Brigadier-General Sir Henry Capel Lofft Holden (23 January 1856 – 30 March 1937) was an English engineer, the designer of
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
motor racing circuit, chairman of
The Royal Automobile Club and other organisations.
Biography
![Family grave of Edward Thomas Holden in Highgate Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Family_grave_of_Edward_Thomas_Holden_in_Highgate_Cemetery.jpg)
He was born in
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
, the eldest son of the classical scholar
Hubert Ashton Holden, and his wife, Letitia Lofft. He was educated at the
Queen Elizabeth's School, Ipswich and the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...
. He joined the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in 1875 and saw service in India.
From 1881, he served in the technical branches of the Army in connection with the development of artillery and the manufacture of ordnance.
He was made captain inspector at
Woolwich Arsenal in 1885 and Inspector of Stores in 1888.
[ Promoted Major in 1892 he was appointed Superintendent of the Woolwich ]Royal Gun Factory
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the British ...
in 1899 and also of the Royal Carriage Factory in 1907. He held both positions until his retirement from the Army as a colonel in 1912.
During his working life he was credited with the design and development of numerous artillery related electrical instruments such as the chronograph for measuring projectile speeds. He served on the board of the National Physical Laboratory from 1907 to 1911.
In 1895, designed an engine he fitted to a bicycle and designed the first four-cylinder motorcycle between 1899 and 1902.
In 1906 he designed the Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
motor racing circuit in Weybridge, Surrey.
He was a director of BSA, who manufactured motorcycles amongst other things and in 1921 became chairman of the Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910.
History
The Aero Club was foun ...
.[
He had married Elizabeth (Bessie) in London in 1889, the daughter of R. Farrant.][
He lived in retirement in Malvern and died in 1937. His ashes were buried in the Holden family grave (plot no.32161) on the eastern side of ]Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...
.
Honours and awards
*1895: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
*1902: Lefroy Gold Medal [
*1904: Chairman of ]Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey. Both provide accommodation and a range o ...
*1911 Coronation Honours
The Coronation Honours 1911 for the British Empire were announced on 19 June 1911, to celebrate the coronation of George V which was held on 22 June 1911.
The honours were covered in the press at the time, including in ''The Times'' on 20 June 19 ...
: Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
(CB)
*1913: Vice-president of IEE[
*1914: Elected President of IEE but too busy to accept the post ][
* 1916 New Year Honours: ]Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...
(KCB)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Henry Capel Lofft
1876 births
1937 deaths
Burials at Highgate Cemetery
People from Cheltenham
People educated at Ipswich School
British Army generals of World War I
Fellows of the Royal Society
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Royal Artillery officers
Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich