My Sherlock Holmes Chronology list

[Chronologist]

The Norwood Builder

Date: “August”, “some months” after “The Empty House”.

Comments:

Watson says at the start that this story takes place “some months” after Holmes’ return in “The Empty House”. Later, Holmes remarks that he was investigating the grounds outside the Oldacre house “with an August sun on my back”. This suggests that the story is set in the August after “The Empty House”, in the same year (1894).

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Empty House”. Also, the most recent story to date.
 

[Chronologist]

The Dancing Men

Date: This story starts “a month” after “the end of June”, continues “a fortnight or so later”, continues “two days” later, and concludes the next day. The year is set a “year” after “the Jubilee”.

Comments:

Hilton Cubitt explains at the start that his wife received a letter “about a month ago” at “the end of June”, which suggests that this story starts at the end of July. Since the story concludes more than “a fortnight or so later”, it likely concluded in August. Cubitt explains that he met his wife when, “Last year I came up to London for the Jubilee”. There are two likely Jubilees Cubitt could be referring to: Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee which occurred in 1887, which would set this story in 1888; or Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee which occurred in 1897 and would set this story in 1898. It’s much more likely it’s the latter Jubilee being referred to. 1888 is during the first year of Watson’s marriage, yet Watson’s clearly living with Holmes full time here (not that there aren’t cases that definitely take place during Watson’s first marriage where he seems to be living with Holmes full time). There’s another reason I’m inclined to the later date, but I’ll get into that more in a later story. So, I date this story from late July-August, 1898.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Norwood Builder”. Also, the most recent story to date.
 

[Chronologist]

The Solitary Cyclist

Date: “the 23d of April”, “the year 1895”

Comments:

Here Watson gives us the day, month, and year, a fully precise date.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Norwood Builder” and before “The Dancing Men”.
 

[Chronologist]

The Priory School

Date: “three days after” “May 13th”, “1900” or later.

Comments:

“May 13th” is the day of the kidnapping, and Holmes can tell it’s been three days since then by the unshaven state of his client’s chin that Dr. Huxtable quickly confirms. Holmes’ reference book states that the Duke of Holdernesse has been “Lord Lieutenant of Hallamshire since 1900”. The phrase “since 1900” implies that the reference book is not from 1900, but later. In the previous story, “The Solitary Cyclist”, Watson references “FROM the years 1894 to 1901 inclusive” to describe a period where Holmes was a very busy man. This implies that this is the time period that most of the stories in this anthology take place in. Therefore, I consider the most likely year of this story to be 1901.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Dancing Men”. Also, the most recent story to date.
 

[Carol the Dabbler]

4 hours ago, Chronologist said:

Holmes’ reference book states that the Duke of Holdernesse has been “Lord Lieutenant of Hallamshire since 1900”. The phrase “since 1900” implies that the reference book is not from 1900, but later.

As you concluded, though, it could be from 1900 (though no earlier).  Some reference works are published rather infrequently, and are therefore worded in such a way as to sound natural for several years in the future.

 

[Chronologist]

Black Peter

Date: “the first week of July”, “the year ’95”

Comments:

The week, month, and year of this case are provided right at the start, an almost fully precise date.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Solitary Cyclist” and before “The Dancing Men”.  
 

[Chronologist]

Charles Augustus Milverton

Date: “winter” “years” before 1904 (when this story was first published). The story starts “a fortnight” before “the 18th” and ends on “the 14th”. Holmes and Watson appear to be sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street full time. 

