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Berkeley Blake, Sexton Blake's father, is born
Berkeley Blake, Sexton Blake's father, is born into a family of medical practitioners of Irish ancestry (The birthdate is speculation but the other details can be found in DETECTIVE WEEKLY #1). -
Berkeley Blake marries Lady Ann Blakeney
22-year-old Doctor Berkeley Blake, already a skilled surgeon, marries a girl from the fenlands of East Anglia. She is a distant cousin of his, named Lady Ann Blakeney, and is descended from the Blakeney family to which the Scarlet Pimpernel belonged. Berkeley commences his research into the formulation of life extension drugs. (SBL4 #487, BFL #10 plus speculation). -
Berkeley Blake's medical experiments
Dr. Berkeley Blake begins to experiment with what promises to be a lifespan-enhancing formula. However, he faces significant problems concerning its introduction to the human body ... he cannot find a way to apply the formula in a manner which allows its properties to take effect. (Speculation based of SEXTON BLAKE'S SCHOOLDAYS) -
Henry Blake is born
Henry Blake, Sexton Blake's elder brother, is born. -
Birth of Sexton Blake
Berkeley insists that the family should be expanded. His wife accedes to his demands and a second son, Sexton Blake (named by the morbid mother but nicknamed 'Tony' by the father), is born. The day and month of his birth is unknown, though Spring or Autumn are the most likely.
(UJ 1st #125, UJ 1st #138 and speculation). -
Berkeley Blake's instability
Berkeley Blake becomes aware that a criminal gang is interested in obtaining his formula. This, together with the frustration caused by the continuing failure of his medical experiments, brings him close to psychological collapse. (Speculation) -
Henry Blake's 'suicide'
Henry Blake falls in with a gang of criminals led by Louis Eckhardt, who is known as The Baron. When Eckhardt sets him up as a catspaw, Henry fakes his own suicide and disappears from view. Sexton Blake learns of this while in the Pyrenees. (BF #10, TINKER'S BOYHOOD, and speculation) -
Nigel Blake is born
A third Blake son, Nigel, is born. Berkeley Blake makes a number of breakthroughs in his research, concocting a formula which holds great promise if only he can find a way to introduce it to the human system. (BFL #10, DW #1 and speculation). -
Francois Leroux begins his threats
Berkeley Blake has been aware for some time that a criminal gang is interested in his formula. Now he begins to receive threatening letters insisting that, unless he hands his formula over to the gang's leader, Francois Leroux, his family will be in danger. (SEXTON BLAKE'S SCHOOLDAYS and speculation). -
The Blake family flees to France
With the threats from Leroux increasing, Mrs Blake insists that the family should flee to France. Berkeley agrees. Neither of them realise that this, in fact, brings him closer to Leroux. The continuing pressure from Leroux, turns Berkeley Blake's hair white. This year, Sexton Blake is 10 and Nigel is 3. (BH #238 to 284 and speculation). -
The murder of Berkeley Blake and his wife.
Francois Leroux murders Berkeley Blake and his wife in front of the two children, Sexton and Nigel. The family housekeeper, Mrs Balustrode, flees with the two children to England where they are handed over to Berkeley's friend, Dr. Lanchester. (BH #238 to 284). -
Sexton Blake trained by Dr Lanchester
Berkeley's sister Fannie becomes Nigel's guardian. Dr. Lanchester becomes Sexton's legal guardian. Sexton Blake requires nearly three years to recover from extreme shock. His memory has a massive fault-line: he cannot properly recall the terrible events of 1869 and his parents themselves are only barely remembered. Much of his time is spent being trained by Lanchester in the arts of bush-craft, observation and deduction, self-defence and martial arts. -
George William Coutts (II) is born.
George William Coutts (II) is born. From 1916 onwards, as Detective-Inspector Coutts, he would feature in a great many of Sexton Blake's cases. -
Dr Lanchester murdered; Blake goes to St. Anne's
For three years Dr Lanchester has collected evidence against Leroux. Realising that this puts his life in danger, he and the young Sexton Blake relocate to the Millhove district in east England. Leroux follows and murders Dr Lanchester.
