Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"over many nations and three separate continents" [SIGN] We all know about Mary Morstan from The Sign of Four, of her marriage to Watson, and of Watson's "sad bereavement" after Sherlock Holmes returned from his hiatus in "The Empty House." But there is evidence in a number of stories to show that Watson has been married more than once. Evidence from scholars such as Baring-Gould, Bell, Blakeney, Brend, Bristowe (and that's just the B's!), as well as Roberts, Sayers, Simpson, and others. But exactly how many marriages were there? You may be startled to hear how many we identify. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles318
• Related episodes:
• Episode 23: Married Life with Dr. Watson
• Episode 61: John Watson, Ladies Man
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"gazing with great reverence at the famous detective" [HOUN] When Sherlock Holmes describes himself to Watson, he says that he's a consulting detective, and then goes on to differentiate himself from two other kinds of detectives. What did it take to become a detective, and why was Holmes different? And what other terms did he and Watson use to describe his trade along the way? It's just a Trifle. In a happy coincidence, after we recorded we discovered the latest meeting of The Shingle of Southsea covered this topic. Link below. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

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• This episode: ihose.co/trifles317
• The Life of a Victorian Detective
• "What Does It Mean to Be a Consulting Detective?" (The Shingle of Southsea)
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"pictures of the old masters" [ILLU] It's the first of our monthly Masters Class episodes for Season 7, and we're kicking off a series of three discussions of works by a single author. As a reminder, these episodes take a piece of well-regarded Sherlockian scholarship and deconstruct it. In this case, we look to Trevor Hall and his book Sherlock Holmes: Ten Literary Studies. The first up is Hall's attempt to discern more about Sherlock Holmes's childhood years. Does he succeed? It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles316
• Sherlock Holmes: Ten Literary Studies by Trevor Hall
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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"observe the spatulate finger-end" [SOLI] Quick: in which Sherlock Holmes stories do we find the mention of a piano? You might think you know, but you also might likely be wrong. The piano was an important part of middle-class life in Victorian England, part of an education and part of a way to attract spouses. But there's just a passing mention in a single story. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles315
• The Social History of the Piano
• Victorian Women and the Piano: Domesticity and Transgression
• Woody Allen's marching cello (YouTube)
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"this insignificant-looking man inspired me" [GREE] We all have examples of mentors in our lives. People who inspire us and coach us, helping us to grow. What examples do we see of this in the Sherlock Holmes stories? From excellent examples to counter-examples, there are a handful of instances of experience and knowledge being passed from one person to another. It's National Mentor Month, the first of our monthly observances in Season 7 and it's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles314
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Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"the unknown gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner" [BLUE] Poor Henry Baker has always been a sad, sympathetic character. Deprived of his hat and his peace offering to his wife at Christmastime, he was a victim of an unintended crime. It seemed like the proper time of year to reflect on what life must have been like for Mr. Baker, both in the aftermath of the fracas as well as in the run-up to it. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles313
• Other episodes mentioned:
• Episode 313 – The Route of the Blue Carbuncle
• Episode 52 – The Second Morning After Christmas
• Playlist of Christmas episodes
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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"a long-suffering woman" [DYIN] Have you considered how much (or little) we know about Mrs. Hudson, and what we take for granted? For example, her first name was Martha, she was widowed, and she retired with Sherlock Holmes. The answers to those are: no, not sure, and definitely not. Catherine Cooke's masterful article from the Summer 2005 Baker Street Journal combines the fanciful, the factual, and the historical to arrive at the truth. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles312
• A Remarkable Mixture
• Other episodes mentioned:
• Episode 203 – The Location of 221B, Part 1
• Episode 204 – The Location of 221B, Part 2
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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"Good old Dr. Starr!" [3GAR] One of the creepiest looking characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories was Col. Lysander Stark, who chased after Victor Hatherly with a meat cleaver in "The Engineer's Thumb." But then we run across the name Lysander Starr in "The Three Garridebs." What gives? We track the history of the name and explore some possible origins for its use. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles311
• A Study in Sources by Donald Redmond
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"found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China" [BLUE] The blue carbuncle had quite a journey. Before it even arrived in the action of the story, the piece of crystallized charcoal was the object of "two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies." But once it's in London and disappears from the Countess of Morcar's possession, where does it go? Gavin Brend takes us on the wild journey. It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles310
• Seventeen Steps to 221B by James Edward Holroyd
• Related episodes:
• Episode 305 - Our Client's Foot Upon the Stair
• Episode 309 - Rambling About
• IHOSE Episode 243: On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"devoted to a series of walks" [WIST] In at least four separate cases, we know that Holmes and Watson were out strolling around London. How does this square with Holmes's aversion toward exercise? And what about other occasions in the countryside? Was Holmes a man of nature, was he gathering information, or was it something else? It's just a Trifle. If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles309
• Related episode:
• IHOSE Episode 200: Enola Holmes
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• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
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Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --