According to Burke's History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain, the earliest known ascendantof the Holdens of Nuthall Temple was Henry Holden of Wilne of Derbyshire, born in the first half ofthe 16th century. The succession was then as follows: Henry's eldest son Robert of Aston(1594-1659), Robert's second son Samuel of Aston (1636-1692), Samuel's eldest son Rev. ThomasHolden, Rector of Aston (d.1726), Thomas's son Millington (1707-1755), and Millington's son Robert(d. 1780).
Through various marriages the Holdens acquired lands in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire andLincolnshire. Felley Priory, Nottinghamshire, was inherited by the Holdens through Thomas's marriageto Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Gilbert Millington of Felley Priory. The marriage in 1725 ofAlexander Holden (1680-1769), son of Samuel Holden, to Mary Atkinson, daughter of Robert Atkinson ofNewark (d. 1699) was of particular significance in bringing the Atkinson and Standish estates to thefamily. In 1717 Alexander Holden purchased the manor of Hawton, Nottinghamshire from the Newdigatefamily. Alexander and Mary's son Atkinson inherited the Holden estates and the Nottinghamshire andYorkshire estates from his mother which on his death passed to his brother Robert (1722-1808) whoalso purchased estates at Darley, Derbyshire.
Robert Holden died without issue and his estates were inherited by his cousin Robert (1769-1844),the son of Robert of Newark mentioned above. In 1819 Robert Holden purchased Nuthall Temple and themanor of Nuthall, Nottinghamshire, from the Sedley family, after applying for an Act of Parliamentto allow him to sell his settled estates in Derbyshire and Yorkshire. In 1800 Robert had marriedMary Anne Drury Lowe (1783-1840), the daughter of William Drury (Lowe) (1783-1827) of Locko Park,Derbyshire. On the death of his father in law, Robert Holden managed the Drury Lowe estates althoughhe was outlived by his mother in law. When she died in 1849, the Drury Lowe estates passed toWilliam, the eldest son of Robert and Mary Anne Holden, who changed his name from Holden to DruryLowe. The Holden estates passed to the second son, Robert Holden (1805-1872), known as 'TheColonel'.
Robert was succeeded by his brother Atkinson Alexander Holden (1808-1882), Vicar of Spondon andRector of Hawton. The estates then passed to his son John (1848-1913) and subsequently to John'syounger brother Robert (1853-1926), Rector of Nuthall.
Robert was succeeded by his son Robert Millington Holden (1885-1950) who sold Nuthall Temple andbought Chetwode priory in Buckinghamshire where he lived until 1930 when he purchased Sibdon Castlein Shropshire.