Contents [hide]

Houlding History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Houlding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Houlding is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the county of Lancashire, where they held the estate of Holden in the parish of Haslingden.

Early Origins of the Houlding family

The surname Houlding 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 Houlding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houlding 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 Houlding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houlding Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Houlding has been spelled many different ways, including Holden, Holdin, Holding, Houlden, Houldin, Howlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Houlding 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 Houlding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Houlding family to Ireland

Some of the Houlding 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.

Houlding migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Houldings to arrive in North America:

Houlding Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Just Houlding, aged 23, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Francis" 3
Richard Houlding, aged 25, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Francis" 3
Joseph Houlding, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 3

Houlding Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Houlding, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1812 3
Mr. James Houlding, aged 28, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Penelope" in 1827 4
Mr. James Houlding, aged 22, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Aberdeen" in 1849 4
Mr. William Houlding, aged 34, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Africa" in 1853 4
Mr. John Houlding, aged 27, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Yorkshire" in 1854 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Houlding migration to Australia +

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

Houlding Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Houlding, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Thomas Houlding, Welsh convict who was convicted in Flint, Flintshire, Wales for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Houlding Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Mrs. T. Houlding, nurse aged 26, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Orotava" in 1909 7
Mrs. A. Houlding, aged 55, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Otranto" in 1926 7
Miss D. Houlding, aged 17, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Otranto" in 1926 7
Miss D. Houlding, aged 15, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Otranto" in 1926 7

Houlding 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:

Houlding Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Houlding (Moulding), Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Delhi" arriving in Bay of Islands, New Zealand on 16th August 1840 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Houlding (post 1700) +

Leo Houlding (b. 1980), English rock climber, the first Briton to free climb El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley at the age of 18
John Houlding (1833-1902), English brewer and politician, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, founder of Liverpool Football Club
Chris Houlding, English contemporary trombonist, Principal Trombone of the Orchestra of Opera North, England
Deborah Houlding (b. 1962), English author and educator who specializes in astrology

The Houlding 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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
National Archives of Australia Retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html