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James Alexander Holden (1 April 1835 – 1 June 1887) was a leatherworker and businessman who founded the South Australian company which eventually produced the Holden automobile.

History

James Alexander Holden was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, the younger son of Edward Holden, saddler and hardware merchant, and his American wife Elizabeth, née Mason (the elder son was Sir Edward Thomas Holden, industrialist and Liberal MP for Walsall, 1891–1892. He sailed to America, then after a few years, to Adelaide, South Australia, arriving in 1852, when half the male population of South Australia was in the Victorian goldfields.

He set up a business, J. A. Holden & Co. as coachbuilder, saddlemaker and ironmonger. In 1885 he went into partnership with carriage builder, Hamburg-born H. Adolph Frost (1845 – 21 July 1909),^[1] and for many years traded as Holden and Frost. He retired early due to ill-health, handing on his share of the business to his son Henry James Holden.

He was one of the founders of the Chamber of Manufactures.

Family

J. A. Holden (1 April 1835 – 1 June 1887) married Mary Elizabeth Phillips (9 December 1839 – 17 April 1914); they lived at "Cambrian Cottage", Kensington, South Australia. Their children included:

Henry James Holden (18 July 1859 – 6 March 1926) was born in North? Kensington? Kensington Park?. He married Mary Anne Dixon "Polly" Wheewall (16 March 1860 – 1926) on 7 April 1881. He was councillor and mayor of Norwood for three years, lived at "Warrinilla", 92 Osmond Tce., Norwood.

Sir Edward Wheewall Holden (14 August 1885 – 17 June 1947) married Hilda May Lavis ( – ) on 18 March 1908. He was a noted industrialist, lived at "Kalymna", Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town.

elder daughter married I. Macdonald ( – )
Nancy Eileen Holden (12 November 1912 – 4 September 2005) married Frank C. Buttfield ( – ) on 19 February 1936. As Nancy Buttfield DBE she was a prominent Senator for South Australia.

son
son

John James "Jim" Holden (16 March 1919 – 30 November 2012) was RAAF pilot.

Ellen Elizabeth "Nellie" Holden (14 January 1863 – 28 November 1934) married George Gordon Gibbs (c. 1860 – 24 August 1921) of Harvey River Station on 31 December 1885, died at Harvey, Western Australia. He was a land agent with Burns, Philp and Co.
Winifred Mary Holden (28 April 1865 – 12 November 1941) married Herbert James Preston ( – ) on 2 April 1885, lived 15 Shellcove Road. Neutral Bay.
Hubert William "Bill" Holden (3 June 1867 – 24 January 1935)^[2] married Annie Turner ( – ) on 22 July 1891

Captain Leslie Hubert "Les" "Lucky" "Homing pigeon" Holden MC (6 March 1895 – 18 September 1932) owner Holdens Air Transport Services, killed in plane crash
Sir James R. Holden ( – ) director of GMH's SA operations, knighted 1963, retired a few years later.

Mignon Holden ( – )

Mabel Janet Holden (11 February 1871 – 1896) married George S. Lindsay ( – ) on 5 December 1895
Collingrove Holden (1874 – 1946) born in England, married Violet Ethel Crocker (1888–1967)
(Charlotte) Alice Lynette Holden (24 January 1877 – ) married Lawrence Arthur Irving ( – ) on 16 April 1904

moved from Gawler Place & Rundle Street to Grenfell Street September 1879

Source

http://www.hrc.org.au/images/Memories/Marc_McInnes/The%20Holden%20Family%20Retiree%20Presentation%202%20OPT.pdf

References

^ Henry (originally Heinrich) Adolph Frost was born in Germany, arrived in South Australia c. 1850, was saddler at Yorketown 1878–1884, married (1) Elizabeth James (died c. 1892) (2) Celia Gray (13 August 1861 – 22 April 1912) on 24 May 1893. Last home was at Rose Park
^ "Obituary". Adelaide Advertiser. 28 January 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 26 February 2016.

Category:Australian businesspeople Category:1835 births Category:1887 deaths

[1] Henry (originally Heinrich) Adolph Frost was born in Germany, arrived in South Australia c. 1850, was saddler at Yorketown 1878–1884, married (1) Elizabeth James (died c. 1892) (2) Celia Gray (13 August 1861 – 22 April 1912) on 24 May 1893. Last home was at Rose Park

[2] "Obituary". Adelaide Advertiser. 28 January 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 26 February 2016.

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 James Alexander Holden was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, the younger son of Edward Holden, saddler and hardware merchant, and his American wife Elizabeth, née Mason (the elder son was Sir [[Edward Thomas Holden]], industrialist and Liberal MP for [[Walsall (UK Parliament constituency)|Walsall]], 1891–1892. He sailed to America, then after a few years, to [[Adelaide, South Australia]], arriving in 1852, when half the male population of South Australia was in the Victorian goldfields.
-He set up a business, J. A. Holden & Co. as coachbuilder, saddlemaker and ironmonger. In 1885 he took on a partner, German-born H. Adolph Frost (1845 – 21 July 1909),<ref>Henry (originally Heinrich) Adolph Frost was born in Germany, arrived in South Australia c. 1850, was saddler on Eyre Peninsula, married Celia </ref> and for many years traded as Holden and Frost. He retired early due to ill-health, handing on his share of the business to his son Henry James Holden.
+He set up a business, J. A. Holden & Co. as coachbuilder, saddlemaker and ironmonger. In 1885 he went into partnership with carriage builder, Hamburg-born H. Adolph Frost (1845 – 21 July 1909),<ref>Henry (originally Heinrich) Adolph Frost was born in Germany, arrived in South Australia c. 1850, was saddler at [[Yorketown, South Australia|Yorketown]] 1878–1884, married (1) Elizabeth James (died c. 1892) (2) Celia Gray (13 August 1861 – 22 April 1912) on 24 May 1893. Last home was at [[Rose Park, South Australia|Rose Park]]</ref> and for many years traded as Holden and Frost. He retired early due to ill-health, handing on his share of the business to his son Henry James Holden.
 He was one of the founders of the Chamber of Manufactures.