Category: Discussion Forum

Today’s topic is from our fellow JHWS member “Willow.” Thank you!
If you wish to offer an idea for a Weekly Forum topic, please contact me at carla@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Enjoying the Canon

Today’s topic is a thought offered by our fellow JHWS member “Dash.” Thank you!
If you wish to offer an idea for a Weekly Forum topic, please contact me at carla@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Doctor Watson’s Descriptive Words

“Cut out the poetry, Watson,” Holmes famously declared in RETI.

What are your favorite examples of Watson’s descriptive writing?

Another one of our members was kind enough to contact me and anonymously offer an interesting topic for us to discuss. If you wish to offer an idea for a Weekly Forum topic, please contact me at carla@johnhwatsonsociety.com

The Detective’s Capacity for Love

In SCAN, Watson notes of Holmes:

“It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise, but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen; but, as a lover, he would have placed himself in a false position” (emphasis added).

Yet, one or two years later (depending upon which chronologist you consult), Watson seems to have hopes that Holmes will find a match in Violet Hunter of COPP. The good doctor notices how Holmes is “favourably impressed by the manner and speech of his new client.” Watson also notes that Holmes calls Miss Hunter an “exceptional woman.” Then, at the story’s end, the good doctor says:

“As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one of his problems…” (emphasis added)

According to Klinger, TWIS, IDEN, BLUE, FIVE, BOSC, STOC, NAVA, ENGR, HOUN, CROO, and REDH occur between SCAN and COPP. Is there something about Holmes that Watson observed or discovered during these cases that would cause him to change his mind about the Great Detective’s capacity for love or, at the very least, his ability to find and keep a suitable mate? Or, are the good doctor’s musings in COPP merely a reflection of his hopeful character and perhaps his misguided wishes for his friend’s marital happiness? What evidence (or lack thereof) leads you to your conclusions?

Today’s topic is a thought offered by our fellow JHWS member “Dash.” Thank you!
If you wish to offer an idea for a Weekly Forum topic, please contact me at carla@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Holmes ruminates about God more than once in the Canon. Does Watson express any thoughts about religion? What does that tell us?

Today is a return to one of our favorite past times: The Weekly Forum. One of our members was kind enough to contact me and anonymously offer a clever topic for us to discuss:

BBC Sherlock & the Victorian Age

Considering the popularity of BBC’s Sherlock…is the historical setting of Watson’s stories necessary? What does the Victorian Age add to them? When they are reset in the present age, is something about these stories lost? Is something gained?

On the BBC website, Steven Moffat (executive producer and head writer of Sherlock) is quoted as saying,

“Conan Doyle’s stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they’re about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes—and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that’s what matters.”

However, news recently broke that there will be a Sherlock special set in Victorian England, so perhaps, Mr. Moffat has noticed something missing… Thoughts?

This week’s Forum asks you to compare the personality, qualities and attitudes of the original literary Dr Watson and the personalities, qualities and attitudes of the various present day screen and TV Dr Watsons. How are they different from the Victorian original, or are they?

This week’s forum concerns the nagging details that separate the Canonical masters from the apprentices, and are the hallmark of the Sherlockian psyche.

Throughout the Canon, Dr Watson wrote references to illumination; specifically, lamps.  How many different types of lamps are found in the Canon . . . interior, exterior, celestial . . . .?

This week’s forum asks you to name your favourite character from the Canon in a film or TV series.

For instance, Buttons’ all-time TV series favourite character is Mr Henry Baker as played by Frank Middlemass from the Granada Television series “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” starring Jeremy Brett and David Burke in the 1984 production of “The Blue Carbuncle.”  Frank Middlemass (d.2006) was the quintessential British Museum antiquarian, pub tippler, and wearer of a bowler hat. The equanimity with which he meets life’s misfortunes shows his wonderful British resolve and hopeful positiveness or, as Dickens’ irrepressible Wilkins Micawber says, “Something will turn up.”

Who is yours?

This week, we are trying something a bit different:  you create the topic or topics for the week’s discussion. They can be on the Canon, the characters, fandom, TV, radio, film, cosplay, London, or whatever enchants your imaginations.

Please add a comment and ask a question or comment on a topic and let’s see who responds.  We can have as many topics, comments, replies and re-replies as members care to provide.  Here is your chance to participate with that one burning topic you have been wanting to talk about for years! Go for it!

NEW DISCOVERY UPDATE:  12 February 2015

After a close review of the entire Canonical text, Buttons has added a number of corrections, as well as seven new entries to the Canonical Residence Names List found on the February 3rd post. The new entries include: Aston Manor; Boscombe Hall; Capleton; Charlington Hall; Elrige’s Farm; The Gables; and Westbury House.  Corrections or additions (in italic) include: Stoke Moran Manor House; Myrtles (Latimer); Ridling Thorpe Manor; Appledore Towers; and Oxshott Towers (Folliot/Ffolliot).

We now believe this to be the accurate and definitive listing of Canonical Residence names and the occupants; however, we always welcome corrections, additions, and questions pertaining to the catalogue of names.

This week we would like to continue the discussion on the Canonical Residence names that was begun last week.  Please add your comments to this topic that has stimulated quite positive interest.

We are hoping to evolve an article or possibly a joint monograph from the discussion.  An interesting bit of information was discovered by Buttons this week while reading through an eighteenth century register of British Manors. A manor and manor house dating from the fifteenth century was located at Reigate in the County of Surrey.  The description, in many ways, fits the description of one of the houses in The Reigate Puzzle. Additional research is being done and perhaps a brief article could be written on these similarities.  The Manorial history of Great Britain and the Lordships of the Manor evidence is full of fascinating vignettes and may offer some insights to the residence names chosen by Dr Watson for the stories.

