Sir Edward Hopkinson Holden, 1st Baronet (11 May 1848 – 23 July 1919) was a British banker and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician, most notable for his role in developing the

Midland Bank Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836. It ...

into the largest bank in the world.

Family

Hopkinson was born at the ''Bull's Head'', Tottington,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

. He was the eldest son of Henry Holden, a

calico Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...

bleacher and Ann Hopkinson. He was educated at Summerseat Methodist Primary School. After working as a clerk in local businesses, he entered banking in 1866 as an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

at the

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...

branch of the Manchester and County Bank. At the same time he was continuing his education by attending evening classes at

Owen's College The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. Afte ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, studying political economy, logic and law.''Death of Sir Edward Holden: a Great Banker'', The Times, 24 July 1919, p.10 In 1877 he married Annie Cassie of

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, and they had three children. They made their home at ''The Grange'', Thorpe, near

Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, south-west of central London. It grew up round Chertsey Abbey, founded in 666 CE, and gained a market charter from Henry I. A bridge across the River Thames first appeared in the ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. His wife died in 1905.

Banking career

In 1881 he became accountant at the Birmingham and Midland Bank, and in 1883 he was promoted to secretary. He was involved in the bank's expansion, as it absorbed a large number of banks in central and northern England. He continued to be promoted: to sub-manager in 1887, general manager in 1890, and joint general manager in 1891. In 1898 he personally negotiated the merger with the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based City Bank, and was to be managing director of the resulting London, City and Midland Bank until his death. He was also appointed chairman of the renamed

in 1908 and continued the policy of expansion and acquisition. By 1918, with deposits of £335 million, it ranked as the largest bank in the world.

Political career

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

Holden was elected as Liberal

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for Heywood, Lancashire. In 1908 he was considered for the post of

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

in succession to

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

. However, the office was given to

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...

, following his threat to resign from the cabinet. Holden did not contest the next general election in 1910. In 1909 Holden was created a baronet, "of the Grange in the County of Surrey". He declined the offer of a

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on two occasions. Despite his retirement from parliamentary politics, Holden remained an economic adviser to the government. He was part of a commission sent to

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in 1915 to help stabilise exchange rates, and helped raise a loan negotiated by the

Anglo-French Financial Commission The Anglo-French Financial Commission was a special delegation to the United States from the governments of the United Kingdom and France in 1915 during the First World War. The Commission, led by Lord Reading, secured the single largest loan from ...

in 1915. Holden developed heart disease in his final year, and died suddenly at Duff House Sanatorium in Banff,

Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...

(now

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

) of cerebral thrombosis and heart failure.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Edward, 1st Baronet English bankers Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1906–1910 Alumni of New College, Oxford People from Tottington, Greater Manchester 1848 births 1919 deaths People from the Borough of Runnymede Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom 19th-century English businesspeople