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mafiefBERY
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Words: 9695
Where was Watson living? Baker Street
Pre/Post Reichenbach (May 1891)? Pre. February. Before Watson/Morstan Marriage (1888).
Characters:
John Watson
Sherlock Holmes
Alexander Holder – (client) senior partner at Holder & Stevenson
Unnamed Groom
Unnamed Page
Lucy Parr - the second waiting-maid, sweetheart was Francis Prosper
Arthur Holder – son of Alexander, plays cards and gambles, loves Mary
Sir George Burnwell – “ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain, a man without heart or conscience”, Mary’s lover
Mary Holder – niece of Alexander
Unnamed inspector
Unnamed constable
Francis Prosper – green-grocer
Sir George Burnwell’s valet
Locations:
221B Baker Street
Fairbank somewhere in Streatham?
Sir George’s house (wherever that is)
Receiver (unknown location)
Cell that holds Arthur (unknown location)
Other crimes/criminals mentioned:
None
Other studies mentioned:
None
Questions about the story
London weather - http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=winter-history;sess
Question about this. I was chatting with a British expat friend about winters. When he was little he was told to never walk on frozen ponds because the ice wasn’t think enough. When he came to New England he was all freaked out that people were ice skating on ponds. Is this normal?
More winter questions. How drafty would these buildings be? Are the windows single pane? Is the only heat from a fire place? Would each bedroom have a fireplace?
Snow removal on streets – I’m pretty sure they didn’t have snow plows. The snow in Boston gets nasty during the winter and I’m guessing that it would be the same here. Probably one of the few times that the smog was reduced.
Threadneedle Street – There are actual banks there! Lloyds, Nationwide, Bank of England (and Bank of England museum)
Underground – as in subway? Do Holmes or Watson ever use this?
£50,000 sounds like an insane amount to me now (not a trifling sum!). What would this be today?
Beryl = emerald/aquamarine or just about any other color of precious stone. What color is this piece? I had in my mind that it is blue
Coronet = not a necklace but a crown.
First time reading this I thought it was a necklace with blue stones not a golden crown with some sort of colored or clear gemstone.
“I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave so precious a thing in the office behind me.” Yah, bad idea bud.
Streatham to Threadneedle street is about an hour commute one way. That seems like a monster commute for any time period but especially for that one that time period.
“short railway journey and a shorter walk brought” Train ride was ~25 min.
“green-grocer who brings our vegetables round” I’m guessing that grocery stores were not invented yet but there were markets. People of a certain social class could afford to have their groceries delivered.
carte blanche?
common loafer/collar turned up, his shiny, seedy coat, his red cravat, and his worn boots/disreputable clothes = I’m guessing lower class
“he breathed his vows” guessing this doesn’t mean wedding vow.
“the pavement had been cleared” Ah ha! Snow removal. By what?
“life-preserver” the same one that is used to keep people afloat in water?
“I knew my man, however, and I clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike.” OK, now why didn’t Holmes take Watson? I thought Watson is typically used in this type of situation. Seems rather foolish to go there alone.
“address of the receiver” pawn shop?
“got to my bed about two o’clock, after what I may call a really hard day’s work.” Yah, exactly. Also travelled at least 20 miles.
Fee = Paid £1000 for this case. Also, did he have to front the £3000 to pay for the beryls or did the receiver accept an IOU?
Other things about Holmes
“Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ.”
“It was no uncommon thing for him to be away for days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent…”
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Words: 9695
Where was Watson living? Baker Street
Pre/Post Reichenbach (May 1891)? Pre. February. Before Watson/Morstan Marriage (1888).
Characters:
John Watson
Sherlock Holmes
Alexander Holder – (client) senior partner at Holder & Stevenson
Unnamed Groom
Unnamed Page
Lucy Parr - the second waiting-maid, sweetheart was Francis Prosper
Arthur Holder – son of Alexander, plays cards and gambles, loves Mary
Sir George Burnwell – “ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain, a man without heart or conscience”, Mary’s lover
Mary Holder – niece of Alexander
Unnamed inspector
Unnamed constable
Francis Prosper – green-grocer
Sir George Burnwell’s valet
Locations:
221B Baker Street
Fairbank somewhere in Streatham?
Sir George’s house (wherever that is)
Receiver (unknown location)
Cell that holds Arthur (unknown location)
Other crimes/criminals mentioned:
None
Other studies mentioned:
None
Questions about the story
London weather - http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=winter-history;sess
Question about this. I was chatting with a British expat friend about winters. When he was little he was told to never walk on frozen ponds because the ice wasn’t think enough. When he came to New England he was all freaked out that people were ice skating on ponds. Is this normal?