NEW INFORMATION:  February 6, 2015

The Weekly Forum for February 3, 2015 asks about the British tradition of naming their homes. From those dwelling names throughout the Canon, what conclusions can we make regarding Dr Watson’s choices of those names for his stories?  Has there been a Catalogue of Canonical Residence Names created by anyone in the past?  Is this a literary endeavour worthy of addressing by the Society?

A Canonical Compendium of Residences and Occupants

The John H Watson Society

February 6, 2015

Listed are the names of the residences and occupants named in the stories and books of the Canon. It is the Society’s hope that, eventually, Members will chose one or more of these residences and offer research on the place names and the British tradition of naming homes. The Society envisions individual or cooperative articles for The Watsonian or perhaps monographs arising from this research into the Canonical Nomenclature of Residences. Please contact Buttons if you have interest in writing an article or monograph.

Canonical Residences  and Occupants                   Story/Book

Abbey Grange (Brackenstall)                               ABBE

Albermarle Mansion (Melville)                            WIST

Appledore Towers (Milverton)                             CHAS

Arnsworth Castle                                                   SCAN

Aston Manor                                                           3GAR

Baskerville Hall (Baskerville)                               HOUN

Birchmoor (St Simon)                                           NOBL

Birlstone, Manor House of (Douglas)                  VALL

Boscombe Hall (Turner)                                       BOSC

Briarbrae (Phelps)                                                 NAVA

Briony Lodge (Adler)                                            SCAN

Camden House                                                       EMPT

Campden Mansions (La Rothiere)                       BRUC

Capleton (Backwater)                                            SOLI

Carriton’s                                                               SUSS

Carston Castle (Holdernesse)                               PRIO

Cedars, The (St Clair)                                           TWIS

Charlinton Hall (Woodley)                                   SOLI

Cheeseman’s (Ferguson)                                       SUSS

Chiltern Grange (Carruthers)                              SOLI

Copper Beeches (Rucastle)                                   COPP

Crane Water (Armitage)                                       SPEC

Deep Dene House (Oldacre)                                  NORW

Dingle, The (Harringby)                                       WIST

Elrige’s Farm (Elrige)                                           DANC

Fairbank (Holder)                                                 BERY

Folkstone Court                                                     HOUN

Forton Old Hall (Williams)                                  WIST

Gables, The (Stackhurst)                                      LION

Grosvenor Mansions (St Simon)                          NOBL

Hales Lodge (Barker)                                            VALL

Harvey’s                                                                 SUSS

Hatherley Farm (Turner)                                     BOSC

Haven, The (Bellamy)                                            LION

Haven, The (Amberley)                                         RETI

High Gable (Henderson-Murillo)                         WIST

High Lodge (Oldmore)                                          HOUN

Holdernesse Hall (Holdernesse)                           PRIO

Hurlstone Manor House (Musgrave)                   MUSG

King’s Pyland (Ross)                                             SILV

Laburnum Lodge (Brown)                                   SIXN

Lachine (Barclay)                                                  CROO

Lafter Hall (Frankland)                                        HOUN

Manor House                                                          GREE

Mapleton (Backwater)                                          SILV

Merripit House (Stapleton)                                   HOUN

Myrtles, The (Latimer)                                         GREE

Nether Walsing (Stone)                                         WIST

Odley’s                                                                    SUSS

Oxshott Towers (Folliot/Ffoliot)                          WIST

Poldhu Cottage (Holmes and Watson)                DEVI

Pondicherry Lodge (Sholto)                                 SIGN

Popham House (Eccles)                                        WIST

Purdey Place (Hynes)                                            WIST

Ridling Thorpe Manor (Cubitt)                           DANC

Shoscombe Old Place (Falder)                             SHOS

Stoke Moran Manor house(Roylott)                   SPEC

Thor Place (Gibson)                                              THOR

Three Gables (Maberley)                                      3GAB

Torrington Lodge (McFarlane)                            NORW

Tredannick Wartha (Tregennis)                          DEVI

Tuxbury Old Park (Emsworth)                            BLAN

Vicarage, The (Elman)                                           RETI

Vernon Lodge (Gruner)                                        ILLU

Westbury House (Doran)                                      NOBL

Wisteria Lodge (Garcia)                                       WIST

Woodman’s Lee (Carey)                                       BLAC

Yoxley Old Place (Coram)                                    GOLD

This week’s Forum topic is one that has had little, if any, explication from the textual Canon: stationery.

What evidence exists of the various writing papers, envelopes, calling cards, invitations, pens, pencils, etc. that would be generally thought to be found in a Victorian Stationers Shop?  Prepare to be surprised.

What do we know about Dr Watson’s and Mr Holmes’ shoes from the Canonical evidence?

As the new year begins, it is time to resume our Weekly Forum and to continue generating interesting joint articles for the journal, as well as have some fun whilst speculating on the unending mysteries of the Canon.

Based on the evidence of both Watson and Holmes, which do you believe The Agency prefers: Capital crimes or non-capital crimes? In which cases do we find our two partners experiencing the most zest, passion and determination?

Which of the numerous country houses in the Canon are the most memorable? Is there a house that was as much of a character in the story as the characters?

Could we attempt the creation of a catalogue of the books and stories and concise summary of each of Doctor Watson’s positive influences, actions, and additions to the various cases?

Such a listing and capsule summary would assist in viewing in one list the good doctor’s overall contributions to the firm over the years.  Perhaps one Member might pick a book; another a second book; others individual cases, or collections such as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

With adequate participation by our esteemed Members, and with complete coverage, we would quite possibly have a thorough and unique review that could be completed as a blog-string paper for the journal