Three of Lanchester's friends arrange for Sexton to attend St. Anne's, the public school of Ashleigh. There, he meets Richard Losely and together they defeat the Leroux gang. Blake reads a letter from his dead father which reveals the truth about his mother. -
Birth of George Marsden Plummer
George Marsden Plummer is born in Melbourne, Australia. -
Blake leaves St. Anne's; Oxford University
Sexton Blake leaves the St. Anne's, Public School of Ashleigh, and attends Oxford University. -
Sexton Blake's 'test case'
Scarcely out of his teens and still attending Oxford University, Sexton Blake takes on his first case to test his mettle as a detective. ('How Sexton Blake Won His Spurs'). This occurs during recess. He also works for a short period of time at Farrow's detective Agency. -
Sexton Blake & Co.'s first case
During summer recess, Blake works for a few weeks as a clerk in a lawyer's office. With money left to him by his Aunt Fannie, he forms 'Sexton Blake & Co.' with his friend William Bastable (later known as Bathurst). Their office is in St. Martin's Lane near Trafalgar Square. Bastable leaves after their first case. -
Blake graduates
Aged 20, Blake graduates from university with a medical degree and loaded with honours. He once again sets up business as a consulting detective, working from offices in New Inn Chambers on Wych Street, Strand. He lives nearby in Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, off the Strand. -
The Missing Millionaire
The events of THE MISSING MILLIONAIRE and A CHRISTMAS CRIME (these won't be published for another 13 years). Sexton Blake and French detective Jules Gervais go into business together.
Blake proposes marriage to Myra Finch, who gives him a 'half promise'. The marriage never occurs. -
The events of 'Bravo Blake!'
The case recorded as 'Bravo Blake' occur this year.
Blake is clearly stated to be 27-years-old, which supports the information given in 'Sexton Blake's First Case' and 'How Sexton Blake Won His Spurs'. -
Birth of Edward 'Tinker' Carter
Edward 'Tinker' Carter is thought to have been born this year, though he has never known his exact date of birth. -
George William Coutts, aged 18, joins the Metropolitan Police Force.
George William Coutts, aged 18, joins the Metropolitan Police Force. -
Marriage of George William Coutts.
George William Coutts, aged 19, marries Jane Grant, a 'Shropshire lass', who he met when she was a lady's maid in Meriden Hall, Salop. -
George Marsden Plummer joins the British police force
George Marsden Plummer joins the British police force. -
The Case of Nalda the Nihilist
The Case of Nalda the Nihilist takes Blake to Russia.
Blake has a maid named Sarah Ann. -
First published case
Blake is given the opportunity to have his cases published, albeit in an exaggerated form. He realises that this is a way to confuse his enemies with misinformation.
The first case published is THE MISSING MILLIONAIRE which occured 13 years earlier. -
Debut in UNION JACK
A Sexton Blake case -- Sexton Blake - Detective! -- is featured for the first time in the UNION JACK story paper. -
Blake formulates his philosophy
Blake forms his philosophy: "We do not interfere in disputes between man and wife, nor do we pursue defaulting clerks. But if there is a wrong to be righted, an evil to be redressed, or a rescue of the weak and the suffering from the powerful, our hearty assistance can be readily obtained. We do nothing for hire here; we would cheerfully undertake to perform without fee or reward. But when our clients are wealthy we are not so unjust to ourselves as to make a gratuitous offer of our services." -
Sexton Blake marries!
Sexton Blake marries Muriel Lane, whom he met during the case recorded as THE LAMP OF DEATH. -
Blake employs a valet: Kennedy
Blake has a valet; an ex-constable named Kennedy. This suggests that his finances are improving. -
Valet replaced
Sexton Blake's valet, Kennedy, is replaced by another, named Wallace. -
George William Coutts fathers a son.
Thomas George Coutts is born to George William Coutts and his wife, Jane. Tom would later be killed during the Great War. -
Blake meets We-wee in China
Sexton Blake takes on a case which involves a voyage to China where he saves a 9-year-old child named We-wee from a beating. We-wee returns with him to London. -
Blake is assisted by Nipperty Chris
Blake 'for purposes of his own' is staying in a suburban house. He is assisted by a boy named Nipperty Chris. We-wee is not mentioned but is presumably looking after Blake's business at the office. -
Blake's trained great ape: Griff!
