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The alt.fan.holmes FAQ list, Part 1
General Information

Revised: Friday, 27-May-2005 20:24:02 MDT

Q: A lot of people seem to talk as though Holmes really lived. Wasn't he a fictional character?
A: Well, yes and no. In reality, of course, Sherlock Holmes is the purely fictional creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But a major aspect of Sherlockiana is playing what Ronald Knox called "the grand game", in which we assume that Holmes actually lived, and that the 60 stories and novels chronicling his adventures are based on real events. Said events were recorded by Dr. Watson and placed in print by Conan Doyle (sometimes referred to as "The Literary Agent")

Q: What are the composition dates of the Holmes stories, and when did they supposedly take place?
A:
[Thanks to Chris Redmond for this reponse!]
The first of the original stories (A STUDY IN SCARLET) was published in 1887, and describes events of (probably) 1881. The remaining stories appeared intermittently over four decades, the last to be published being SHOSCOMBE OLD PLACE in 1927. Precise information appears in various bibliographical and reference works.
(The SHERLOCK HOLMES REFERENCE CARD includes publication dates as well as page numbers in the Annotated Sherlock Holmes, and standard abbreviations. To obtain a Reference Card send an unstamped, self-addressed business size envelope, accompanied by two 29-cent stamps, to Chris Redmond, 523 Westfield Drive, Waterloo, Ontario N2T 2E1 Canada. Canadians can send a stamped self-addressed envelope instead.)
As for the dates when Holmes's cases took place, there are close to a dozen full-length "chronologies" -- attempts to date the cases from evidence in the stories, with special attention to such cruxes as THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE, which fades seamlessly from April into October. William S. Baring-Gould in The Annotated Sherlock Holmes uses the dates he devised in his own earlier book, The Chronological Holmes. Many scholars prefer the approaches of Ernest B. Zeisler, Harold W. Bell, Henry T. Folsom or others. They differ repeatedly, especially over such choice questions as the date of Watson's marriage to Mary Morstan. In general it can be said that Holmes was in practice in London from about 1880 to 1904, except for the years of "the Great Hiatus', 1891-94. Two cases are set following Holmes's official retirement.

Q: Who are the Baker Street Irregulars and what goes on at their annual celebration in the Big Apple?
A:
[Thanks to Chris Redmond and tAJ for their contributions to this]
The oldest feature of the Sherlockian weekend in New York each January is the annual dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars. It is open to members of the BSI -- and a few guests who are presumably potential members. BSI membership is awarded by the elder statespersons of the society based on Sherlockian achievement in local societies, publications, etc.
The BSI is a society of experienced Sherlockians, founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley. Membership in the BSI is by invitation only. Local societies across the United States are considered "scions", or branches, of the BSI, and it is from their ranks that the BSI generally draws new members.
Several other events take place during the weekend, though, including the Mrs. Hudson Breakfast, the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, an open cocktail party on Saturday afternoon, and any number of quasi-private parties, book signings and walking tours.

Q: Who are the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes?
A:
Thanks to Peter E. Blau (pblau@cap.gwu.edu) for this information.
The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes were originally the all-female auxiliary of the BSI, which refused to admit women until 1991. The ASH now includes members of both sexes. If you would like to contact the Adventuresses, write to Evelyn A. Herzog, 360 West 21st Street #5-A, New York, NY 10011-3310.

Q: How can I find a local society of Sherlockians, and what will it do?
A:
[Thanks to Chris Redmond for this one]
There are dozens if not hundreds of such societies; the chances of finding one in an American city of any size are high (and societies can also be found in Canada, Britain, Japan, most European countries and elsewhere). A local society may meet anywhere from once a month to once a year. Meetings will certainly include lively conversation and will probably include food and drink; there may also be films, talks and other activities. Nearly all societies are very hospitable to newcomers, especially friendly newcomers with an interest in Sherlock Holmes. To find a society in your vicinity, ask an old-timer, such as Peter Blau (pblau@cap.gwu.edu), who maintains an up-to-date list of hundreds of them.

Q: Was there really a 221B Baker Street?
A:
[Thanks to Chris Redmond for the updated version of this response]
The "real", or most real, 221B is still Abbey House, the headquarters of the Abbey National Building Society (what we Canadians would call a trust company, or Americans a savings and loan). It occupies the space from about 215 to 235 Baker, I believe, and if you write a letter addressed to 221B it will end up in the public relations department at Abbey National, where "Mr. Holmes's secretary" will dutifully reply to it.
Other points of interest in London include the SH Hotel and the restoration of the 221B sitting-room at the SH Pub in Northumberland Street. A Sherlock Holmes Museum is in operation at 239 Baker Street, but it charges high prices and reports suggest that it is not overwhelmingly convincing and authentic.
In Holmes' time, of course, there was no such address as 221B Baker Street. W. S. Baring-Gould discusses this in some depth in "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes"

Q: How many Mrs. Watsons were there, anyway?
A: There is hard Canonical evidence for only one: Mary Morstan, the heroine of "The Sign of Four", whom Watson marries at the end of the story. Everything after that is a matter of inference and deduction. In "The Adventure of the Empty House", Watson refers to his "recent bereavement" and is living alone, so it's reasonable to presume that his wife (presumably Mary Morstan Watson) has died. However, stories which appear to have taken place after this event refer to a married Watson, so it is assumed that he re-married to someone whose identity is never specifically stated in the Canon (although Sherlockians have not been shy about making suggestions!) It is therefore not unreasonable to assume at least two wives. Some scholars have even suggested three, although the evidence is more equivocal.

Q: Where, exactly, was Watson wounded during his military service?
A: Interestingly enough, Watson gives two separate locations for the Jezail bullet wound that ended his military career. In "A Study in Scarlet" he states "I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery". In "The Sign of Four", however, we are told "I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had had a Jezail bullet through it some time before, and though it did not prevent me from walking it ached wearily at every change of the weather". The only other mention of his wound is in "The Noble Bachelor", in which he notes "the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign throbbed with dull persistence"
Numerous interesting scenarios have been suggested to explain these contradictions. One of the earliest is "The Singular Bullet" by J.W. Sovine in the Baker Street Journal in 1959. His thesis is that that the bullet entered through the shoulder, exited again, and lodged in Watson's thigh. It's as good an explanation as any other.

Q: How can I get my mailbox filled with Sherlockiana?
A: Subscribe first of all to the Baker Street Journal, an "irregular quarterly of Sherlockiana". Annual rate: $18.95 in the United States ("It is always 1895"), $21.50 elsewhere, from The Baker Street Journal, PO Box 465, Hanover, Pennsylvania 17331. After that, write for such newsletters, books and other items mentioned in the pages of the BSJ as you want and can afford.