More winter questions. How drafty would these buildings be? Are the windows single pane? Is the only heat from a fire place? Would each bedroom have a fireplace?
Snow removal on streets – I’m pretty sure they didn’t have snow plows. The snow in Boston gets nasty during the winter and I’m guessing that it would be the same here. Probably one of the few times that the smog was reduced.
Threadneedle Street – There are actual banks there! Lloyds, Nationwide, Bank of England (and Bank of England museum)
Underground – as in subway? Do Holmes or Watson ever use this?
£50,000 sounds like an insane amount to me now (not a trifling sum!). What would this be today?
Beryl = emerald/aquamarine or just about any other color of precious stone. What color is this piece? I had in my mind that it is blue
Coronet = not a necklace but a crown.
First time reading this I thought it was a necklace with blue stones not a golden crown with some sort of colored or clear gemstone.
“I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave so precious a thing in the office behind me.” Yah, bad idea bud.
Streatham to Threadneedle street is about an hour commute one way. That seems like a monster commute for any time period but especially for that one that time period.
“short railway journey and a shorter walk brought” Train ride was ~25 min.
“green-grocer who brings our vegetables round” I’m guessing that grocery stores were not invented yet but there were markets. People of a certain social class could afford to have their groceries delivered.
carte blanche?
common loafer/collar turned up, his shiny, seedy coat, his red cravat, and his worn boots/disreputable clothes = I’m guessing lower class
“he breathed his vows” guessing this doesn’t mean wedding vow.
“the pavement had been cleared” Ah ha! Snow removal. By what?
“life-preserver” the same one that is used to keep people afloat in water?
“I knew my man, however, and I clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike.” OK, now why didn’t Holmes take Watson? I thought Watson is typically used in this type of situation. Seems rather foolish to go there alone.
“address of the receiver” pawn shop?
“got to my bed about two o’clock, after what I may call a really hard day’s work.” Yah, exactly. Also travelled at least 20 miles.
Fee = Paid £1000 for this case. Also, did he have to front the £3000 to pay for the beryls or did the receiver accept an IOU?
Other things about Holmes
“Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ.”
“It was no uncommon thing for him to be away for days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent…”
no subject
Date: 2017-09-21 07:20 pm (UTC)“life-preserver” the same one that is used to keep people afloat in water? This is why I say we are separated by a common language. A life-preserver here is a cosh, or truncheon, or similar. Something to hit an opponent with in order to save your own life. Not a buoyancy aid or life jacket. It is vitally important the two are not confused ;)
no subject
Date: 2017-09-22 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-22 09:57 am (UTC)However, you have provided me with the perfect image for a Ferret Tale, because who else would be in need of a life-saving doughnut (English spelling)?
no subject
Date: 2017-09-23 02:19 am (UTC)As for donut/doughnut, even over here the correct spelling is doughnut. I didn't realize I was using the slang version. I blame the ubiquitious Dunkin' Donuts chain for corrupting my spelling.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-22 07:20 pm (UTC)Fairbank is the name of Sir George's house in Streatham
It's very rare for ice to be thick enough to walk or skate on - to do so would be very dangerous.
Houses would have been drafty, because it was unlikely windows would fit exactly. They would have wooden frames which would swell and contract during the year. There was no such thing as double glazing in those days. Bedrooms and all public rooms would have had fires, since they were the only ways to heat a house. These led to multiple chimneys on roofs.
The snow might be manually swept, and otherwise it would be compacted by horses and carriages. In expensive areas the snow would be manually swept by someone paid to do so, so that the ladies might walk without slipping.
Yes, the underground is the underground railway, (the tube) so a subway (although a sign for a subway is a footpath under a road, not to the underground). Holmes and Watson did canonically use it occasionally.
The length of commute was the price people paid to live somewhere nice and work in the city.
A green-grocer would have his own shop selling fruit and vegetables. Similarly other tradesmen would have their own shops: butcher, baker etc. A grocer would sell dry goods: flour, sugar etc. And yes, the wealthy would have their goods delivered.
Carte blanche - French for white card - the equivalent here of a blank cheque. Holmes may spend as much as necessary to get the jewels back.
Common loafer - someone of the working class, who spends a lot of time standing on street corners watching the world go by.
Breathed his vows - he would have promised to be faithful and true, she was the only one for him, etc etc. Spoken vows, not legally binding ones.
The receiver would not be a pawn shop. The receiver would know these were stolen goods (which a pawnbroker should not deal in) and would buy goods and then sell them on - completely illegally of course. The receiver would most certainly say "no cash, no deal" - far too risky otherwise.