Holden

[John]

Hi,
my great great grandfather, James Holden, appears in Manchester on the 1861 census, with an untraced son born 1855 in Manchester. On various census's he gives his place of birth as Wheelton or Chorley. Searching registers in those areas for the years around his birth in about 1826 gives no clues at all.

In the search for the birth and parents of James, I have got involved in a quest that has taken me from Chorley and Wheelton, around Brindle, Brinscall Withnell, Blackburn, Darwen, Haslingden, Church and many other places. In fact you could call it almost a one name study, except that many other names have crept into the search, names such as FISH, SHUTTLEWORTH, LIGHTBOUN, JEPSON, MARSDEN, and probably most of the common Lancashire surnames.

I have lost count of how many Holdens and related names that with the help of others, have climbed into my files.
A lot of the information published in the work of other Holden researchers is contradictory. I would welcome a discussion on any information that is derived from primary sources and not just a rehash of published work of doubtful validity.

John

[uksearch]

I think you need to take a trip to MCL and check out the baptismal records for St John's Broughton as your John James HOLDEN married there in 1874.Maybe you will get lucky and find his son's baptism.If not there, you could try The Ascension,Lower Broughton or St Paul's, Kersal.Those PRs are also at MCL.

Cheeers,

UK

[John]

I think you need to take a trip to MCL and check out the baptismal records for St John's Broughton as your John James HOLDEN married there in 1874.Maybe you will get lucky and find his son's baptism.If not there, you could try The Ascension,Lower Broughton or St Paul's, Kersal.Those PRs are also at MCL.

Cheeers,

UK

Thanks for that UK. A visit next week maybe.
I'm pretty sure his father is James Holden of Royton. I need to find how or even if he fits with my lot.

John

[JacquiH]

John,

I have for the past few yearsbeen trying to find my Holden ancestors, from my paternal side (a 2/3x g grandmother).

By complete chance I Googled a particular Holden from 200 years ago, because I saw his name painted on a church (in a telly programme would you believe). He was the incumbent when the church was decorated, it led me to a Holden website and for me to discover that all Holdens originate from Haslingden in Lancashire.

There you will find places with the name of Holden (a pub, a forest, a cementary - which was previously the Holden seat!). Back in 1300 Richard and Adam de Holden had lands and were a very prominent Lancashire family right up to the 19thC.

Please check out various Holden websites, I apologise if I've got any info wrong.


Jacqui H

[Geoffers]

Hello Jacqui. John and those who previously replied to this thread are no longer active on the forums, and so are unlikely to see your response.

As you will have found, HOLDEN occurs a lot in Lancashire. It is a common locative surname and it is very unlikely that originates from a single location.