CHRONOLOGY

1833		Birth of James Sherwood.
1856		Birth of the Countess of Beaumont.
		Birth of Corinne Marcion.
1870		Birth of Grace Twinker.
		Sherwoods Cough Pastilles boom.
1871		Corinne Marcion enters service in Paris.
1875		Rue Simon-Crubellier parcelled out for building.
1876		Birth of Fernand de Beaumont.
1885		Lubin Auzère completes the construction of the apartment house at No. 11.
1887		IIIrd Congress of the International Union of Historical Sciences.
1891		Theft of the “Vase of the Passion” from the Museum of Antiquities at Utrecht.
1892		Birth of Marie-Thérèse Moreau.
1896		James Sherwood buys the “Vase of the Passion”.
1898		Arrest of a ring of counterfeiters in Argentina.
1900		Corinne and Honoré Marcion meet at the Universal Exhibition.
		Death of James Sherwood.
		Birth of Véra Orlova.
		Birth of Cinoc.
		Birth of Percival Bartlebooth.
1902		Birth of Léon Marcia.
1903		Caruso makes his debut at the Metropolitan.
1904		June 16: Bloom’s Day.
		Birth of Albert Massy.
1909		Birth of Marcel Appenzzell.
1910		Birth of Gaspard Winckler.
1911		Birth of Marguerite.
		21 January: arrest of Panarchist leaders.
1914		26 September: Death of Olivier Gratiolet at Perthes-les-Hurlus.
1916		Birth of Henri Nochère.
1917		Birth of Clara Lichtenfeld.
		Death of Juste Gratiolet.
		19 May: Augustus B. Clifford and Bernard Lehameau lose their right arms when their HQ is shelled.
1918		Summary execution of all the males of the Orlov family; Véra
		Orlova and her mother flee to Crimea and then to Vienna.
1919		Under various names, Rémi Rorschach attempts to make a career in music hall.
		Monsieur Hardy opens a restaurant in Paris and takes on Henri Fresnel as chef.
		October: Serge Valène moves into Rue Simon-Crubellier.
1920		Birth of Olivier Gratiolet.
		Birth of Cyrille Altamont.
		Work starts on the Upper Boubandjida mines.
1922		Gaspard Winckler begins his apprenticeship with Monsieur Gouttman.
1923		8 May: Ferdinand Gratiolet reaches Garoua.
		Léon Marcia falls ill.
1924		Henri Fresnel marries Alice.
		Albert Massy rides in the Giro d’Italia, then in the Tour de France. July: Adrien Jérôme sits the agrégation examination in history; in October, he is appointed to the Lycée Pasteur at Neuilly and moves into Rue Simon-Crubellier.
1925		Birth of Paul Hébert.
		Lift installed.
		Bartlebooth begins taking watercolour lessons.
		15 October: Massy beats the world record for the one-hour motor-paced time trial, but his performance is not officially recognised; on 14 November, his second attempt fails.
		24 December: fire in the Danglarses’ flat.
1926		3 January: sudden disappearance of the Danglars. One week later, they are arrested at the Swiss border.
		Ferdinand Gratiolet returns from Africa and founds an exotic-hides business.
		Jean Richepin lectures at the Pfisterhof.
		26 November: Fernand de Beaumont marries Véra Orlova.
1927		The Pfisterhof patients subscribe to a scholarship to allow Léon Marcia to pursue his studies.
1928		Rémi Rorschach begins his African adventure.
1929		Death of Gouttman.
		Birth of Blanche Gardel.
		Birth of Elizabeth de Beaumont; Véra Orlova tours North America.
		Cat Spade wins the Combined Forces’ boxing tournament.
		Bartlebooth buys a flat at 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		March: Gaspard Winckler arrives in Paris; in October, he enlists and leaves for Morocco.
		October: Henri Fresnel abandons his restaurant.
1930		Fernand de Beaumont begins excavating at Oviedo.
		Léon Marcia begins to publish.
		January: birth of Ghislain Fresnel.
		Birth of Madame Nochère.
		Birth of Olivia Norvell.
		November: Gaspard Winckler, discharged from military service, meets Marguerite at Marseilles.
1931		April: fire at Ferdinand Gratiolet’s exotic-hides warehouse.
		May: Marc Gratiolet passes the agrégation in philosophy.
1932		Marcel Appenzzell leaves for Sumatra.
		Rémi Rorschach’s novel, African Gold, is published.
		Death of Ferdinand Gratiolet in Argentina.
		Gaspard and Marguerite Winckler move into 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		Henri Fresnel’s troupe breaks up.
1934		Mme Hourcade makes 500 black boxes for Bartlebooth’s future jigsaw puzzles.
		Birth of Joseph Nieto.
		March: Death of Emile Gratiolet.
		3 September: Death of Gérard Gratiolet.
1935		Death of Madame Hébert.
		January: Bartlebooth paints his first watercolour at Gijón.
		August: end of excavations at Oviedo.
		11 September: murder of Antoine Brodin in Florida; in the following weeks, Hélène Brodin tracks down and executes his three murderers.
