Mrs Sherlock of Holm..... Leigh, Southsea

I was recently digging around the for the first newspaper references to Sherlock Holmes, and inadvertently came across quite an intriguing advertisement.

On Tuesday 3rd March 1885 and Wednesday 4th March 1885 the Portsmouth Evening News 'Lost' section contained a notice. 

LOST.
Lost, on Saturday morning, in or near Queen-street, a Gold Chain, with key attached to it. If found by a poor person 10s. reward - Address Mrs. Sherlock, Holm Leigh, Shaftesbury-road, Southsea. 

I wonder if this name inspired Doyle as he cast his eye across the paper that morning? Perhaps subconsciously infiltrated his mind? The version I initially accessed had the blue box as the search term, but once it was revealed, it showed it was 'Mrs. Sherlock' of 'Holm Leigh' (the name of the home) rather than 'Mrs. Sherlock Holm' or 'Mrs. Sherlock Holm Leigh'.

Who was Mrs. Sherlock, living in Southsea in 1885 when Doyle started formulating his first mystery story - A Study in Scarlet?  There is a little to learn - just a little - from an initial look at other newspapers. A local paper, the Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette, published a list of visitors to Southsea. The opening to the column lists a number of places in Southsea where visitors could register their names in books provided by the newspaper. 

There, we see "Mrs. and Master Sherlock" living at "Holme-Leigh" on Shaftesbury Road:

Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette 
Saturday 3rd January, 1885

The lists were published regularly and 'Mrs and Master Sherlock' (without Mr. Sherlock) can be found on the following dates as examples:

- *21 November 1884 (Mrs and Master)

*Indicates new arrival

- 28 November 1884 (Mrs and Master)

- 10 December 1884 (Mrs Sherlock and child)

- 27 December 1884 (Mrs Sherlock and child)

- 7 January 1885 (Mr & Mrs Sherlock and child)

- 28 January 1885 (Mrs Sherlock)

- 30 January 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 4 February 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 14 February 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 18 February 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 28 February 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 4 March 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 7 March 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 21 March 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 10 April 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 29 May 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 12 June 1885 (Mrs and Master)

- 17 June 1885 (Mr, Mrs, & Master Sherlock)

- 26 June 1885 (Mrs & Master Sherlock)

- 24 July 1885 (Mrs & Master Sherlock)

- 4 September 1885 (Mr, Mrs, & Master Sherlock)

- 16 October 1885 (Mr, Mrs, & Master Sherlock)

- 30 October 1885 (Mr, Mrs, & Master Sherlock)

Unfortunately the notices do not give a hint as to where they arrived from, or the occupation of Mr. Sherlock. During this time, a 'Mr. T. Sherlock' was present at a number of social events in Southsea, as part of his activities with a yacht club.

By December 1885, the Sherlocks were not living at Holme-Leigh, but at that time a 'Mr and Mrs T. Sherlock' appeared on the Visitors List, now staying at Elphinstone Villa on Elphinstone Road for a large part of 1886, before appearing to leave the area.