Comments:

Watson is being very discreet about the date here, stating that it was “years” ago, and implies the principal person he’s trying to protect is now dead, which inclines me to date this story as early as possible. However, my publication order bias limits how far back I’m willing to date this. Whenever there’s no specific date mentioned, but where Holmes and Watson seem to be sharing rooms full time, I assume the story is either in the first time period or the third time period. My theory is that Watson felt nearly every story from the first time period he felt was worth publishing he’d already published in “Adventures” and “Memoirs”. So, any story where Holmes and Watson appear to be sharing rooms together full time but was published in “The Return” and later anthologies I assume are from the third time period (which is why I believe “The Dancing Men” takes place in the year after the Diamond Jubilee instead of the Golden Jubilee) unless I have a specific reason to believe otherwise. Here I have no specific reason, just that the story takes place “years” ago. With that in mind, I would date this story back to the first year of the third time period, which would be 1894. Watson does specify that this story happened in “winter”, and since Holmes didn’t return to Watson until April, 1894, that leads me to pinpoint the month and year of this story to be December, 1894.

And for all of Watson’s discretion, he provides a lot of info on the days of the month this story takes place in even if he doesn’t specify the month. At the start of the story, Holmes tells Watson that his client “is to be married in a fortnight”, and Milverton soon after gloats, “if the money is not paid on the 14th, there certainly will be no marriage on the 18th.” This indicates that the wedding is supposed to occur on the 18th, which would date the start of this story to December 4. On the night of the burglary, Holmes tells Watson, “To-morrow is the last day of grace,” indicating it’s the night of the 13th. The story concludes the next day, which would be the 14th. So, for all Watson’s discretion, I give this story the fairly precise date of December 4-14, 1894.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Norwood Builder” and before “The Solitary Cyclist”.

[Chronologist]

The Six Napoleons

 Date: None given. Holmes and Watson appear to be sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street full time.

Comments:

For the first time in “Return” there’s absolutely nothing to directly indicate what date this story takes place in. No year, month, day of the month without naming the month, no season, not even referencing a historical event (like the Jubilee in “The Dancing Men”) to indicate when it takes place. There’re some days of the month mentioned as occurring “last year”, but with no indication what that “last year” or this year is, they’re useless for this chronology. The only definite indicator is that Holmes and Watson appear to be sharing rooms full time, suggesting this is either in the first or third time period, and with my publication order bias, I’m inclined to believe it’s the third.

The next question is whether I should place this story after the most recent story in the chronology, which would be “The Priory School”, or the most recently published story, which would be “Charles Augustus Milverton”. I’m inclined to go with the latter. “Priory” is a bit of an outlier, set after 1900, when nearly every other story so far in this anthology (except “Dancing”) has appeared to take place in either 1894 or ’95. 

Perhaps the best hint as to when the story takes place is the relationship between Holmes and Lestrade. There seems to be a genuine affection, even friendship, between the two in this story that was completely absent in earlier stories. There was still a bit of the old rivalry between the two as late as “The Norwood Builder”, set in August, 1894. In “Builder”, Holmes easily wins that rivalry like always, of course, and at the end of “Builder”, Lestrade freely acknowledges how indebted he is to Holmes for solving the case. Perhaps the end of “Builder” is the beginning of the thawing out of their relationship. I would definitely date this story after “Builder”. Even Lestrade’s brief appearance in “Milverton”, where Lestrade is amused when Holmes points out that Lestrade’s description of one of Milverton’s alleged murderers could easily be a description of Watson, suggests some of that affection that’s more fully displayed here so I have no problem dating this story after “Milverton”. 

Since I have dated “Milverton” in December, 1894, I place this story in early 1895. Since the story with the earliest definite date in ’95, “The Solitary Cyclist”, is dated late enough in the year, April 23, I have no trouble placing this story before “Cyclist”. 

Current Canon Placement:

After “Charles Augustus Milverton” and before “The Solitary Cyclist”.

[Carol the Dabbler]

2 hours ago, Chronologist said:

The next question is whether I should place this story [The Six Napoleons] after the most recent story in the chronology, which would be “The Priory School”, or the most recently published story, which would be “Charles Augustus Milverton”.

Interesting that Sherlock's adaptations of "Milverton" and "Napoleons" appeared in the same sequence, and one after the other if you ignore the Christmas special, "The Abominable Bride."

 

[Chronologist]

The Three Students

Date: “the year ’95”

Comments:

Watson only provides the year when this story takes place with no mention of the day, month, or season. Under my normal publication order bias, I would place this story after the most recently published story set in that year, which also happens to be the most recently published story, “The Six Napoleons”. But I have a problem with this.

“Napoleons” doesn’t specify the actual year it takes place in. 1895 is just the year I’ve assigned to it. That’s not the problem. The problem is that I placed “Napoleons” before the story with the earliest specified date in 1895, “The Solitary Cyclist”, which started on April 23. While “Students” takes place only over the course of two days, it’s during a time when Watson tells us he and Holmes spent “some weeks” living in a university town. To place both “Napoleons” and the “some weeks” Holmes and Watson were in the university town during which they investigated “Students” before April 23 feels a bit like a tight squeeze. 

So instead, I’ve gone the opposite route. I’ve placed this story after the story with the latest specified date in 1895, “Black Peter” which was set during “the first week in July”. This gives Holmes and Watson plenty of time to spend “some weeks” living in a university town and investigate this case, which most likely took place near the end of the summer or fall semesters.

Current Canon Placement:

After “Black Peter” and before “The Dancing Men”.
 

[Chronologist]

The Golden Pince-Nez

Date: “towards the close of November”, “1894”

Comments:

Watson provides for us at the start what is fairly close to a precise date.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Norwood Builder” and before “Charles Augustus Milverton” 
 

[Chronologist]

The Missing Three-Quarter

Date: “February”, “some seven or eight years ago”

Comments:

Since this story was published in 1904, the story takes place in either 1897 (if it was seven years ago) or 1896 (if it was eight). With my publication order bias, since the most recently published story was set in 1894, and most stories in this anthology are set in either 1894 or 1895, I’m inclined to give this story the earlier date of 1896.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Three Students” and before “The Dancing Men”.
 

[Chronologist]

The Abbey Grange

Date: “towards the end of the winter of ’97”

Comments:

Right at the start Watson provides us with what is fairly close to precise date. The only thing worth adding, is that if it’s toward the end of the winter of 1897, then it must be early 1897. Important only if there’s some later published story that’s set in 1897 but doesn’t otherwise specify the date. 

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Missing Three-Quarter” and before “The Dancing Men”.
 

[Carol the Dabbler]

21 minutes ago, Chronologist said:

if it’s toward the end of the winter of 1897, then it must be early 1897.

I don't know what the usual terminology is in the UK, or what it was in the late 1800s.  Around here, if someone says "the winter of '97," they might mean either the winter of '96-97 or the winter of '97-98 -- so "toward the end" could be either early '97 or early '98.

English winters aren't as severe as ours, though, so maybe they don't actually start till January?

 

[besleybean]

I know, that expression always bugs me and I have to google, to see when historically it actually was!

[Chronologist]

I don't see any cause for confusion here. "Towards the end of winter" would normally mean around February, early in the year. "Towards the end of winter of '97" ought to mean around February, early in 1897.
 

[Chronologist]

The Second Stain

Date: “THE JULY which immediately succeeded” Watson’s marriage (according to “The Naval Treaty”), or “autumn” (according to “The Second Stain” itself, a contradiction).

Comments:

Watson mentions plenty of cases in passing besides the ones he publishes, exciting the readers’ imaginations about all the adventures he and Holmes had together. He first mentions “The Second Stain” way back in “The Naval Treaty”, published in 1893, and finally publishes it in 1904. He says of the case in “The Naval Treaty” that, “The new century will have come, however, before the story can be safely told.” Sure enough, the new century came, and in 1904, Watson finally published the story. This is the only time one of the many cases Watson briefly mentioned in one story was later published by Watson as its own story.

