Henry Holland

Witness at Annie Chapman's inquest.

Henry John Holland was a young man, described as sickly-looking with straw-coloured hair, living at 4 Aden Yard, Mile End Road. He worked in Chiswell Street, London EC, and was on his way to work on Saturday, 8th September 1888 when he passed 29 Hanbury Street at approx. 6.08am. He saw John Davis come out of the house and along with James Green and James Kent, went to see the body in the backyard. Holland was the only one of the group to actually enter the yard, though he did not touch the body.

When the three men left No.29, Holland ran to Spitalfields Market to find a police officer. However, the officer there was on fixed-point duty and was not permitted to leave under any circumstances, despite Holland telling him that it was a murder similar to the one in Buck's Row; the officer refused to leave his post as per regulations.

Holland was angered by this situation enough to report the officer's conduct to Commercial Street Police Station later that afternoon.