		12 November: suicide of Fernand de Beaumont; he is buried on 16 Nov. at Lédignan, in the presence of Bartlebooth, who returns specially from Corsica.
1936		Bartlebooth in Europe; in March, Scotland (Isle of Skye).
		Birth of Michel Claveau.
		Birth of Célia Crespi’s son.
1937		Bartlebooth in Europe; in July, on board his yacht The Halcyon, he follows the Yugoslav coast from Trieste to Dubrovnik, with Serge
		Valène, Marguerite and Gaspard Winckler as his guests; in December, he is at Cap São Vicente (Portugal).
		April: Henri Fresnel sets off for Brazil.
		Lino Margay marries Josette Massy.
1938		Bartlebooth in Africa; in February, Hammamet; in June, Alexandria.
		15 March: Anschluss.
		Death of Henri Gratiolet.
		Marcel Appenzzell arrives in Paris.
1939		January: Smautf buys a tricephalous crucifix in the Agadir souk.
		March: Marcel Appenzzell returns to Sumatra.
		April: Josette Margay returns to live with her brother; Lino Margay meets Ferri the Eyetie en route to South America.
		August: Bartlebooth reaches Kenya; on the 10th, Smautf dines at Mr Macklin’s.
1940		Bartlebooth in Africa.
		François-Pierre LaJoie struck off the medical register.
		April: Henri Fresnel reaches New York, where he is taken on as cook by Grace Twinker.
		20 May: Olivier Gratiolet taken prisoner.
		6 June: Death of Marie-Thérèse Moreau’s husband.
1941		Bartlebooth in Africa.
		7 December: Pearl Harbor attacked.
1942		Bartlebooth in Africa.
		Operation “Cyclops” in Normandy.
		Battle of the Coral Sea.
		Death of Anne Voltimand, Gaspard Winckler’s sister.
		18 April: Marc Gratiolet appointed to the staff of Fernand de
		Brinon; in May, takes steps to have Olivier released.
		June: Lino Margay leaves prison.
1943		Bartlebooth in South America.
		Death of Louis Gratiolet.
		23 June: assassination of Ordnance General Pferdleichter.
		14 July: imaginary birth of the five Trévins sisters.
		7 October: arrest of Paul Hébert.
		November: death of Marguerite Winckler.
1944		Bartlebooth in South America.
		May: death of Grégoire Voltimand on the Garigliano.
		June: Mme Appenzzell killed near Vassieux-en-Vercors.
		June: Marc Gratiolet murdered in Lyons.
		July: Albert Massy returns from Compulsory Labour Service.
		August: Liberation of Paris; death of Célia Crespi’s son.
		September: Troyan returns to Paris.
1945		Bartlebooth in Central America.
		Elizabeth de Beaumont runs away from her mother.
		Birth of Elzbieta Orlowska.
		Paul Hébert liberated.
		Anti-French riots in Damascus; death of René Albin.
		The chemist Wehsal turned around by the US as part of Operation Paperclip.
		Lino Margay, transfigured, comes back for Josette.
		Léon and Clara Marcia move into Rue Simon-Crubellier; Clara buys Massy’s saddlery and turns it into a curio shop.
1946		Bartlebooth in North America.
		Birth of David Marcia.
		Birth of Caroline Echard.
		Flora Albin repatriated.
		26 January: Olivia Norvell marries Jeremy Bishop; on 7 February, she leaves him, and Australia, for the US.
1947		Death of Hélène Brodin.
		Cinoc moves into Rue Simon-Crubellier.
1948		Bartlebooth in North America; November, Santa Catalina Island (California).
		Fire at the Rueil Palace cinema: François and Marthe Gratiolet amongst those killed.
		Ingeborg Skrifter and Blunt Stanley meet.
1949		Bartlebooth in Asia.
		Birth of Ethel Rogers.
		November: death of the Honorés.
		November: Count Della Marsa commissions the Ballets Frère; in December, Blanche Gardel goes to London to have an abortion; suicide of Maximilien Riccetti.
1950		Bartlebooth in Asia.
		Birth of Valentin Collot, called Young Riri.
		Olivia Norvell makes her last two feature films.
		July: Blunt Stanley leaves for Korea; a few weeks later, he deserts.
1951		Bartlebooth in Asia; October, Okinawa.
		Death of Grace Twinker.
		April: marriage of Cyrille Altamont and Blanche Gardel; in May, they move into 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier; almost simultaneously, Cyrille Altamont joins BIDREM and leaves for Geneva.
1952		Bartlebooth in Oceania; February, Solomon Islands; October, Tasmania.
		Ingeborg, Blunt, and Carlos arrive in Paris.
		Paul Hébert returns to Rue Simon-Crubellier after treatment in a sanatorium and meets Laetizia Grifalconi.
1953		Bartlebooth in the Indian Ocean; in the Seychelles, Smautf swaps his crucifix for a statue of the tricephalous Mother-Goddess.
		11 June: accidental (or intentional) death of Erik Ericsson; flight of Elizabeth de Beaumont; suicide of Ewa Ericsson; on 13 June, Sven Ericsson finds the two corpses; at the same period, François Breidel leaves Arlon.
