John Ogburn Holt Snr. had been born in Chichester on 9th April 1846 at 36 Westgate.
By 1891 he was living at number 20 (then 44). In the house with him were his wife Elizabeth also 45, and his children John Ogburn Jnr. (9), twins William George and Emma (3), and Lizzie Helen Mary (1). By 1901 he had moved to 9+11 Westgate over the road.
The house was then let for a few years, and in 1901 an Edward Quinton, a baker, was living at no. 20. But the house presumably remained in the ownership of the Holt family, because by 1911 William George Holt (31) with his wife May Holt (32) and a border Robert Smith (23) were living there. They did not have any children. His father and mother had lived there in 1891, and William George was probably born there.
William George and May were still there in 1921, and he is recorded as a ‘motor merchant’. By 1931 he had moved to ‘Chesleigh’, Stockbridge Road where he had a building firm with his brother John Ogburn jnr. who by now was living in Orchard Street. The builder’s yard was next door to the house.
A murder-suicide
Sadly, at an inquest reported in the ‘Chichester Observer and West Sussex Recorder’ on 9th December 1931, it was said that on the previous Sunday the daily maid had entered the house and found Mr and Mrs Holt dead. Mrs Holt was the sister of Mr A.T. Humphry of East Street.
Edith Lily Myall of 10 Westgate (now 23), a general help, told the inquest that she had been employed by Mr and Mrs Holt for about 8 years. She went daily from 9am to 3pm. Mrs Holt had lodgers (who were away at the weekend). She was always very cheerful, and they both lived very happily and were devoted to each other. At about 9.30 on the Sunday morning, she went to the house and entered by the front door. She called up but getting no answer she went up and finding the bedroom door open looked in. She found Mr Holt dead on the floor in pyjamas and Mrs Holt apparently sleeping in bed.
Evidence was given that the building company that Mr Holt ran with his brother John of Orchard Street had had some difficulties and also that Mr Holt was prone to periods of dark mood and to fits, but that he had not had a fit for 21/2 years. Mrs Holt had also had an operation about 3 months before but appeared to be better.
The jury returned a verdict that “Mrs Holt had met her death by a revolver shot fired by her husband and that Mr Holt died from a revolver shot self-inflicted and that he was of unsound mind at the time.”
Richard Brownfield 2025