Weekly Forum: February 3, 2015

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

14 Replies to “Weekly Forum: February 3, 2015”

  1. I don’t know if such a list currently exists. If it does–or if it will–I certainly want a copy of it.

  2. “Gwen” is on to something. We’d all like a copy of such a list. Perhaps the JHWS could make one. Let’s take one step at a time. How about if five members of the Society each pick one Canonical residence apiece and discuss the background and connotations of the name. If more than five members volunteer, the more the better. Each should post their research on this blog for the rest of the group to see. The thread could readily be turned into another of those signature joint papers, which the JHWS has pioneered. It would be a fine addition to the October issue of The Watsonian….
    So who are the first five and what are your choices?

  3. Hi All–Looked in Stephen Clarkson’s delightful ‘The Canonical Compendium’ and found a list with 66 names under the title of Addresses/Place Names—Manors and Estates. I’m certainly willing to send a scan of this list to anyone who wishes to have one. This list does not contain any additional/expanded information beyond a story designation.

    1. I have got to get my hands on a copy of that book. I’ll be keeping a close eye on my favorite used & rare bookshop, just in case one turns up for less than the $150 USD listing online!

      I love that there is a property called The Dingle. That just makes me happy.

      1. It is available as a pdf. for $7.99 at Ash-Tree Pres eBooks or Adobe file on CD from the Battered Silicon Dispatch Box. I have neither one.

      2. I purchased mine as a .pdf, and then had it printed for ease of use by Best Value Copy. I emailed the file to them, they printed it double-sided, bound it with a plastic ring, and put heavy stock covers on it for about $15. Totally worth it!

  4. I’m willing to take “The Myrtles” in Beckenham, since Myrtle is a very typical plant of my area.

  5. Following on Dr Katz’s lead, It would be fun to develop a full discussion on these place namess, more than just a listing. I would be willing to take on five subjects, opting for my very favorite, Wisteria Lodge, as well as Pondicherry Lodge, Riding Thorpe Manor, Stoke Moran, and Hurlstone. We should try to aim for the October issue of The Watsonian with a complete article, or it may make a very interesting joint-effort issue of the Monograph Series, something like 12 Members writing on 5 residences each (with one extra).Of course, the most interesting question of all is whether the residences at 221 or 221B Baker Street had an exterior descriptive name in addition to the address? Many of the homes and buildings on the modern day Baker Street retain unique residence names.

  6. The project sounds wonderful. Sadly time contraints at the moment prevent me from volunteering for the work but I am so looking forward to the end results. Bravo!

  7. Looking through the list, I notice Camden House [EMPT] does not appear. Of course, it doesn’t actually have any residents at the time the Good Doctor describes, unless one counts Moran, Holmes, and Watson himself. 😉

    1. Thanks “Selena” . . . It has been added. Any others anyone finds, please let Buttons know.

  8. Will the project include the mention of the efforts of scholars to find the real-life analogs?

    1. It certainly could do so if the individual authors wish to include these references of prior research; otherwise, they may wish to approach it in a different manner and emphasize other aspects of the subject. As always, new information is always hoped for.

  9. David Hammer wrote several books on Sherlockian travels some years back and these may have some information about homes and their names.

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