Sir Isaac Holden 1st Baronet

As Sir Isaac Holden was such an important and interesting character, a brief summary of his life story is included here. This is an article published in the Edinburgh Evening News Saturday 14th August 1897 the day after Isaac passed away. The photos shown here are from the Holden/Illingworth family album. To view more images from the album follow this link.

Sir Isaac Holden's romantic career

Sir Isaac Holden who died yesterday in his 91st year deserves more than a passing notice.He was in many respects a remarkable man; and the story of his successful career is better worth knowing than most self made men. Isaac Holden was a native of the West of Scotland, having been born at the village of Hurlet in Renfrewshire on 7th May 1807. His father who bore the same name was a Cumberland man. For some twenty years he held a small farm Neukhead, near Alston in that county, combining with farming the occupation of lead miner. The lead mines however became exhausted at the beginning of he century and the father found it necessary to seek employment elsewhere. In 1801 he found work as a coal miner in Glasgow subsequently moving to Nitshill where he obtained the situation of Pitsheadman and the Wellington Pit. The elder Holden was a fine specimen of the best class of British workmen - industrious, frugal, earnest and upright in all relations of life. Possessed of an education and intelligence beyond his rank in life he not only strove by every means to promote the material and spiritual welfare of his own family, but devoted a considerable portion of his time to furthering the mental and moral progress of the people around him.

Early Struggles

Young Isaac received his earliest education at small day school in Nitshil; but in 1817 the family moved to Kilbachan, and her the son after a year ta the grammar school sought and obtained employment as a 'draw boy' to local weavers. The times were hard then and the boy was anxious to do something for the support of the family.He continued however to prosecute his studies at an evening school. Two years later the family moved to Johnstone and Isaac was again put to a day school. but again he went to work in one of the cotton mills for a short time studying in the evenings even when working fourteen hours in the mill. He was again taken away however and sent to a school conduction by John Frazer, the famous old radical where he made progress, until when he was fifteen years of age., the family again once more removed to Paisley. Here Isaac was apprenticed to an uncle, a shawl weaver, This occupation proved too heavy for his constitution, however , and he was sent back to school.

An Apt Pupil

He joined the school of Mr John Kennedy, a very able teacher, a notable mathematician and lecturer on physics, chemistry and history to various Paisley and Glasgow institutions. At 16 Isaac became 'assistant' to Mr Kennedy and received private lessons from him in mathematics, physics, Latin, Greek &e. Mr Kennedy took a deep interest in his pupil, and was always ready to encourage him, to higher efforts. In 1826 the elder Mr Holden died and Isaac found his mother and younger brother entirely dependent upon him. By this time however, he was in a position to provide for them, his employment under Mr Kennedy being sufficiently profitable to admit of his doing so. He remained with Mr Kennedy until 1928, and then when in his 21st year he made his first adventure out into the world, and engaged himself as mathematical teacher to the Queen's Square Academy Leeds. Subsequently he moved to Reading where he taught Greek to advanced classes and also lectured on chemistry. It was in the course of his chemical experiments there that he made a discovery which subsequently proved of great value to the world at large.

Inventor of the Lucifer match

Without any specially directed effort, but by accident as it were he was able in 1829 to invent the Lucifer match. The story of this discovery has been told by himself " I know I was the first inventor of the Lucifer matches, but I know it was the result of a happy thought. In the morning I used to get up at four O'clock in order to pursue my studies, and I used at that time the flint and steel in the use of which I found very great inconvenience. I gave lectures in chemistry at the time at a very large academy. Of course I knew as other chemists did the explosive material that was necessary in order to produce instantaneous light; but it was very difficult to obtain a light on wood by that explosive material and the idea occurred to me to put under the explosive mixture sulphur. I did that and published it in my next lecture and showed it. There was a young man in the room whose father was a chemist in London and he immediately wrote to his father and shortly after Lucifer matches were issued to the world. I believe that was the first occasion that that we has the present Lucifer match. I was urged to go take out a patent immediately but I thought it was so small a matter and it cost me little labour that I didn't think it proper to go get a patent, otherwise I have no doubt it would have been very profitable" Failing health compelled him to relinquish his appointment at Reading, and also abandon the engagement he had entered into to enter the Wesleyan ministry. This was in 1830. After a period of rest an early friend of his in Glasgow erected a school for him, and he was soon in the full enjoyment of the privileges of a Scottish dominie.

A Great Industrial Triumph

At 23 he gave up school mastering to become a book-keeper in Yorkshire, and in that position he remained for 16 years. But he did more than keep books - he watched the machinery and the hand worker. He invented and patented a wool combing machine, and made his fortune. With C. S. Lister as partner he founded the firm which ultimately became his own, established branches in France and worked so hard that in 1864 his health broke down. The turning point in his career was in taking service with a large manufacturing firm at Cullingworth. There is was confronted with the great mechanical problem of the wool-combing machine which for forty years previously has occupied the minds of the leading inventors. How he effected an alliance with Mr Lister(Now Lord Masham) and subsequently became head of the largest wool-combing in the world, with huge establishments in France as well as in England, are matters of familiar industrial history.The late baronet's firm have three separate establishments engaged with wool-combing, one at Bradford, one at Croix (near Roubaix) and one at Rheims. These three concerns cover altogether over 36 acres of actual flooring, giving employment to 4000 work people. The firm have a total of 650 carding engines and 460 combing machines working, accomplishing as much labour as it would have taken at least 80,000 hand loomers to have got through in the old days prior to the introduction of the wool combing-machine. This machine or rather improvements upon it (the "square motion" principle) was the invention of Isaac Holden, and also his invention in the face of much opposition. Even his own partner was in favour of other machines, but with characteristic tenacity of purpose he adhered to his own principle, and established it successfully.

His political career.

The University of Bradford have much more information on Isaac Holden, to find out more visit their website. Click Here

Also see the book on Isaac Holden entitled Holden's Ghosts by Tony Holden ISBN 978-0-9931612-1-6 available from The Grove Bookshop, Ilkley.