Baker Street Irregulars
Encyclopedia
The Baker Street Irregulars are any of several different groups, all named after the original, from various Sherlock Holmes
stories in which they are a gang of young street children whom Holmes often employs to aid his cases.
s featured in the Sherlock Holmes
stories. They were a group of street urchins
who helped Holmes out from time to time. The head of the group was called Wiggins. Holmes paid them a shilling
a day (plus expenses), with a guinea prize (worth one pound
and one shilling) for a vital clue. They first appeared in Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes story, A Study In Scarlet
(written 1886, published 1887). They also appear in the next novel, The Sign of the Four; one of the chapters from this book is called The Baker Street Irregulars.
(SOE), tasked by Winston Churchill
to "set Europe ablaze" during World War II
, had their headquarters at 64 Baker Street
and were often called "the Baker Street Irregulars" after Sherlock Holmes's fictional group of boys employed "to go everywhere, see everything and overhear everyone," as they spied about London.
enthusiasts founded in 1934 by Doubleday Editor Christopher Morley
. Formal members are known as "investitures" and bear club titles derived from the Holmes stories.
The organization convenes every January in New York City
for an annual dinner, which forms part of a weekend of celebration and study involving other Sherlockian groups and enthusiasts. The present leader (referred to in group jargon as the "Wiggins") is Michael Whelan of Indianapolis, Indiana
. The leader is elected for life and selects his successor.
The BSI, as it calls itself, was once considered the preeminent Sherlockian group in the United States. There are also "scion societies" approved by the BSI in dozens of local communities. (A list of these scions is maintained on Sherlocktron.) While most of the scion societies welcome new members, the BSI does not accept applications for membership. Instead, membership and the awarding of an "Irregular Shilling" are offered to those who have made a name for themselves in local groups or in Sherlockian publications. A list of inductees can be viewed here. The group has published The Baker Street Journal, an "irregular quarterly of Sherlockiana", since 1946.
Because the BSI refused membership to women until 1991, the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, or ASH, was formed in the late 1960s. Its quarterly journal is entitled The Serpentine Muse. Membership in ASH, like that of the BSI, is by invitation only. In recent years, both clubs have tended to induct the same members. As a result, the ASH now functions as an appendage of the larger organization rather than an independent group.
The BSI does not provide any support to its numerous "scion societies". Nevertheless, these societies continue to flourish throughout the U.S. They sponsor various events throughout the year and often feature original works of Sherlockian scholarship.
Some notable BSI members have included:
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories in which they are a gang of young street children whom Holmes often employs to aid his cases.
Original
The original irregulars were a group of fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s featured in the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories. They were a group of street urchins
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
who helped Holmes out from time to time. The head of the group was called Wiggins. Holmes paid them a shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
a day (plus expenses), with a guinea prize (worth one pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
and one shilling) for a vital clue. They first appeared in Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes story, A Study In Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new character of Sherlock Holmes, who later became one of the most famous literary detective characters. He wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the next year...
(written 1886, published 1887). They also appear in the next novel, The Sign of the Four; one of the chapters from this book is called The Baker Street Irregulars.
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations ExecutiveSpecial Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE), tasked by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
to "set Europe ablaze" during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, had their headquarters at 64 Baker Street
64 Baker Street
64 Baker Street, London was the address of the headquarters of the Special Operations Executive. The organisation moved to Baker Street in September 1940.A plaque on the building's face gives details of its former inhabitants.-See also:*221B Baker Street...
and were often called "the Baker Street Irregulars" after Sherlock Holmes's fictional group of boys employed "to go everywhere, see everything and overhear everyone," as they spied about London.
Modern organizations
The Baker Street Irregulars is also the name of an organization of Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
enthusiasts founded in 1934 by Doubleday Editor Christopher Morley
Christopher Morley
Christopher Morley was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.-Biography:Christopher Morley was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania...
. Formal members are known as "investitures" and bear club titles derived from the Holmes stories.
The organization convenes every January in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for an annual dinner, which forms part of a weekend of celebration and study involving other Sherlockian groups and enthusiasts. The present leader (referred to in group jargon as the "Wiggins") is Michael Whelan of Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The leader is elected for life and selects his successor.
The BSI, as it calls itself, was once considered the preeminent Sherlockian group in the United States. There are also "scion societies" approved by the BSI in dozens of local communities. (A list of these scions is maintained on Sherlocktron.) While most of the scion societies welcome new members, the BSI does not accept applications for membership. Instead, membership and the awarding of an "Irregular Shilling" are offered to those who have made a name for themselves in local groups or in Sherlockian publications. A list of inductees can be viewed here. The group has published The Baker Street Journal, an "irregular quarterly of Sherlockiana", since 1946.
Because the BSI refused membership to women until 1991, the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, or ASH, was formed in the late 1960s. Its quarterly journal is entitled The Serpentine Muse. Membership in ASH, like that of the BSI, is by invitation only. In recent years, both clubs have tended to induct the same members. As a result, the ASH now functions as an appendage of the larger organization rather than an independent group.
The BSI does not provide any support to its numerous "scion societies". Nevertheless, these societies continue to flourish throughout the U.S. They sponsor various events throughout the year and often feature original works of Sherlockian scholarship.
Some notable BSI members have included:
- Honorary members include Holmes-enthusiast Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
- Mystery writers and critics
- William S. Baring-GouldWilliam S. Baring-GouldWilliam Stuart Baring-Gould was a noted Sherlock Holmes scholar, best known as the author of the influential 1962 fictional biography, Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A life of the world's first consulting detective.-Biography:...
- Leslie S. KlingerLeslie S. KlingerLeslie S. Klinger is an American attorney and writer. He is a noted literary editor and annotator of classic mystery fiction, including the Sherlock Holmes stories and the novel Dracula....
- Anthony BoucherAnthony BoucherAnthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
- Frederic Dannay
- August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
- John GardnerJohn GardnerJohn Champlin Gardner, Jr. was an American novelist, essayist, literary critic and university professor. He is perhaps most noted for his novel Grendel, a retelling of the Beowulf myth from the monster's point of view....
- Richard Lancelyn GreenRichard Lancelyn GreenRichard Lancelyn Green was a British scholar of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, generally considered the world's foremost scholar of these topics.-Background:...
- Howard Haycraft
- Rex StoutRex StoutRex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
- William S. Baring-Gould
- Science fiction and fantasy writers
- Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
- Fletcher PrattFletcher PrattMurray Fletcher Pratt was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and history, particularly noted for his works on naval history and on the American Civil War.- Life and work :...
- Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
- Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
- Poul Anderson
- Others
- US drug-policy expert David F. MustoDavid F. MustoDavid Franklin Musto was an American expert on U.S. drug policy and the War on Drugs who served as a government adviser on the subject during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter...
, M.D. - Sportswriter Red SmithRed SmithRed Smith may refer to:* Red Smith , 1910s baseball third baseman* Red Smith , Pittsburgh Pirates catcher, 1917–1918* Red Smith , MLB shortstop in the 1925 season...
- Mathematician Banesh HoffmannBanesh HoffmannBanesh Hoffmann was a British mathematician and physicist known for his association with Albert Einstein.-Life:Banesh Hoffmann was born in Richmond, England, on 6 September 1906...
- Actors Douglas WilmerDouglas Wilmer-Early life:Wilmer was born in London and educated at King's School, Canterbury and Stonyhurst College. He trained at RADA but was called up to the Army in World War II. Posted to an antitank battery in the Royal West African Frontier Force, he was invalided out after he acquired tuberculosis. He...
and Curtis ArmstrongCurtis ArmstrongCurtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:... - Illustrator Jean-Pierre Cagnat
- US drug-policy expert David F. Musto
Influence on other popular culture
- The Irregulars appear as the main characters in Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars: The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas, a 2006 novel by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin. Wiggins is again the leader of a gang of street urchins. Other major characters include Ozzie, a scrivenerScrivenerA scrivener was traditionally a person who could read and write. This usually indicated secretarial and administrative duties such as dictation and keeping business, judicial, and history records for kings, nobles, temples, and cities...
's apprentice; Rohan, an Indian boy; Elliot, from an Irish tailor's family; Pilar, a Gypsy girl; and little Alfie. The Irregulars help solve the mysterious deaths of three tightrope walkers at a circus. - Two BBC televisionBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series have been made starring the Irregulars: The Baker Street BoysThe Baker Street BoysThe Baker Street Boys is a British television series made by the BBC and first shown in 1983. The series is based around a gang of street urchins living in Victorian London who assist the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in solving crimes and find themselves tackling cases of their...
(1983) and Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street IrregularsSherlock Holmes and the Baker Street IrregularsSherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars was a 2007 BBC television drama about Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars, a gang of children who would occasionally help him. It was an original story by Kurti & Doyle, Produced by Andy Rowley and shot and post produced in Dublin, Ireland...
(2007). - Comics involving the Irregulars include The Irregulars from Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
(ISBN 978-1-59307-303-9), and Les Quatre de Baker Street (ISBN 9782749304373)
- In June 2010 it was announced that Franklin WattsFranklin Watts-History:Franklin Watts Inc. was formed in 1942. The company was sold to Grolier in 1957. When the namesake founder retired in 1967, he moved to London to start Franklin Watts Ltd. in 1969. Franklin Watts retired again in 1976....
books, a part of Hachette Children's Books are to release a series of four children's graphic novels in spring 2011 called Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars] set during the three years that Sherlock Holmes was believed dead, between The Adventure of the Final ProblemThe Adventure of the Final Problem"The Final Problem" is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his detective character Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in Strand Magazine in December 1893. It appears in book form as part of the collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes...
and The Adventure of the Empty HouseThe Adventure of the Empty House"The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Public pressure forced Conan Doyle to bring the sleuth back to life, and explain his...
by writer Tony LeeTony LeeTony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright and novelist.-Early life:Lee was born in Hayes, Middlesex in England...
and artist Dan Boultwood.
External links
- The Baker Street Journal is "an Irregular quarterly" of Sherlockiana, published by the Baker Street Irregulars.
- Collection Guide to Baker Street Irregulars Papers, MS Am 2717, Houghton Library at Harvard University