The present generation of the Hooldand family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in the county of Lancashire, where they held the estate of Holden in the parish of Haslingden.
The surname Hooldand was first found in Lancashire where "Holden was an estate in the parish of Haslingden. A family of that name early sprang from the place." [1].
"Lancashire is the great home of the Holdens. The ancient gentle family of the Holdens, of Holden, Haslingden, dates back to the 13th century; from it there branched off in the 16th century the Holdens of Todd Hall in the same parish. The Holdens of Ewood, Livesey, date back to the reign of Henry VIII. The Holdens of Aston, Derbyshire, who go back to the beginning of the 17th century, may hail from the Lancashire stock." [2]
Other early records include: Robert de Holden, Lancashire, listed there during the reign of Henry III; and Magota de Holdene who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls. The Wills at Chester list the following: Oliver Holden, of Haslingden, Lincolnshire in 1588; Adam Holden, of Spotland, Lancashire in 1596; and Catherine Holden, of Holden in 1685. The Preston Guild Rolls of 1642 list Ralph Holden de Holden. [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hooldand research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1596, 1662, 1596, 1618, 1623, 1710, 1778, 1539, 1599, 1539, 1571, 1578, 1580, 1583 and are included under the topic Early Hooldand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hooldand include Holden, Holdin, Holding, Houlden, Houldin, Howlin and many more.
Notables of the family at this time include Henry Holden (1596-1662), an English Roman Catholic priest and author. "He was the son of Richard Holden, owner of a small estate at Chaigley, near Clitheroe, on the northern slope of Longridge Fell. He was born in 1596, and on 18 September 1618 he went to Douay, taking there the name of Johnson, and in 1623...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hooldand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Hooldand family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hooldand were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Randall Holden, who came to Rhode Island in 1630; Justinian Holden, who settled in New England in 1634; John Holden, who arrived in Virginia in 1637; Joane Holden, who came to Virginia in 1652.