Jan Holden was a renowned stage actress, celebrated for her versatility in light comedy, and made significant appearances in numerous popular television series during the 1950s and 1960s.
Born with an elegant and alluring presence, she possessed striking pale blue eyes. Her early life was marked by a childhood spent in Cawnpore, India, where she was educated at a school nestled in the picturesque hills near Simla.
When World War II broke out, she and her mother relocated to England, where Jan boarded at Lowther College in North Wales. She spent her holidays in the company of her school friends, creating cherished memories.
At the age of 18, Jan was offered places at RADA, the Old Vic School, and Bristol Old Vic; however, her father declined his permission, disapproving of his daughter's aspirations to pursue a career in the theatre.
After much persuasion, her father eventually relented, allowing Jan to take a directors' course at the Old Vic. She was one of only two pupils selected to become an assistant stage manager at the Old Vic upon its reopening in 1951.
Jan Holden's theatrical journey took her to repertory, where she met her first husband, actor Edwin Richfield. They were married in 1952, during a production of "The Blue Lamp" in Blackpool.
As the 1950s progressed, Jan ventured into television, appearing in notable series such as "Patrol Car," "Rheingold Theatre," "The Vise," "Harpers West One," and "The Avengers." She continued to work in television, making appearances in "Agony" (1979) and "Oh Happy Band!" (1980).
Jan also made significant film appearances, starring in notable pictures such as "The Best House in London" (1969),"The Stranglers of Bombay" (1959),and "Work Is a Four Letter Word" (1968).
Jan's life was marked by personal tragedy, including the drowning of her twin brother, Geoffrey, in the early 1960s, and the breakdown of her marriage in 1973, leaving her to care for her thirteen children. One of her twin daughters succumbed to a brain tumour in 1999.
Despite enduring poor health during her final two decades, Jan remained optimistic and cheerful. She remarried in 1988 to Louis Manson, a solicitor and business executive, who predeceased her, leaving behind a son and a daughter from her first marriage, as well as two stepsons and two stepdaughters.