Contents [hide]

Houlden History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Houlden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Houlden is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in the county of Lancashire, where they held the estate of Holden in the parish of Haslingden.

Early Origins of the Houlden family

The surname Houlden 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

Early History of the Houlden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houlden research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1539, 1571, 1578, 1580, 1583, 1596, 1599, 1618, 1623, 1662, 1710, 1778 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Houlden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houlden Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Houlden has been recorded under many different variations, including Holden, Holdin, Holding, Houlden, Houldin, Howlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Houlden family

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 Houlden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Houlden family to Ireland

Some of the Houlden 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.

Houlden migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Houlden or a variant listed above:

Houlden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Randall Houlden, who landed in Massachusetts in 1646 3

Houlden migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Houlden Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Lawrence Houlden, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Houlden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Houlden, aged 23, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 5
Ann Houlden, aged 24, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 5
Ruth Houlden, aged 1, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 5
Phillip Houlden, aged 22, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 5
Levi Houlden, aged 21, a bricklayer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"

Houlden migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Houlden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Houlden, aged 27, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Louisa Houlden, aged 24, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Annie Houlden, aged 4, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Ellen Houlden, aged 2, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Emily Houlden, aged 4 mths., who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Houlden (post 1700) +

Jordan Houlden (d. 2015), English diver at the 2015 European Games, winner of the ASA National Age Group Championships in 2010
James Leslie Houlden (1929-2022), British Anglican priest and academic, Principal of Cuddesdon Theological College from 1970 to 1975, Professor of Theology at King's College, London between 1987 and 1994
Lloyd W. Houlden (1922-2012), Canadian jurist, Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario, eponym of the Lloyd Houlden Fellowship

The Houlden Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec temere nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Duke%20of%20Wellington.htm