Or is it? Watson’s brief mention of “The Second Stain” in “The Naval Treaty” doesn’t entirely match “The Second Stain” as it was when it was finally published. In the first place, the dates don’t match. In “The Naval Treaty”, Watson says it occurred in “The July which immediately succeeded” his marriage, but in “The Second Stain”, more than once it’s mentioned that the story occurs in “autumn” and July is not in autumn. Also, in the published story, Watson appears to be sharing rooms with Holmes at 221B Baker Street full time, with no mention of his marriage (although that’s hardly unique, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” being the most notorious example of a case that seems to take place after Watson’s marriage yet with no mention of it). Finally, in the mention of the case in “The Naval Treaty”, Watson claims that, “I still retain an almost verbatim report of the interview in which he [Holmes] demonstrated the true facts of the case to Monsieur Dubugue of the Paris police, and Fritz von Waldbaum, the well-known specialist of Dantzig,” but in “The Second Stain” there’s no mention of Dubugue or von Waldbaum and “the true facts of the case” are only known to three people, Holmes, Watson, and a person with no direct ties to the police force of any country. 

Still, I find it inconceivable that a man of Watson’s vivid imagination would give the same title to two different cases. And in “The Naval Treaty” Watson writes, “Stain” “deals with interests of such importance and implicates so many of the first families in the kingdom that for many years it will be impossible to make it public. No case, however, in which Holmes was engaged has ever illustrated the value of his analytical methods so clearly or has impressed those who were associated with him so deeply.” Which certainly sounds like “The Second Stain” as published. And in that mention of Dubugue and von Waldbaum Watson claims they “had wasted their energies upon what proved to be side-issues.” In the published “Stain”, the French police are involved in what to Holmes is ultimately the side-issue of the murder of Eduardo Lucas (although it’s a bit unfair to say they “wasted their energies” since they were successfully solving a murder). Finally, in “Stain”, Watson says the story takes place, “in a year, and even in a decade, that shall be nameless,” implying that the story doesn’t take place in the decade of most of the stories in “Return”, the 1890s, and is much more likely to be in the 1880s, as indicated in “Treaty”.

My solution is that in both “Treaty” and “Stain” Watson is deliberately lying about small details to prevent anyone from pinpointing the precise time and nature of the potential scandal. In “Treaty”, Watson throws in the names of Dubugue and von Waldbaum when they had nothing to do with the case to throw off any potential scandalmongers, and in “Stain” claims it took place in “autumn”, makes no mention of his marriage, and makes it sound like he’s living with Holmes full time for precisely the same reason. 

In conclusion, I think Watson is being more accurate about the time the story takes place in “Treaty” and is more accurate about the facts of the case in “Stain”. Therefore, I date “Stain” in the July after Watson’s marriage, in 1888. And since in “Treaty”, Watson lists the case before “Treaty” and makes it sound like “Treaty” took place near the end of July, I date “Stain” as having takem place before “Treaty”.

One final note: this story briefly mentions Oberstein as one of three international spies who might’ve stolen the missing letter. He didn’t, but given what happens to Oberstein in “The Bruce-Partington Plans”, this story would have to take place before “Plans”, which is set in November, 1895.

Current Canon Placement: 

After “The Greek Interpreter” and before “The Naval Treaty”.

Full Chronology after The Return of Sherlock Holmes

I.    1882-1887, Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street as bachelors.

1.    A Study in Scarlet. March 4, 1882
2.     The Resident Patient. October, 1882
3.    The Speckled Band. Early April, 1883
4.     The Beryl Coronet. February, 1884
5.     Silver Blaze. 1884
6.    The Yellow Face. Early Spring, 1885
7.    The “Gloria Scott”. Winter, late 1885
8.    The Musgrave Ritual. Winter, early 1886
9.    The Reigate Squire. April 25, 1887
10.     The Noble Bachelor. Autumn, 1887
11.     The Sign of the Four. September, 1887

II.    1888-1891. Watson’s marriage to Mary Morstan

12.      A Scandal in Bohemia. March 20, 1888
13.      A Case of Identity. April 14, 1888
14.      The Boscombe Valley Mystery. June 3, 1888
15.      The Stock-Broker’s Clerk. June, 1888
16.      The Crooked Man. Summer, 1888
17.      The Greek Interpreter. Summer, 1888
18.      The Second Stain. July, 1888
19.      The Naval Treaty. Late July, 1888
20.      The Five Orange Pips. Late September, 1888
21.      The Man with the Twisted Lip. June 19, 1889
22.      The Engineer’s Thumb. Summer, 1889
23.      The Hound of the Baskervilles. Late September – late November, 1889
24.      The Blue Carbuncle. December 27, 1889
25.      The Copper Beeches. Early Spring, 1890
26.      The Cardboard Box. August, 1890
27.      The Red-Headed League. October 9, 1890
28.      The Final Problem. April 24 – May 4, 1891

III.    1894-1902. Holmes and Watson are once again sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street, Holmes as a bachelor, Watson as a widower.

29.     The Empty House. April, 1894
30.     The Norwood Builder. August, 1894
31.     The Golden Pince-Nez. Late November, 1894
32.     Charles Augustus Milverton. December 4-14, 1894
33.     The Six Napoleons. 1895
34.     The Solitary Cyclist. April 23, 1895
35.     Black Peter. Early July, 1895
36.     The Three Students. 1895
37.     The Missing Three-Quarter. February, 1896
38.     The Abbey Grange. Winter, early 1897
39.     The Dancing Men. Late July – August, 1898
40.     The Priory School. May 16, 1901
 

[Chronologist]

THE VALLEY OF FEAR

Date: “the seventh of January”, “the early days at the end of the ’80’s”. The epilogue starts after “the Quarter Sessions” and ends “Two months” later. Watson already has a reputation as Holmes’ chronicler.

Comments:

Near the start we are given the day and month, January 7, and are told that this is the late 1880s. No mention is made of Watson’s marriage and he appears to be sharing rooms at Baker Street with Holmes full time, so one might be inclined to think this story takes place in the late 1880s before Watson’s marriage, in 1885, 1886, or 1887.

But in Part 1 Chapter 4, White Mason says to Watson, “Come along, Dr. Watson, and when the time comes we’ll all hope for a place in your book.” And in Chapter 7 of the same part, another character addresses Watson as, “the historian of this bunch.” Both these statements imply that by the time of this story, Watson already has a reputation as the writer of Sherlock Holmes stories. Only one Holmes story was published by Watson in the 1880s, “A Study in Scarlet”, which came out in November, 1887. That changes and narrows the possibilities of which year this is to either 1888 or 1889. And since in “A Scandal in Bohemia”, Watson says he “had seen little of Holmes” since his marriage to Mary Morstan, indicating that “Scandal” which starts on March 20, 1888 is the first time he’s seen him since his marriage, that would seem to date the Valley of Fear almost definitively in 1889.

Part 2 of this novel is explicitly stated to take place in 1875 and is said to take place “twenty years” before the events of Part 1, but that’s impossible. Twenty years after 1875 would be 1895 and that’s after the death of Professor Moriarty. In the present of Part 1 and the epilogue, Moriarty is very much alive to all the other characters’ sorrow.

The epilogue starts off mentioning “the Quarter Sessions”. In England up until the latter half of the 20th Century, the Quarter Sessions was the 4 periods of the year where trials were held by local courts. The times in which these trials were held were during Epiphany, Easter, Midsummer, and Michealmas. Since Epiphany is always on January 6, the January 7 date of this story would rule out that this Quarter Session trial was at Epiphany, which makes it most likely it was held at Easter, which would’ve been in April in 1889. The final, somewhat depressing scene in the epilogue takes place “Two months” after that, which would be in June. There’s another Holmes story set in June, 1889, “The Man with the Twisted Lip”. But since that story has the precise date of June 19, that’s late enough in the month that all of The Valley of Fear, including the epilogue, could’ve taken place before “Twisted”.

There’s the Final Problem that this story would seem to take place after Watson’s marriage when there’s no mention of it. On the other hand, despite the length of the novel, Holmes solves the case in just two days. And all that happens in the incident immediately after the Quarter Sessions in the epilogue is Holmes’s writing Mrs. Douglas a letter. It’s possible that Holmes told Watson about this letter, or even that Mrs. Douglas had eventually shown it to Watson, without Watson having to be present when Holmes wrote it. And the final incident in the epilogue takes place over the course of a single day. Of course, both Part 1, and the final incident in the epilogue both start in the morning, implying that Watson had at least stayed at 221B Baker Street since the night before in both cases. So, it appears Watson spent at least three days living with Holmes in January 1889, and two days in June of that year.

Current Canon Placement: 

After “The Five Orange Pips” and before “The Man with the Twisted Lip”.

Full Chronology After The Valley of Fear

I.    1882-1887, Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street as bachelors.

1.    A Study in Scarlet. March 4, 1882
2.     The Resident Patient. October, 1882
3.    The Speckled Band. Early April, 1883
4.     The Beryl Coronet. February, 1884
5.     Silver Blaze. 1884
6.    The Yellow Face. Early Spring, 1885
7.    The “Gloria Scott”. Winter, late 1885
8.    The Musgrave Ritual. Winter, early 1886
9.    The Reigate Squire. April 25, 1887
10.     The Noble Bachelor. Autumn, 1887
11.     The Sign of the Four. September, 1887

II.    1888-1891. Watson’s marriage to Mary Morstan

12.      A Scandal in Bohemia. March 20, 1888
13.      A Case of Identity. April 14, 1888
14.      The Boscombe Valley Mystery. June 3, 1888
15.      The Stock-Broker’s Clerk. June, 1888
16.      The Crooked Man. Summer, 1888
17.      The Greek Interpreter. Summer, 1888
18.      The Second Stain. July, 1888
19.      The Naval Treaty. Late July, 1888
20.      The Five Orange Pips. Late September, 1888
21.     The Valley of Fear. January 7 – June, 1889
22.      The Man with the Twisted Lip. June 19, 1889
23.      The Engineer’s Thumb. Summer, 1889
24.      The Hound of the Baskervilles. Late September – late November, 1889
25.      The Blue Carbuncle. December 27, 1889
26.      The Copper Beeches. Early Spring, 1890
27.      The Cardboard Box. August, 1890
28.      The Red-Headed League. October 9, 1890
29.      The Final Problem. April 24 – May 4, 1891

III.    1894-1902. Holmes and Watson are once again sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street, Holmes as a bachelor, Watson as a widower.

30.     The Empty House. April, 1894
31.     The Norwood Builder. August, 1894
32.     The Golden Pince-Nez. Late November, 1894
33.     Charles Augustus Milverton. December 4-14, 1894
34.     The Six Napoleons. 1895
35.     The Solitary Cyclist. April 23, 1895
36.     Black Peter. Early July, 1895
37.     The Three Students. 1895
38.     The Missing Three-Quarter. February, 1896
39.     The Abbey Grange. Winter, early 1897
40.     The Dancing Men. Late July – August, 1898
41.     The Priory School. May 16, 1901

[Chronologist]

HIS LAST BOW

Wisteria Lodge

Date: “towards the end of March in the year 1892” (an impossible date). The final scene is set “Some six months afterwards” which would be towards the end of September.

Comments:

Just like in “The Five Orange Pips”, we’re given a fairly precise date that is impossible. The years 1891-1894 were the years Holmes was missing and presumed dead by almost everyone, especially Watson. Therefore, Watson couldn’t possibly have worked with Holmes on a case in 1892. When we’re given a year that is impossible, I prefer to go to the nearest possible year. Due to my publication order bias, I’m inclined to believe this story takes place after Holmes’ Return rather than before his wrongly presumed death. And since Holmes returned to Watson in April 1894, and since this story is set “towards the end of March”, that makes the nearest possible year to be 1895.

1895 was a fairly busy year for Holmes and Watson. The earliest story that year with a precise date is “The Solitary Cyclist” which started on April 23. That was late enough in the year that I placed “The Six Napoleons” earlier in that same year even though “Napoleons” gave us no date whatsoever. I also consider the date “towards the end of March” in this story to be late enough in the year that I have no problem sandwiching this story neatly in between “Napoleons” and “Cyclist” in the chronology.

The final scene is set “Some six months afterwards” which means it would have to have taken place after “Cyclist” and “Black Peter” (set in July of that year) and possibly after “The Three Students” as well, although I’d prefer to think it takes place before “Students” since nothing in “Students” suggests that it has to take place any time before late September. But the bulk of this story is still set between “Napoleons” and “Cyclist”.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Six Napoleons” and before “The Solitary Cyclist”. The final scene is set after “Cyclist” and “Black Peter” and possibly “The Three Students” at the latest, which would make it before “Students” at the earliest and before “The Missing Three Quarter” at the latest.

[Chronologist]

The Red Circle

Date: None given. Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms at Baker Street full time. Takes place sometime after Watson used to be a practicing doctor.

Comments:

No date is mentioned. The only hint as to when this takes place comes when Holmes asks Watson about a time in Watson’s past “when you doctored”. Since the only time we’re aware of where Watson was ever a practicing doctor outside the Army was during his marriage to Mary Morstan, that seems to date this story very definitely after Holmes’ Return, which is where I’d be inclined to date this story anyway due to my publication order bias.

And speaking of my publication order bias, from here on, any story like this, with no date given, where Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms, and the story was published after the publication of the full anthology, “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, I date this story after the story in “Return” with the latest date. That would be “The Priory School”, set no earlier than 1900, and which I chose to date as taking place in 1901. Therefore, I date this story taking place sometime after “Priory”, in the same year, 1901.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Priory School”. Also, the most recent story to date.
 

[Chronologist]

The Bruce-Partington Plans

Date: “THE third week of November, in the year 1895”

Comments:

Watson provides for us at the start what is fairly close to a full precise date. Since this is late in the year, and with my publication order bias, I’d set this story after “The Three Students”, which is set explicitly in 1895 without specifying a month like this story does.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Three Students” and before “The Missing Three-Quarter”.
 

[Chronologist]

The Dying Detective

Date: “November”, “in the second year of” Watson’s marriage.

Comments:

Since I’ve dated “The Sign of the Four”, the story where Watson first met and (almost immediately afterwards I believe) married Mary Morstan in 1887, I have no hesitation in dating this story in 1889, the second year of Watson’s marriage.

There is a problem with that, however. November 1889 is when the final chapter in “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is set. More specifically “the end of November”. In that chapter, Watson reveals that Holmes was involved in two cases in November 1889 before that final chapter, and gives us enough detail on both cases to let us know that neither one of them was “The Dying Detective”. 

Perhaps when Watson refers to “the end of November” for that final scene in “Hound”, he meant the last week in November. If it was early enough in the week, that could still leave room for this story to take place in the same week. We are told that Holmes fell ill on “Wednesday”. The last Wednesday in November 1889 was November 27. That would still give time for the “three days” after that when this story takes place to still be in November (a rare example where the real-life day of the month and year fell on the same day of the week this story seems to fall on). Therefore, I conclude that the final chapter of “Hound” happened anytime within November 24 through the 26th, and for this story to have the precise date of November 30, 1889.

It's impossible for Watson to be referring to his second marriage. Watson was still living with Holmes as late June, 1902, in “The Three Garridebs”, but had left by the time of “The Illustrious Client” just a couple of months later. His second marriage, mentioned only once in “The Blanched Soldier”, is the most likely reason for this departure. According to Watson, “The Creeping Man” set in early September 1903 just a full year after “Illustrious”, was “one of the very last cases handled by Holmes before his retirement from practice.” The second year of Watson’s second marriage would be in 1904.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and before “The Blue Carbuncle”.
 

[Chronologist]

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

Date: None given. Holmes and Watson appear to be sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street full time. Watson refers to “feeling rheumatic and old.”

