Capel Lofft Holden
{{Short description|English engineer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox engineer
| honorific_prefix = Brigadier-General Sir
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|FRS}}
| image = Sir (Henry) Capel Lofft Holden.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Portrait by Walter Stoneman, 1917
| birth_name = Henry Capel Lofft Holden
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1856|01|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Cheltenham, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1937|03|30|1856|01|23|df=y}}
| death_place = Greenwich, London, England
| resting_place = Highgate Cemetery
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for = {{ubli|Designing Brooklands motor racing circuit| Chairman of The Royal Automobile Club and other organisations}}
| notable_works =
}}
Brigadier-General Sir Henry Capel Lofft Holden {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB|FRS}} (23 January 1856 – 30 March 1937) was an English engineer, the designer of Brooklands motor racing circuit, chairman of The Royal Automobile Club and other organisations.{{cite news |title= Obituary: Brig.-Gen. Sir Capel Holden |work=The Times |date= 31 March 1937|page= 12 }}
Biography
File:Family grave of Edward Thomas Holden in Highgate Cemetery.jpg]]
He was born in Cheltenham, 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. He joined the Royal Artillery in 1875 and saw service in India.{{cite IBD1915|wstitle= Holden, Colonel Henry Capel Lofft |volume= 9.4 |page= 187 |year=1915|short=1}} {{cite journal |date=1937 |title=Brigadier General Sir Henry Capel Lofft Holden, KCB, FRS |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5317618 |journal=Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers |publisher=IEEE |volume=81 |issue=492 |pages=819 |doi=10.1049/jiee-1.1937.0225 |access-date=2 February 2019|url-access=subscription }}
From 1881, he served in the technical branches of the Army in connection with the development of artillery and the manufacture of ordnance.{{cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Henry_Capel_Holden|title=Henry Capel Holden|publisher=Grace's Guide|access-date= 2 February 2019}} 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 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 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.
He had married Elizabeth (Bessie) in London in 1889, the daughter of R. Farrant.
He lived in retirement in Malvern and died in Greenwich,{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=coPLEdTON9OG%2BjGI4M1TfA&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=17 April 2023|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}} London, in 1937. His ashes were buried in the Holden family grave (plot no.32161) on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.
Honours and awards
- 1895: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society{{cite web|url=https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=1&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27holden%27%29|title=Fellows Details|publisher=Royal Society|access-date= 2 February 2019}}
- 1902: Lefroy Gold Medal
- 1904: Chairman of Royal Automobile Club{{cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Royal_Automobile_Club_(RAC)|title=Royal Automobile Club (RAC)|publisher=Graces Guide|access-date= 3 February 2019}}
- 1911 Coronation Honours: Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) {{London Gazette|issue=28505 |date=19 June 1911 |page=4591 |supp=y }}
- 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 (KCB){{London Gazette |issue=29423 |date=31 December 1915 |page=80 |supp=y}}
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Henry Capel Lofft}}
Category:Burials at Highgate Cemetery
Category:People from Cheltenham
Category:People educated at Ipswich School
Category:British Army generals of World War I
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath