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

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 Hubert Ashton Holden (12 May 1822''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975'' – 1 December 1896) was an English classical scholar. Biography He was born in Birmingham''1891 England Census'' into an old Staffordshire family. He was ...

, 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 S ...

. 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. Brooklands 1907

In 1906 he designed the

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 knowledge, including mathemati ...

*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 ...

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 1 ...

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 caregiv ...

(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