History
James Alexander Holden was born in Walsall (at that time in Staffordshire), the younger son of Edward Holden, saddler and hardware merchant, and his American wife Elizabeth, née Mason. Their elder son was Edward Thomas Holden, later Sir Edward, industrialist and, briefly, Liberal MP for Walsall. James's mother died when he was quite young, and something like enmity developed between him and his father's new wife.[1]
Then in 1851 his father died, leaving his business to his second wife and the older son, and James was urged by George Fife Angas to forge a new life in the new colony of South Australia. But first he sailed to America, where he was hospitably received by his mother's sister, then after a few years reached Adelaide, arriving in 1852, just as half the male population of South Australia was trying its luck in the goldfields of the neighbouring colony of Victoria.[1]
He found rented accommodation, and employment with chemist F. H. Faulding. In 1853 his cousin Edwin Thomas Smith emigrated to South Australia aboard the California and with help from Holden began importing ironmongery.[1] In 1856 he set up in business as J. A. Holden & Co., merchants and wholesale saddlers, selling imported and locally made (no doubt from his brother) saddles, whips and harnesses. His business flourished, and in 1857 he married his landlady's daughter and purchased a four-roomed cottage in Beulah Park. They later moved into a larger home in Magill, then a year later sold up both places for a Kensington Park property of 15 acres (6.1 ha), where in 1871 the original cottage was replaced with a seven roomed residence, with substantial additions in 1875.
The business also went through a succession of addresses, from the original leased premises at the corner of King William and Rundle Street in 1856 then larger premises at 34 King William Street in 1859.[2] The business, which became J. A. Holden & Co. in 1863, moved to a building in Gawler Place, which he purchased in 1865. A contract to supply carts and other equipment for the Overland Telegraph Line project's 165 horses and 210 bullocks was a major factor in the expansion of the business.[1] From October 1871 to May 1874 Alfred James Birks was a partner in a subsidiary retail business, termed Holden & Birks, owning premises on Rundle Street at the south west corner of Gawler Place.
In May 1879 J. A. Holden & Co. moved to a two-storey building in Grenfell Street and brought in his son Henry as partner. He sold the Gawler Place property to D & W Murray and the Rundle Street premises to Birks. Around the same time, saddler H. A. Frost joined the firm. On 1 May 1884[3] James took Frost into partnership in the business, which was in financial difficulties. In August 1885 J. A. Holden sold to his son H. J. Holden and H. A. Frost his interest in the retail arm of the company,[4] which in November 1885 became Holden & Frost. In 1886 J. A. Holden was declared insolvent.[5] He put the wholesale arm of the business on the open market as well as the Grenfell Street warehouse.[4] He put his Kensington Park house and grounds on the market for urgent sale.[6] Under the terms of the voluntary liquidation, Holden & Frost continued to operate from the premises at 100 Grenfell Street until they were once again solvent, and the building was purchased by Harris, Scarfe & Co.[7] in 1923.[8]
J. A. Holden died somewhat less than two years later, of tuberculosis complicated by alcohol abuse.[1]
Frost died in 1909, and Henry James Holden purchased Frost's equity in the business from his estate, becoming sole proprietor.