd. On the 1911 census he is working on John Hodgson’s farm at Burton Agnes as a fifth lad. There was a strict hierarchy on farms with the Waggoner being the top man. On large farms he would be helped with the horses, and farm work, by other men. These were known as lads: 2nd lad, 3rd lad etc. with someone who was a jack of all trades called a ‘Tommy owt’. Farm workers were hired out at hiring fairs at Martinmas (November) once a year, they signed on for one year and were paid for one year. Unmarried lads lived in on the farm and were looked after by the farm foreman’s wife (the Hind’s wife). Some looked after staff well, others did not and these were known as ‘narra chined’ places!
Tom’s sister and two other brothers were working at the East Riding Asylum (later Broadgate Hospital) and that is why he is commemorated on the Walkington War Memorial. His brothers Lance Corporal Noddle: Royal Army Medical Corp and Private Walter Noddle: Gordon Highlanders, were both named in the Beverley Guardian as previously working at the asylum as attendants. There is also a letter published in the Guardian from Private Noddle, in it he thanked his friends at the E. R. Asylum for the gift of cigarettes, which had arrived just as he returned from the trenches in January 1917.
His brother in the Royal Army Medical Corp was the son in law of Mrs Sample of Sloe Lane, Beverley, who had eight members of her family serving the colours several of whom worked at Broadgate Hospital.
Tom died during the 2nd Battle of the Somme on 27th August, 1918. He is commemorated on the East Riding Memorial, Beverley Minster. He is buried in Croisilles British Cemetery, Arras, France.
