1880
July. The setting of "The Adventure of the Stalwart Companions" by H. Paul Jeffers in which Holmes andTheodore Roosevelt are involved in a US murder. This case has some possibilities but I regard it as highly apocryphal.
1881
January. Holmes and Watson meet. In the first few weeks at 221b Baker Street Watson observes various visitors, whose cases are not discussed. These include "a young girl, fashionably dressed", a "Jewish peddler", "a slipshod elderly woman", "an old white-haired gentleman" and "a railway porter". There were also several visits by the police, especially by Lestrade, and Holmes later refers to helping him with "a forgery case".
March. "A Study in Scarlet".
October. "The Resident Patient".
1882
February. "The Beryl Coronet". Despite the argument by some commentators that no snow fell in London in February that year, this is clearly an early case because Watson is still a little surprised that Holmes urged him to accompany him. This month is almost certainly the setting for "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall" by L.B. Greenwood. Winter. "The Devil's Tunnel" by John Taylor.
1883
March. "Sherlock Holmes and the Somerset Hunt" by Rosemary Michaud.
April. "The Speckled Band".
Summer. Uncertain date but likely time for "The Wandering Corpse" by John Taylor.
1884
The Missing Year. It is possible that this was the year of the cases. known as "The Delicate Case of the King of Scandinavia" and "The Service of Lord Backwater".
1885
January. "The Case of the Incumbent Invalid" based on "the dreadful business of the Abernetty family". April/May. "The Copper Beeches". Although set by many commentators in April 1890, this is clearly an earlier case into which Watson slipped references to later cases for the purposes of his introductory argument.
1886
April. "The Yellow Face". This is the earliest case to make reference to Holmes's cocaine habit, though Watson had clearly known about it for some while. This year probably saw other cases alluded to by Watson including "The Woman at Margate", "The Darlington Substitution Scandal", "The Arnsworth Castle Business" [written up as "The Adventure of the Red Widow" by Adrian Conan Doyle], "Vittoria, the Circus Belle" and "The Adventure of the Suspect Servant."
1887
In "The Five Orange Pips" Watson refers to a long series of cases in • 1887 including "The Paradol Chamber" [written up as "The Case of the Paradol Chamber" by Alan Wilson who linked it with Vigor the Hammersmith Wonder; and also by June Thomson who set it in November 1887 just after Watson's marriage]; "The Adventure of the Amateur Mendicant Society" [also written up as "The Case of the Amateur Mendicants" by June Thomson set in June 1887 and under the same title by Ken Greenwald, set in November 1887]; "the loss of the British bark Sophy Anderson", "the singular adventures of the Grice Paterson in the island of Uffa" (included here as "The Adventure of the Silver Buckle") and "the Camberwell poisoning case" [recorded as "The Adventure of the Gold Hunter" by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr, and as "The Case of the Camberwell Poisoning" by June Thomson where it is set in Spring 1887 but confusingly after Watson's marriage, and as "The Case of the Camberwell Poisoners" by Ken Greenwald set in October 1887]. Also during this year was the "death of Mrs Stewart of Lauder" in which Holmes suspected Colonel Moran to be involved. In "The Norwood Builder" Holmes reminds Watson of the case of "the terrible murderer, Bert Stevens" who wanted Holmes to get him off. 1887 was probably also the year of the "Tankerville Club scandal" where Major Prendergast was accused of cheating at cards; it may also have been the year of "The Bishopgate Jewel Case" which Holmes later used as an example in his lectures; and quite likely the year when Holmes and Watson captured "Archie Stamford, the forger" an episode referred to in "The Solitary Cyclist". January. "Charles Augustus Milverton". Although included in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, this story has all the feel of a pre-Hiatus story. Watson needs introducing as a "friend", meaning his work was not well known at that time, but he was sufficiently close to Holmes to be referred to as a "partner" and for Holmes to state that "we have shared this same room for some years". Watson introduces the story by saying "it is years since the incidents ... took place."
