Wednesday, March 5, 2014

SHOW ME THE CARFAX



In "The Disappearance Of Lady Frances Carfax", one of the last "official"* stories about Sherlock Holmes, "Lady Frances is a lone, unwed woman denied a rich inheritance on account of her gender." (from Wikipedia)

* By "official", I mean those stories edited and represented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the literary agent for Dr. John Watson. 

However, in Toobworld, "Lady Frances Carfax is a charming, emancipated suffragette who wishes nothing more than to live her own life on her own terms despite interference from a domineering brother, the Earl of Rufton, and a would-be suitor, Phillip Green." (from TVRage)

The short story, even though it came first, is the fictionalized version of what actually happened in Toobworld. (This is a good example of Conan Doyle's revisions as Watson's editor.)

Part of that inheritance Lady Frances lost would have included Carfax Manor in London, which instead fell into the possession of Sir Clive Dawson.  Count Dracula gained possession of the manor after killing Sir Clive. 

When Bram Stoker wrote his fictionalized account of Dracula, he had the Count living at Carfax Abbey which Stoker located in the Yorkshire  town of Whitby.  But in Toobworld's reality, Carfax Manor was located in London. 

And should have belonged to Lady Frances Carfax.  

BCnU!

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