Henry Holden

Henry Smith Holden (30 November 1887 – 16 May 1963) was a British botanist. Specialising in forensics, he became director of laboratories in New Scotland Yard in 1946. The University of Nottingham holds an annual lecture named the H. S. Holden Botanical Lecture in his honour. Life Holden was born at Castleton near Rochdale, the son of Henry Charlton Holden, a clerk to a woollen merchant, and his wife, Betsy Cockcroft. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and then won a scholarship to Manchester University to study science, where he graduated with a BSc in Botany. His father died during his university course, and Henry took over the role of maintaining his mother and the cost of educating his younger brother, Ernest Holden, as soon as he was able.