Spring. "The Netherland-Sumatra Company" and "The Colossal Schemes of Baron Maupertuis", cases which led to Holmes's ill-health [written up as "The Case of the Maupertuis Scandal" by June Thomson]. It may be to this period that "The Horror of Hanging Wood" by John Taylor belongs and one of the best known cases, "The Giant Rat of Sumatra", for which the world is not yet prepared [written up as "The Case of the Sumatran Rat" by June Thomson who sets it after 1888 as Mycroft is referred to; and as "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" by Richard L. Boyer who sets it in September 1894].
April. "The Reigate Squires".
August. "The Secret of Shoreswood Hall" by Denis O. Smith.
September. "The Adventure of the Silver Buckle". October. "Silver Blaze". Although usually ascribed to October 1888I prefer the earlier dating and must assume the reference to already published cases is wrong.
1888
By this time (as noted in "The Speckled Band") Watson had made notes of over seventy of Holmes's cases since they met in 1881. (It is possible the reference to "the last eight years" dates from the date "The Speckled Band" was written for publication, which was late 1891, so the seventy cases may relate to mid 1884—mid 1891.)
January. "The Valley of Fear".
February. "The Case of the Sporting Squire" (also known as "Morgan the Poisoner").
Spring. Likely date for "The Adventure of the Unique Hamlet" by Vincent Starrett.
Summer (July/August). The unrecorded "Manor House Case" followed by "The Greek Interpreter", the first reported case in which Watson meets Holmes's brother Mycroft.
August. "The Cardboard Box". The case also refers to "the bogus laundry affair" which Holmes had also worked on with Lestrade and which probably happened not long before.
September. "The Sign of Four" in which Watson meets Mary Morstan whom he marries a few months
later, and settles down again to local practice as a GP; "The Little Problem of the Grosvenor Square Furniture Van"; and "The Noble Bachelor".
Autumn. Throughout the months of August—November, Holmes was probably consulted on the Jack the Ripper case but this was one series of murders that Watson did not write up and probably explains some of the confusion in dates around this period. Michael Dibdin did explore the case in "The Last Sherlock Holmes Story", which includes Moriarty, but is entirely apocryphal.
October. "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Despite attempts to redate this to 1899 or 1900, Watson is clearly recounting an earlier tale. Although he dates it after his marriage it would seem to have happened prior to his marriage, and 1888 is the likeliest date to at least keep within a rough five-year time span from 1884 — the date on Mortimer's stick. It may also seem strange that Watson is happy to drop everything and visit Dartmoor when in the stages of arranging his marriage and without any reference to his fiancée, but as we find elsewhere Mary Morstan was a very flexible and obliging wife who didn't seem to worry about these things, and for the purpose of the story Watson decided to leave out reference to all of this. At the time of Baskerville's death Holmes was involved in the case of "the Vatican cameos." At the start of the Baskerville case Holmes states he is involved in a "blackmail case" which could besmirch "one of the most revered names in England" [written up as "The Adventure of the Two Women" by Adrian Conan Doyle but set in September 1886].
November. "Colonel Upwood and the card scandal of the Nonpareil Club" [written up as "The Adventure of the Abbas Ruby" by Adrian Conan Doyle though set in November 1886] and "Mme Montpensier and Mlle Carère" [written up as "The Adventure of the Black Baronet" by Adrian Conan Doyle but set in October 1889].
1888/89
After Watson's marriage and before he is next involved in a case ("A Scandal in Bohemia") Holmes is involved in several cases i
ncluding "the Trepoff Murder" in Odessa [this is dated to November 1887 in "The Adventure of the Seven Clocks" by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr], "the singular tragedy of the Atkinson Brothers at Trincomalee" (presented here as "The Vanishing of the Atkinsons") and the "delicate mission with the Dutch royal family."
1889
March. "A Scandal in Bohemia". Despite the internal dating of March 1888 this is clearly set after Watson's marriage. This is the case which deals with Irene Adler.
May/June. "A Case of Identity". At this time Holmes reports he has some ten or twelve minor cases in hand. He had also just helped clear up "The Dundas Separation Case". The case refers back to Holmes tracing the "husband of Mrs Etherege" which probably happened a year or two earlier.
