Henry Baker
SupportingHe looms with the solid presence of a man who's seen better days, his broad face intelligent yet touched by the bottle's red kiss on nose and cheeks. There's a quiet dignity in his grizzled beard and lime-scented hair, a fallen gentleman clinging to scraps of pride. You wonder what tales hide behind those knowing eyes.
Henry Baker appears solely in 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' from 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,' portraying the quintessential innocent bystander thrust into a criminal intrigue. A middle-aged, down-on-his-luck Londoner, he loses his prized black top-hat, which unwittingly becomes the hiding place for the stolen Blue Carbuncle gem by thief James Ryder. Holmes's investigation draws Baker in briefly through his claim at a lost hat society, but his complete lack of involvement underscores the random entanglement of ordinary folk in Holmes's cases, after which he fades harmlessly into obscurity without further series appearances.
Physical Description
A large middle-aged man with rounded shoulders and massive head, his broad intelligent face slopes to a pointed beard of grizzled brown, cheeks and nose bearing a touch of red. Grizzled hair, recently cut and anointed with lime-cream, peeks from under a Scotch bonnet; he wears a rusty black frock-coat buttoned up, collar turned up over lank wrists. A slight tremor affects his hands, adding to his air of faded respectability.
Evolution
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Henry Baker, the unassuming owner of the lost black top-hat in 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,' unwittingly receives a stolen gem hidden inside by the thief James Ryder. Middle-aged and down on his luck, he frequents the Alpha Inn for a drink, his claim to the hat drawing Holmes's scrutiny. Innocent throughout, Baker fades harmlessly from the case, embodying the everyday Londoner ensnared in crime's web without complicity.
- Loses his black top-hat at the Alpha Inn.
- Claims the hat at the West London branch of the League of Hatters.
- Visits 221B Baker Street after Holmes places an ad to identify the hat's owner.
- Innocently receives the hat containing the hidden Blue Carbuncle gem from Holmes.
- Provides details about his night at the Alpha Inn, clearing him of suspicion and allowing him to depart untroubled.
Key Events
Book Appearances
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
First appears Ch 8