Holden, Isaac |
| INVENTOR, MANUFACTURER (SCOTLAND) |
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BORN 7 May 1807, Hurlet, Renfrewshire (near Glasgow) - DIED 13 Aug 1897, Keighley, West Yorkshire GRAVE LOCATION Bradford, West Yorkshire: Undercliffe Cemetery, 127 Undercliffe Lane |
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Isaac Holden was mostly educated himself. He worked as a teacher, and he ran a night school in Glasgow for a few years. In 1830 he became a bookkeeper at Townsends' worsted factory. In 1832 he married Maron Love (1811-1847) and they had four children. Later he worked for Townsend as a manager as well and in 1846 he set up a factory in Bradford that made Paisley shawls. He started a partnership with Samuel Lister, and they collaborated on the square motion wool-combing machine that was patented by Lister in 1848. In 1850 he married Sarah Sugden (1804-1890). Holden set up several factories in England and France and after he bought out Lister the company was renamed Isaac Holden et Fils. In the 1870s his factories had become the largest wool combers in the world. In 1865 he was elected as a liberal Member of Parliament for Knaresborough. He served until 1868 and later for Northern West Riding of Yorkshire from 1882 to 1885 and for Keighley from 1885 to 1895. He was in favour of Irish Home Rule. In 1893 he received a baronetcy. He died in 1897 in Keighley. |
| Images |
 The grave of Isaac Holden at Undercliffe Cemetery in Bradford, South Yorkshire. Picture by Androom (10 Jun 2022) |
