Episode 320: It Is NOT Always 1895

by Scott Monty October 15, 2025

“the biggest mystification of all” [COPP] 

Bruce Harris, BSI ("Harris") is a longtime Sherlockian whose love of the stories goes back more than half a century. During that time, Bruce has put his considerable talents to work in a number of directions, not least of which is in chronologies.

In fact, his latest work ("Rolling on the River in The Sign of Four") appears in Autumn 2025 issue of The Baker Street Journal and poses an interesting question around the involvement of Athelney Jones. It was thanks to his work on chronologies that got him there.

Bruce has of course contributed to the literature of the subject of dating the Sherlock Holmes stories, but he goes beyond the usual of his first entry, It Is NOT Always 1895 and gets us into an entirely different realm with his second, The Duration Debate. We had to admit that it was the first time we thought about the stories that way.

Once again, we give you a glimpse of Sherlockian society activities, this time in the first half of December in "The Learned Societies" segment. Madeline Quinones is back with "A Chance of Listening," and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with one of Bruce's books for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by October 29, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack). 

Download [Save As] | File size: 84.7 MB, 1:08:55

Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts

Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Sponsors

• MX Publishing has a number of Sherlockian calendars available for purchase, from the page-a-day style to a group of Advent calendars. Check them all out and pick a date to buy one!

We're always entertaining offers from sponsors. You can find more information here. 

Links

• It Is NOT Always 1895
• The Duration Debate 
• The Baker Street Journal
• Episodes mentioned in this show:
• Episode 144: The Chronologies of Sherlock Holmes
• Episode 172: Watson Does Not Lie / Doyle's Rotary Coffin
• Episode 276: On the Road with Erik Deckers
• Episode 309: Holmes in an Hour or Two
• Other links:
• A Chance of Listening: Sherlock Mondays, Sherlock Mondays: The Hound, Sherlock Monthly (2024/2025 season), Sherlock Monthly (2025/2026 season)
• The Learned Societies: Sherlockian Calendar
• Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock.

And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.

Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.