Sexton Blake has rescued a great ape of some sort and trains it to assist him. Griff seems to be a mangani ape (the same species that raised Lord Greystoke). By the end of the year, Griff has been returned to his native habitat. -
Wallace Lorrimer joins Blake
Sexton Blake takes on a secretary and pupil named Wallace Lorrimer. -
Travels in America
Sexton Blake spends a considerable part of this year in America. -
Raffles/Raggles the office boy
Sexton Blake and Wallace Lorrimer employ an office boy variously known as Raffles, Praggles or Raggles. -
We-wee's final appearance
We-wee leaves the employ of Sexton Blake. -
End of marriage!
This appears to have been a year of extreme stress for Sexton Blake (he is on the point of retiring). Although it's not clear what happened, his marriage ends. By the following year, Wallace Lorrimer will have disappeared, Blake will have established his partnership with Tinker and they will have moved to Baker Street.
The detective spends some of this year in India and South America on unrecorded cases. -
Sexton Blake meets Tinker
Years after the apparent suicide of his brother, Henry (Blake does not yet know that this was faked), Sexton Blake catches up with the criminal who drove his elder brother to self-destruction. In his fight with The Baron (real name Louis Eckhardt), Blake is assisted by a 14-year-old waif named Tinker. It is the start of their partnership. (Source: TINKER'S BOYHOOD) -
Tinker, Baker Street!
Tinker joins Sexton Blake on a permanent basis and they relocate to Baker Street. -
Pedro joins the household
Pedro the bloodhound joins the Blake household. -
Sexton Blake in the Congo
Sexton Blake and Tinker travel to the Congo to rescue Sir Richard Losely. -
Mrs Bardell joins the household
Mrs Bardell joins the Blake household. There is evidence that she actually owns the house but did not live in it for the first few month's of the detective's tenancy. -
Henry Blake and a nervous breakdown!
Blake discovers that his eldest brother is still alive ... and a criminal. Aready weakened from the fever he caught in Africa, Blake's battle with Henry -- and Henry's subsequent death -- cause the detective to suffer a nervous breakdown. Leaving Baker Street in Tinker's hands, he rests in Aston Villa, Surbiton, before then moving to Messenger Square. Helped by a writer named Bathurst, he takes on a large number of minor cases. -
Detective-Inspector William Spearing's debut
Detective-Inspector William Spearing makes his debut. -
Sexton Blake in America
Sexton Blake and Tinker spend a considerable part of this year in America. Tinker is taught tracking by native Americans. -
George Marsden Plummer
Sexton Blake has his first encounter with George Marsden Plummer. -
Broken engagement
Blake is briefly engaged to Lady Marjorie Dorn but they break it off after he realises that it poses a danger to her. -
William Spearing retires
William Spearing retires from Scotland Yard and goes into private practice as a consulting detective. -
Constable George William Coutts is promoted to Sergeant
Constable George William Coutts is promoted to Sergeant. He meets Sexton Blake for the first time during an unrecorded case. The Baker Street detective admires the young policeman's determination and spirit. -
Blake on the Titanic
Sexton Blake survives the sinking of the S. S. Titanic.
Embarrassed by Nigel Blake's criminal tendencies, Sexton Blake pays his brother to leave Britain for Africa, where he will begin a new life.
Count Ivor Carlac makes his debut. -
Super-criminals begin to appear
Some of Sexton Blake's greatest enemies make their debut this year, including: Dr Huxton Rymer, Professor Kew and Wu Ling.
The great temptation of Blake's life - Mademoiselle Yvonne Cartier - also arrives on the scene. -
Debut of Mademoiselle Yvonne Cartier
The debut of Mademoiselle Yvonne Cartier -
Super-criminals continue to appear
Ezra Q. Maitland and Broadway Kate make their debuts, as do Aubrey Dexter and the Council of Eleven.
Blake finds an ally in John Lawliss (later Lawless). -
Blake visits his brother in West Africa
Sexton Blake visits his brother, Nigel Blake, in West Africa and finds him in a sad state. -
War Declared while Blake is in Africa
Sexton Blake and Tinker are in Africa on an expedition with Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu when war is declared. They learn of the European conflict via a message which asks them to form an army of natives to hold the Kana Pass against the Germans until British troops arrive. -
George William Coutts's son is killed at Ypres.