June. "The Adventure of the Fallen Star", "The Stockbroker's Clerk", "The Man with the Twisted Lip" and probably "The Engineer's Thumb". Either now or earlier was also the case of "Colonel Warburton's Madness" mentioned in "The Engineer's Thumb" [written up as "The Adventure of the Sealed Room" by Adrian Conan Doyle and dated April 1888 though erroneously set after Watson's marriage; and as "The Case of the Colonel's Madness" by June Thomson set in July 1890]. Ken Greenwald sets "The Case of the Baconian Cipher" in the same month.
July. "The Adventure of the Second Stain" [written up as "The Adventure of the Green Empress" by F.P. Cillié and set in July 1888]; "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" and "The Adventure of the Tired Captain" [written up under that title by Alan Wilson]. August. "The Crooked Man."
September. "The Five Orange Pips". Despite
internal inference that this story is set in 1887 it is clearly after Watson's marriage, and after "The Sign of Four". At this time Holmes commented that he had been beaten four times, thrice by men and once by a woman.
November. "The Case of the Exalted Client" by June Thomson, and "The Adventure of the Megatherium Thefts" by S.C. Roberts.
December. "The Blue Carbuncle."
1890
Spring. "The Strange Case of the Tongue-Tied Tenor" by Carol Buggé.
June. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery".
June/July. "The Adventure of the Purple Hand" by Denis Ó. Smith.
Autumn. "Sherlock Holmes and the Thistle of Scotland" by L.B. Greenwood.
September. Possible date for "The Adventure of the First-Class Carriage" by Ronald Knox.
October. "The Red-Headed League".
November. "The Dying Detective". The same date is chosen for "The Problem of the Purple Maculas" by James C. Iraldi.
1891
April/May. "The Final Problem" leading to Holmes and Moriarty plunging over the Reichenbach Falls on 4 May.
1891/4
The Great Hiatus during which period Holmes travelled extensively, mostly in disguise. He states he spent two years in Tibet (under the alias of the Norwegian Sigerson — written up as "Murder Beyond the Mountains" by Ken Greenwald), then travelled to Persia, Mecca, Khartoum, returning to France where he undertook scientific experiments. This period is also covered by Nicholas Meyer in "The Canary Trainer" (a title suggestive of the 1895 case but not the same) which brings Holmes and the Phantom of the Opera together.
1894
February. "The Empty House" (not April as recorded in the story). The story refers to Watson's own "sad bereavement" following the recent death of his wife. March. "The Second Stain." A different case to others with this title. Despite reference to Autumn this episode clearly happened earlier in the year. The episode must have been early enough in the month to allow for a further case, involving the arrest of Colonel Carruthers (about which we otherwise know nothing) and for Holmes to get bored for lack of cases before the onset of "Wisteria Lodge". The story's reference to 1892 is clearly wrong. This must be the same case as "The Papers of ex-President Murillo" referred to in "The Norwood Builder."
Summer. "the shocking affair of the Dutch steamship Friesland, which so nearly cost us both our lives" [written up as "The Case of the Friesland Outrage" by June Thomson set in November 1894].
August. "The Norwood Builder".
September. "The Adventure of the Dorset Street Lodger."
October. "The Mystery of the Addleton Curse" (based on "the Addleton tragedy and the singular contents of the ancient British barrow" [also written up as "The Adventure of Foulkes Rath" by Adrian Conan Doyle set in 1894; and as "The Case of the Addleton Tragedy" by June Thomson set in November 1894]; "The Adventure of the Parisian Gentleman" (based on the case of "Huret, the Boulevard assassin") and "The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor."
November. "The Adventure of the Touch of God" (based on the case of "the terrible death of Crosby the Banker"); "The Golden Pince-Nez" and "The Sunreys of Canterbury" by Miles Elward.
From 1894-1901 Watson records that Holmes was "very busy", with hundreds of private cases plus frequently being consulted on many major public cases. In "The Golden Pince-Nez" he refers to three volumes of his notes about the cases, which include "the repulsive story of the red leech", and "the Smith-Mortimer succession case" [written up as "The Case of the Smith-Mortimer Succession" by June Thomson set in September 1894].