Comments:

The only real hint as to when this story takes place beyond Holmes and Watson living together is Watson’s remark on “feeling rheumatic and old,” which suggests a later date for this story and more definitely places it in the third time period rather than the first. And with my publication order bias, and with a story with no date given, where Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms, and this story being published after the publication of the full anthology, “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, I date this story after the last published story with all the above characteristics, “The Red Circle”, within the same year of 1901.

Current Canon Placement: 

After “The Red Circle”. Also, the most recent story to date.
 

[Chronologist]

The Devil’s Foot

Date: “Tuesday, March the 16th”, “of the year 1897”.

Comments:

With a day, month, and year (and even a day of the week that’s actually the real-life day of the week March 16, 1897 actually fell on!) we have a fully precise date.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Abbey Grange” and before “The Dancing Men”.
 

[Chronologist]

His Last Bow

Date: “the second of August”, “1914”

Comments:

The third person narration tells us right at the start the day and month. “1914” is the numbered combination in the dual combination lock on Von Bork’s safe where the lettered combination is “August” confirming the year this story takes place in, as if there’d be any doubt to anyone with a general knowledge of the history of the early 20th Century.

Current Canon Placement:

After “The Disappearance of the Lady Frances Carfax”. Also, from here on, will always be the last story in the chronology.

Full Chronology after His Last Bow

I.    1882-1887, Holmes and Watson are sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street as bachelors.

1.    A Study in Scarlet. March 4, 1882
2.     The Resident Patient. October, 1882
3.    The Speckled Band. Early April, 1883
4.     The Beryl Coronet. February, 1884
5.     Silver Blaze. 1884
6.    The Yellow Face. Early Spring, 1885
7.    The “Gloria Scott”. Winter, late 1885
8.    The Musgrave Ritual. Winter, early 1886
9.    The Reigate Squire. April 25, 1887
10.     The Noble Bachelor. Autumn, 1887
11.     The Sign of the Four. September, 1887

II.    1888-1891. Watson’s marriage to Mary Morstan

12.      A Scandal in Bohemia. March 20, 1888
13.      A Case of Identity. April 14, 1888
14.      The Boscombe Valley Mystery. June 3, 1888
15.      The Stock-Broker’s Clerk. June, 1888
16.      The Crooked Man. Summer, 1888
17.      The Greek Interpreter. Summer, 1888
18.      The Second Stain. July, 1888
19.      The Naval Treaty. Late July, 1888
20.      The Five Orange Pips. Late September, 1888
21.     The Valley of Fear. January 7 – June, 1889
22.      The Man with the Twisted Lip. June 19, 1889
23.      The Engineer’s Thumb. Summer, 1889
24.      The Hound of the Baskervilles. Late September – late November, 1889
25.     The Dying Detective. November 30, 1889
26.      The Blue Carbuncle. December 27, 1889
27.      The Copper Beeches. Early Spring, 1890
28.      The Cardboard Box. August, 1890
29.      The Red-Headed League. October 9, 1890
30.      The Final Problem. April 24 – May 4, 1891

III.    1894-1902. Holmes and Watson are once again sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street, Holmes as a bachelor, Watson as a widower.

31.     The Empty House. April, 1894
32.     The Norwood Builder. August, 1894
33.     The Golden Pince-Nez. Late November, 1894
34.     Charles Augustus Milverton. December 4-14, 1894
35.     The Six Napoleons. 1895
36.     Wisteria Lodge (except for the last scene). Late March, 1895
37.     The Solitary Cyclist. April 23, 1895
38.     Black Peter. Early July, 1895 (The last scene of Wisteria Lodge takes place after this story at the earliest, late September, 1895)
39.     The Three Students. 1895
40.     The Bruce-Partington Plans. November, 1895
41.     The Missing Three-Quarter. February, 1896
42.     The Abbey Grange. Winter, early 1897
43.     The Devil’s Foot. March 16, 1897
44.     The Dancing Men. Late July – August, 1898
45.     The Priory School. May 16, 1901
46.     The Red Circle. 1901
47.     The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax. 1901

IV.  1902-1914. Watson’s second marriage.

48.     His Last Bow. August 2, 1914