Mary Ann Keetley was born in November 1877, at 11 Herbert Street, St Anns Nottingham, the daughter of Clara Keetley. Mary Ann's father is unknown and was not recorded in the birth registration although William Bunting was also living at 11 Herbert Street in 1877. Clara was a millhand in the local cotton industry. By 1881 Clara had married William Bunting and they were living at her parents home in Fleet Place, St Mary's. Mary Ann was just 3 years old, her mother was 21. Interestingly however the census shows Mary Ann as the daughter of Christopher and Mary Keatley, who were in fact her grandparents. This was a common practise at a time when it was scandalous for someone to have a baby when unmarried at only 18 years of age. It may be that William Bunting was the father but we will probably never know.

Fleet Place, Leenside

Ten years later and Clara and William have a house of their own at Redferries Yard, North Street, Sneinton. By this time Mary Ann was 13 and had adopted the name Bunting. She had two sisters and one brother also living with them. Elizabeth, like Mary Ann, had been born before Clara's marriage to William. George and Emily were born after the marriage. In 1898, at the age of 20, Mary Ann married Thomas Noble, a 22 year old cotton repairer of Hooton Street. The couple moved in with Mary Ann's parents and by 1901 they were all living at 1 Harveys Terrace in St Anns. It is not clear whether the marriage of Thomas and Mary Ann was to last. They had two children, William was born at Harvey Terrace in 1901 and in 1904 George Henry Noble was born to Mary Ann in the Nottingham Workhouse at Bagthorpe. During this period Mary Ann and the children appeared to be in and out of the Workhouse finally being admitted in 1908 for one month, after which Thomas discharges the children to his home at 2 Ash Yard but leaves Mary Ann behind. Mary Ann's address at the time is given as 1 Harvey Terrace and her nearest relation as "Mrs Bunting, of the same address".

From this point on we do not know what happens to Mary Ann Noble and we have still to trace her death registration.