Person:Richard Holden (1)

Richard Holden was born circa 1609 in Lindsey, Suffolk County, England. Little is know of his early life but at approximately the age of 25 ("Richard Houlding age 25") he sailed with his brother, Justinian ("Just Houlding 23"), to America from England April 30, 1634, on the Francis of Ipswich, John Cutting, master.

He was noted as a glazier by trade and settled first in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He had considerable land holdings in Ipswich and about a year later he moved to Watertown where his brother Justinian had settled. Richard Holden married Martha Fosdick, daughter of Stephen Fosdick and Anne Harre circa 1640. Richard and Justinian lived east of Grove Street on Belmont Street in Watertown. On the 10th of the 3rd month of 1642 a highway was ordered between Justinian Holden’s lot to George Parkhurst’s house-this was Grove St. This order was passed in May and in July Watertown records mention the birth of Richards son-Stephen. Among Watertown records are 3 inventories, one of grants and possessions and the other of grants and possessions in 1643. In 1644-Record of the Grants and possessions of the Lands in Watertown that were given to Richard are: 1. A Homestead of Five Acres bounded the South with the highway the North with George Parkhurst Jr.- the East with John Stebbin and the West with Justinian Holden. 2. Three acres of upland bounded the North with the highway the South with the Meeting House land and the West with Henry Kembell Jr.

It appears that Richard moved from Watertown to Woburn "having sold his place to J. Sherman in Watertown, Massachusetts 1655." Records in Woburn list him in 1654, 1657, and 1658 where he is listed as a proprietor of the town of Woburn, Massachusetts. He also appears in court in Woburn in 1661.

He was admitted a freeman in May 1657 and in the same year reportedly removed to Groton, Middlessex County, Massachusetts. Other records indicate a move to Groton in 1662. According to "The Holden Genealogy" by Eben Putnam-Richard was one of the pioneer settlers of the town of Groton which was attacked by Indians 13 March 1675-6 and his home was one of the 46 burned. He then moved again to Watertown where Justinian was living but by 1684 was again in Groton after a short stay in Woburn and Cambridge. Until 1666 he was a member of the militia of Groton and was an original member of the Groton church. Richard returned to live in Groton after the death of his wife December 06, 1681 in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Although Richard became a considerable land owner, he acquired no more than what was necessary to support himself and his family. With the destruction in Groton of property and stock it probably deprived him of personal property. After the death of his wife he lived with his son Stephen and all the land was given to Stephen except 33 acres which went to his son Samuel. The Holden lands were in the SW of the now present Groton and near the southern limits of the township, extending to the river. ." Had several hundred acres on the northwesterly part of what is now part of Shirley."

Richard Holden died intestate March 01, 1695/96 in Groton, Middlessex County, Massachusetts. "His grave was probably marked with an uncarved boulder, according to the custom of the day in remote districts, which has long since become overgrown with turf. "

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   vol 3 pp363-368.

   BIRTH: About 1609 (aged 25 on 30 April 1634 [Hotten 279]; deposed on 29 December 1658 "aged about 50" [Richard Holden Gen 6-7, citing MCF]; deposed on 2 April 1661 "aged 51 or thereabouts" [Richard Holden Gen 1, citing MCF]), son of William Holden [Holden Gen 23]. (He may be the same as the Joseph Holden, son of William, baptized at Lindsey on 16 July 1609, or he may be an older, unrecorded son [Holden Gen 21-22].)
   
   DEATH Between 23 March 1690/1 and 16 March 1693/4 [MLR 12:31-32]. (Secondary sources give the death date as 1 March 1695/6 [Richard Holden Gen 1; Holden Gen 47], but no record has been found to confirm this. The acknowledgement of the 23 March 1690/1 deed by the witnesses on 16 March 1693/4 suggests strongly that Richard Holden was dead by the latter date)
   
   ARRIVAL: on 30 April 1634, "Richard Houlding," aged 25, was enrolled at Ipswich as a passenger for New England on the Francis [Hotten 279]
   REMOVES: Woburn by 1649 [Richard Holden Gen 6-7] Groton by 1662 [Richard Holden Gen 9-10] Watertown 1676 [Richard Holden Gen 9-10]

2.   Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (1963)
   380.
3.   Reid, Franklin Thomas. Reid, Franklin Thomas; Fiftieth Anniversary Col. and Mrs. J.B. Reid.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Putnam, Eben. The Holden genealogy: ancestry and descendants of Richard and Justinian Holden, and of Randall Holden. (Boston, Massachusetts: Murray Printing, 1923-1926)
   p. 47.
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 New England Historical and Genealogical Register: The Founders of New England, Volume: Vol. 14. (1860)
   pg. 331 .

   Richard Holding [age] 25

6. ↑ Putnam, Eben. The Holden genealogy: ancestry and descendants of Richard and Justinian Holden, and of Randall Holden. (Boston, Massachusetts: Murray Printing, 1923-1926)
   pg. 40.
7.   Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   2:445-446.

   RICHARD, Watertown, prob. a Suff'k;. man, came in the Francis, 1634, aged 25, with Justinian, prob. his br. m. Martha, d. of Stephen Fosdick, had Stephen, b. 19 July 1642; Justinian, 1644; Martha, 15 Jan. 1646; Samuel; Mary; Sarah; Elizabeth; Thomas; and John, 1657; all liv. 1679, but of the six last we kn. neither the exact dates nor order of b. exc. in John's case by approxim. as he in 1679 is call. 22 yrs. old. He rem. to Woburn, there had John, b. 17 Mar. 1650, wh. prob. d. young; to Cambridge; to Groton, of wh. he was one of the first proprs.; back to Watertown and last to Groten, again; his w. Martha d. 5 Dec. 1681; and he d. at his s. Stephen's in G. 1 Mar. 1696. Martha m. Thomas Boyden, whose f. had come over in the sh. with her f.; Mary m. Thomas Williams; and Sarah m. 20 Dec. 1677, Gershom Swan. Perhaps Elizabeth m. 21 Mar 1682, John Read.

8. ↑ King Phillips War broke out in 1675 and it was on [D] that Indians burned the first meeting house of Groton along with 46 dwellings (Richard Holden's home was one of those destroyed). At this point the inhabitants of Groton moved away to various other locations. This included the family of Richard Holden. He moved back to Watertown where Justinian was living