Thomas George Coutts, son of George William Coutts, is killed at Ypres, aged 19. -
The Grey Panther (monoplane)
Blake designs and builds his own monoplane and names it The Grey Panther. At a later date, he would put the engine in a Rolls Royce car which he would give the same name. -
Sergeant George William Coutts is promoted to Detective-Inspector.
Sergeant George William Coutts is promoted to Detective-Inspector. -
Detective-Inspector Coutts has his first reported case with Sexton Blake.
Detective-Inspector Coutts has his first reported case with Sexton Blake. -
Detective-Inspector Coutts makes his debut
Detective-Inspector Coutts makes his debut. -
Mr Reece makes his debut
Mr Reece makes his debut. -
Detective-Inspector Coutts fathers his second son.
George William Coutts III is born to Detective-Inspector Coutts (aged 44) and his wife, Jane. -
Sexton Blake on the verge of collapse
Sexton Blake is instructed to take a rest by his doctors who are concerned that he is on the verge of a nervous collapse. -
Blake begins his long battle with the Confederation
Though it's been operating for some time, the existence of the Criminals' Confederation finally comes to light and Sexton Blake begins his long battle with it. -
Blake succumbs
For three years Blake has been advised to rest by his doctors. Now his exhausted state causes a breakdown, made worse by a dose of Spanish Flu. -
Debut of Zenith the Albino
Zenith the Albino makes his debut and bombs Sexton Blake's Baker Street home. -
Blake on the verge of a breakdown
Once again, Sexton Blake has pushed himself too far and is on the verge of a breakdown. -
Nigel Blake returns
Nigel Blake returns to England and begins to commit crimes. His activities are nipped in the bud by his brother, Sexton Blake. -
Nigel Blake fakes his own death
Sexton Blake witnesses the death of his brother Nigel. However, he has been fooled, Nigel's death has been faked. -
George William Coutts III joins the Metropolitan Police Force.
Detective-Inspector Coutts's son, George William Coutts III, joins the Metropolitan Police Force. -
Detective-Inspector Coutts retires, aged 65.
Detective-Inspector Coutts retires, aged 65. -
Nigel Blake moves to India
Still presumed dead by Sexton Blake, his brother Nigel sets up home in India and begins to reform. -
Nigel Blake recruited by Eustace Craille
Nigel Blake is recruited by Eustace Craille's shadowy organisation. -
Death of Nigel Blake
Nigel Blake is killed in India. -
The 'new' Detective-Inspector Coutts!
The son of Detective-Inspector Coutts, George William Coutts III, is promoted to Detective-Inspector aged just 25. From this date forward, Sexton Blake's cases featuring 'Detective-Inspector Coutts' are with the son rather than the father. -
Hoo Sung and the Rolling Sphere
Sexton Blake and Tinker team up with Hoo Sung and fight in the Second World War aboard the Rolling Sphere. -
Arthur Kirby shot down over France
Arthur 'Splash' Kirby (son of Derek 'Splash' Page), while serving as flight crew in the Airforce, is shot down over France. He is captured by pro-German French police and tortured by an officer named Barras before being handed over to the Germans. For the remainder of WW2, he is a prisoner of war. -
Tinker becomes Edward Carter
Tinker begins to use his real name, Edward Carter. -
Founding of The Craille Institute
Eustace Craille secretly founds The Craille Institute. -
Paula Dane and Berkeley Square
Sexton Blake employs Paula Dane and sets up a new office in Berkeley Square. -
Grey Panther destroyed
The Grey Panther is destroyed by a hand grenade. -
The original Detective-Inspector Coutts dies aged 95.
The original Detective-Inspector Coutts -- George William Coutts II -- dies aged 95. -
Sexton Blake retires from the public eye
Sexton Blake closes his practice and retires from the public eye. He and Tinker's subsequent activities are shrouded in mystery. -
Blake returns to Baker Street
Sexton Blake and Tinker return to Baker Street with Mrs Bardell. The detective and his assistant are affiliated with - but independent of - The Craille Institute. -
George William Coutts IV takes over The Craille Institute
George William Coutts IV takes over Directorship of The Craille Institute from his father, Sir George William Coutts III (son of Detective-Inspector Coutts).
