Many Weary Months - 5

[jessamygriffith]

Appendices:  Archeological Find Report - Bellevue House, Amherstburg, Ontario

Item 2 - 1 brass telescope

Item 3- 1 carved piece of scrimshaw

Item 4 - 1 pair of silk stockings.

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Item 2 - 1 brass telescope

The telescope does not have a maker's mark or engraving, but appears to be a good-quality piece of its type. The action on the sliding pieces is smooth, and overall the telescope is in excellent condition. The optics are fair, with no flaws or blurring.

Materials - Brass, copper, ground glass lenses, leather. Case is leather with brass buckles.

Broad period: Eighteenth to nineteenth century

Subperiod from: Late eighteenth to early nineteenth

Notes: Doctor Watson was renowned for his study of nature, both insects, animals and plants, and published a number of treatises on his observations throughout his life. A glass such as this, sent by Lt. Holmes no doubt to aid him in his studies, is a thoughtful gift and provides us with a glimpse into the great bond of friendship the two had throughout their lives.

Item 3- 1 carved piece of scrimshaw

An engraved whale's tooth with a depiction of a two-masted sloop at full sail in three-quarter view, with pennants flying and a sea bird flying near the bow of the ship. The detail is fine, and the piece is an excellent example of its kind.

Materials - whale's tooth, possibly from a sperm whale. Engraving possibly done with a sail-maker's needle, and engraving brought out with soot blacking.

Broad period: Eighteenth to nineteenth century

Subperiod from: Late eighteenth to early nineteenth

Notes: Scrimshaw was a leisure activity for whalers, who, due to their dangerous trade, did not work at night.

Ostensibly, this piece depicts the sloop HMS Peregrine, which was Captain Holmes' first command. Naval records show that the Peregrine was a square-rigged two masted ship, which matches the carving. Whether such a piece was found by Holmes, or whether it was procured to this design is unknown.

Item 4 - 1 pair of silk stockings.

The stockings are off-white due to their age, and do not appear to have been worn. They are calf-length and would have been worn with breeches, tied with garters above or below the knee. Stockings of this quality and type would have been worn for dress occasions requiring one's best uniform, or for evening wear.

Materials - The stockings are of knitted silk thread in a fine gauge. There is no pattern to the weave or any clocks (decorative diamond patterns) at the ankle.

Broad period: Eighteenth to nineteenth century

Subperiod from: Late eighteenth to early nineteenth

Notes: Though sharing clothing between friends was not unknown, this gift suggests a great deal of intimacy between Lt. Holmes and Doctor Watson and is indicative of their deep friendship and attachment.

Painting by Miss M. Reynolds - View of Fort Amherstburg, from the Public Library of Windsor, Ontario.

Painting by Miss C. Reynolds - Bellevue, from the Detroit Institute of Arts

Bellevue is where the package for Doctor Watson was found during renovations. The reasons why it was never sent and why it was hidden here are unknown.

HMS Detroit and HMS Queen Charlotte at the King's Navy Yard, Amhertsburg.

View of Amherstburg, circa 1821, A watercolour version by Woolford of this view "Amherstburg, looking down the river". Toronto Public Library

End of report.

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Authors notes: And thus one fan care package was happily made, sent and received with all joy. I rather enjoyed the time spent in my family's backyard in Malden, sitting outside watching butterflies, resting my feet on an adoring dog's belly and scratching away with pen and ink on my slope writing desk. Thank you for reading and/or being educated about the early 19th century, the Navy and the War of 1812! I've always enjoyed all of those things and as my hometown was celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812, it collided with my love of Sherlock and spawned this.

 

And thank you for your patience if you made it this far!

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices

Comments

[alina-kotik.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for this lovely, lovingly detailed story, with a great taste for period detail.
Sherlock's description of the concert and the way he expressed his feelings through music was delicious.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's one of my middle child fics, historical AUs not being too much to people's taste, I think. Plus, epistolary, plus - no actual sex. Wouldn't work. I actually wrote the letter as is, without any pre-drafts, and had to clean a couple of historical details up later because I mis-remembered them, and made up the frame-work, the archeological report, afterwards.

I enjoy the Age of Sail books like Patrick O'Brian's and some characteristics of the two heroes of those books transferred well to both John and Sherlock. Plus, I can't see what Sherlock would do in the 19th century, aside from look interestingly Byronic and haughty. Dance balls would bore him. He'd be on the laudanum in no time flat, and get into duels for fun, and risk his neck racing curricles, and end up joining Lord Amherst's mission to China for fun, I suppose, and to get away. The Navy, for all its regulations seemed like a nice place to put him. Lots of action, the chance to command when you are of sufficient rank, tactics and strategy.

Shoot, there should be more Navy Sherlock! (Some day.)

I am pleased you enjoyed it, it was a work of friend-love. Oh, and she (as St-John) has written back! It's like old-school roleplay, a bit silly, because gosh, people wrote real letters all the time back when. They just didn't do it often as fictional characters, and on the inconvenient paper with ink (verisimilitude pleases me.) I hope she posts it at some point. I could definitely see us doing more vignettes from this period.