1895
Watson highlights 1895 as a year when Holmes was on top form. Cases included "the sudden death of Cardinal Tosca" to "Wilson, the notorious canary-trainer" [written up as "The Adventure of the Deptford Horror" by Adrian Conan Doyle and set in June 1895; as "The Case of the Notorious Canary-Trainer" by June Thomson set in January 1895; and as "The Adventure of the Notorious Canary Trainer" by Ken Greenwald though this is set in Summer 1908] both of which happened in the first half of the year.
March. "The Adventure of the Persecuted Painter"; "The Three Students".
April. "The Solitary Cyclist". Watson undertook the initial investigation of this case because Holmes was busy with the case of the "persecution of John Vincent Harden the tobacco millionaire" [a case later written up as "Sherlock Holmes and the Devil's Grail" by Barrie Roberts; and as "The Case of the Millionaire's Persecution" by June Thomson]. This month is also cited for "The Adventure of the Marked Man" by Stuart Palmer and "Sherlock Holmes and the Mysterious Friend of Oscar Wilde" by Russell A. Brown.
May. "Prisoner of the Devil" by Michael Hardwick. July. "The Adventure of Black Peter". About this same time occurred "The Ball of Twine" by Miles Elward.
September. "The Case of the Harley Street Specialist" (written up by June Thomson: it recounts Holmes's dramatic introduction to Dr Moore Agar referred to in "The Devil's Foot").The same month is the timing for "The Case of the Featherstone Policeman" by Tony Lumb (despite the erroneous internal dating of 1893) and "The Hentzau Affair" by David Stuart Davies. October. "The Case of the Man Who Was Wanted" [aka "The Adventure of the Sheffield Banker"] by Arthur Whitaker, a story once believed to be by Doyle but clearly apocryphal. It contains many inconsistencies including a reference to Watson's wife still being alive. If that is true this story may fit better into October 1889.
November. "The Bruce-Partington Plans". This case also refers to Brooks and Woodhouse, two of some fifty criminals who would wish to see Holmes dead. December. "The Adventure of the Grace Chalice" based on the case of Henry Staunton.
1896
Spring. At some early part of this year Holmes helped Mr Fairdale Hobbs, a small matter later referred to in "The Red Circle".
Summer. "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax". At the time of this case Holmes was involved with the problem of "old Abrahams in mortal fear of his life" an episode later written up as "The Case of the Shopkeeper's Terror" by June Thomson.
October. "The Veiled Lodger".This case also refers to the case of "the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant" which could have happened at any time up to Holmes's retirement W.R. Duncan Macmillan wrote this up as "Holmes in Scotland" and dated it August 1899 or 1900; June Thomson wrote it up as "The Case of the Abandoned Lighthouse" and set it in July 1903]. "The Adventure of the Suffering Ruler".
November. "The Sussex Vampire." Ken Greenwald set "The
Adventure of the Headless Monk" in the same month. This month would also encompass the little episode of "The Field Bazaar" and the second case of "The Repulsive story of the Red
Leech".
Winter. "The Case of the Demon Barber" by Ken Greenwald.
1897
January. "The Abbey Grange".
February. "The Red Circle" and "The Adventure of the Faithful Retainer."
March. "The Devil's Foot" which follows from Holmes's health suffering due to pressure of work. July. "The Dancing Men".
December. "The Missing Three-Quarter". This is also the likely date for "The Silent Night Before Christmas" by Gene DeWeese, set at Christmas.
1898
April. "A Trifling Affair" by H.R.F Keating.
May. "The Egyptian Hall Adventure" [aka "The Randolph Case"] by Val Andrews.
July/August. "The Retired Colourman". This case ran into the case of "the two Coptic Patriarchs".
1899
December. "The Adventure of the Iron Box" by Ken Greenwald.
1900
February. "The Case of the Suicidal Lawyer" based on "The Abergavenny Murders" which is noted as coming up for trial at the start of "The Priory School".
May. "The Six Napoleons", followed immediately by "The Conk-Singleton Forgery Case".
September. "The Out-of-Date Murder" by Ken Greenwald.
The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures Page 64