The Abbey Grange.
The case begins Monday, February 15, 1897.
Why?
THE STATEMENT OF THE SEASON AND YEAR:
"It was on a bitterly cold night and frosty morning, towards the end of the winter of ‘97."
"It was on a bitterly cold night and frosty morning, towards the end of the winter of ‘97."
HOW QUICKLY HOLMES IS CALLED IN:
"The crime was committed before twelve last night."
"The crime was committed before twelve last night."
THE CURRENT HOPKINS COUNT:
"Hopkins has called me in seven times, and on each occasion his summons has been entirely justified."
"Hopkins has called me in seven times, and on each occasion his summons has been entirely justified."
THE MAID’S TERM OF SERVICE:
"She has been with her all her life," said Hopkins. "Nursed her as a baby, and came with her to England when they first left Australia, eighteen months ago. Theresa Wright is her name, and the kind of maid you don’t pick up nowadays."
"She has been with her all her life," said Hopkins. "Nursed her as a baby, and came with her to England when they first left Australia, eighteen months ago. Theresa Wright is her name, and the kind of maid you don’t pick up nowadays."
DURATION OF THE BRACKENSTALL MARRIAGE:
"He was all honey when first we met him—only eighteen months ago, and we both feel as if it were eighteen years. She had only just arrived in London. Yes, it was her first voyage—she had never been from home before. He won her with his title and his money and his false London ways. If she made a mistake she has paid for it, if ever a woman did. What month did we meet him? Well, I tell you it was just after we arrived. We arrived in June, and it was July. They were married in January of last year."
"I have been married about a year."
"He was all honey when first we met him—only eighteen months ago, and we both feel as if it were eighteen years. She had only just arrived in London. Yes, it was her first voyage—she had never been from home before. He won her with his title and his money and his false London ways. If she made a mistake she has paid for it, if ever a woman did. What month did we meet him? Well, I tell you it was just after we arrived. We arrived in June, and it was July. They were married in January of last year."
"I have been married about a year."
WHEN THE BOAT SAILED:
"In June of ‘95, only one of their line had reached a home port. It was the Rock of Gibraltar, their largest and best boat. A reference to the passenger list showed that Miss Fraser, of Adelaide, with her maid had made the voyage in her. The boat was now somewhere south of the Suez Canal on her way to Australia. Her officers were the same as in ‘95, with one exception. The first officer, Mr. Jack Crocker, had been made a captain and was to take charge of their new ship, the Bass Rock, sailing in two days’ time from Southampton."
"In June of ‘95, only one of their line had reached a home port. It was the Rock of Gibraltar, their largest and best boat. A reference to the passenger list showed that Miss Fraser, of Adelaide, with her maid had made the voyage in her. The boat was now somewhere south of the Suez Canal on her way to Australia. Her officers were the same as in ‘95, with one exception. The first officer, Mr. Jack Crocker, had been made a captain and was to take charge of their new ship, the Bass Rock, sailing in two days’ time from Southampton."
WHAT THE BARING-GOULD ANNOTATED SAYS:
January 23, 1897.
January 23, 1897.
WHAT ZEISLER, THE KING OF CHRONOLOGY, SAYS:
January 15th or 24th, 1897.
January 15th or 24th, 1897.
THE BIRLSTONE RAILWAY TIMETABLE:
Sometimes it’s the exact dates that are troubling when one is putting dates to Watson’s cases, sometimes it’s more subtle things. Watson writes that this case took place towards the end of winter. Theresa Wright says Mary Fraser met Sir Eustace eighteen months before, in July, which would make it January. Hopkins says Fraser and Wright left Australia eighteen months before (in June), which would make it December. And neither month really qualifies for the end of winter.
Theresa says the Brackenstalls were married in "January of last year," and Lady Mary says the wedding is "about a year" old. Yet both of these women are lying throughout the investigation, so their testimony must be looked at with a suspicious eye. Good old Watson’s "towards the end of winter" must be our best guide here, and that puts the case a little later than January. The bitter cold and ice seem to make it more likely February than March, but the best judge of what day it is must come from one of the worst lies in the entire Canon of Holmes.
"One day out in a country lane I met Theresa Wright, her old maid," Jack Crocker says, of his reacquaintance with Mary Fraser’s maid. Seems mighty coincidental, doesn’t it? Especially when coming from the lips of a man who also said, "Every day of that voyage I loved her more, and many a time since have I kneeled down in the darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship because I knew her dear feet had trod it."
This man’s obsession with Mary Fraser was not the sort of thing that lets a reunion come based on a casual encounter. No, Crocker’s visit to Abbey Grange was most surely planned, and that planning could only have been done with one late-winter goal in mind: February 14th, and a Valentine’s Day reunion.
Thus, I’m going to sentimentally date this case on Monday, February 15, 1897.
Sometimes it’s the exact dates that are troubling when one is putting dates to Watson’s cases, sometimes it’s more subtle things. Watson writes that this case took place towards the end of winter. Theresa Wright says Mary Fraser met Sir Eustace eighteen months before, in July, which would make it January. Hopkins says Fraser and Wright left Australia eighteen months before (in June), which would make it December. And neither month really qualifies for the end of winter.
Theresa says the Brackenstalls were married in "January of last year," and Lady Mary says the wedding is "about a year" old. Yet both of these women are lying throughout the investigation, so their testimony must be looked at with a suspicious eye. Good old Watson’s "towards the end of winter" must be our best guide here, and that puts the case a little later than January. The bitter cold and ice seem to make it more likely February than March, but the best judge of what day it is must come from one of the worst lies in the entire Canon of Holmes.
"One day out in a country lane I met Theresa Wright, her old maid," Jack Crocker says, of his reacquaintance with Mary Fraser’s maid. Seems mighty coincidental, doesn’t it? Especially when coming from the lips of a man who also said, "Every day of that voyage I loved her more, and many a time since have I kneeled down in the darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship because I knew her dear feet had trod it."
This man’s obsession with Mary Fraser was not the sort of thing that lets a reunion come based on a casual encounter. No, Crocker’s visit to Abbey Grange was most surely planned, and that planning could only have been done with one late-winter goal in mind: February 14th, and a Valentine’s Day reunion.
Thus, I’m going to sentimentally date this case on Monday, February 15, 1897.
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