1954		Bartlebooth and Smautf cross Turkey, the Black Sea, the USSR up as far as the Arctic Circle, then follow the Norwegian coast; on 21 December, Bartlebooth paints his last seascape at Brouwershaven; on the 24th, he is back in Paris.
		Sven Ericsson identifies Elizabeth de Beaumont.
		April: Ingeborg Stanley and Aurelio Lopez murdered.
1955		Bartlebooth begins to assemble the puzzles made by Gaspard Winckler.
		Death of Michel Claveau.
		Kléber enters service with Bartlebooth.
		Elizabeth de Beaumont hides in the Cévennes.
		Hervé Nochère dies in Algeria.
		October: Paul Hébert transferred to Mazamet.
1956		The Claveaus leave the concierge’s office, which is taken over by Mme Nochère.
		Lise and Charles Berger meet at a recital by Gilbert Bécaud.
		Olivier Gratiolet is recalled to Algeria and is blown up by a land mine.
		July: publication of Pirandello’s “In the Abyss” in No. 40 of Les Lettres nouvelles.
		July: Elzbieta Orlowska meets Boubaker at a summer camp at Parçay-les-Pins.
1957		February: Countess of Beaumont dies at the age of 101.
		June: Elizabeth de Beaumont meets François Breidel; they marry in August, at Valence.
1958		Olivia Norvell and Rémi Rorschach meet at Davos.
		Bernard Dinteville begins his research.
		27 July: birth of Anne Breidel; 8 August: first letter from Elizabeth Breidel to Sven Ericsson.
1959		7 September: birth of Béatrice Breidel; second letter from Elizabeth to Sven Ericsson; 14 September, murder of Elizabeth and François Breidel; 17 September, suicide of Sven Ericsson.
		October: birth of Véronique Altamont.
1960		Foundation of the sect of The Three Free Men.
		Rémi Rorschach buys from Olivier the last two flats still owned by the Gratiolet family at 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		Birth of Gilbert Berger.
		Olivier Gratiolet marries his nurse, Arlette Criolat.
		February: Morellet loses three fingers from his left hand.
		May: Grégoire Simpson loses his job at the Bibliothèque de l’Opéra.
		May: Private view of Hutting’s “Hazes” at Gallery 22.
		7 May: Léon Salini concludes his investigation of the death of the Breidel couple.
		19 December: premiere of Schmetterling’s Malakhitès.
		1961 Disappearance of Grégoire Simpson.
		The Bergers move into 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		Dinteville ends his research.
1962		The Plassaerts move into 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		Birth of Isabelle Gratiolet.
		First of Professor LeBran-Chastel’s “stolen” publications.
1963		Birth of Rémi Plassaert.
1964		Caroline Echard breaks with David Marcia.
1965		Winckler begins to make Witches’ Mirrors.
		24 December: Arlette Criolat’s father strangles her, then commits suicide.
1966		Caroline Echard marries Philippe Marquiseaux.
		Elzbieta Orlowska gets to Tunis at last.
1967		The Silver Glen of Alva goes down.
		Birth of Mahmoud Orlowski.
1968		Death of Mme Echard.
		Death of M. Marquiseaux.
		May: Elzbieta Orlowska flees from Tunisia and reaches Paris; Bartlebooth’s seamstress, Germaine, retires; Elzbieta moves into her room.
1969		Hutting sells a “Barricade” from Rue Gay-Lussac to an American collector.
1970		“Young Riri” bumps into Paul Hébert at Bar-le-Duc.
		Mme Hourcade retires; the Réols move into the flat vacated by her; an imprudent purchase of a luxurious bedroom suite forces them to marry a few months later. Henri Fresnel comes back to see Alice, who then leaves almost straight away to stay with her son in New Caledonia.
		February: first joint meeting of Marvel Houses Incorporated and
		International Hostellerie; in November, foundation of Marvel
		Houses International and Incorporated Hostellerie.
1971		Alice Fresnel writes to Mlle Crespi.
		4 June: David Marcia’s motorcycle accident in the 35th Gold Cup. December: the Rorschachs stay at St Moritz.
1972		Beyssandre hired by Marvel Houses International.
		Mme Adèle retires.
		Death of Emilio Grifalconi.
		Serge Valène sees Bartlebooth for the last time.
1973		Bartlebooth has an operation for a double cataract.
		Sam Horton changes sex.
		Beyssandre discovers Bartlebooth’s project.
		29 October: death of Gaspard Winckler.
1974		Publication of Memoirs of a Struggler, by Rémi Rorschach.
		April: Beyssandre’s first letter to Bartlebooth; 11 July: Beyssandre calls on Smautf and challenges Bartlebooth.
		August: ruined by the Kerkennah Festival, David Marcia returns to live at 11 Rue Simon-Crubellier.
		November: Morellet is put away.
1975		25 April: Bartlebooth learns of the death of the cameramen entrusted with the destruction of the 438th jigsaw.
		May: Marvel Houses abandon their plans.
		23 June: death of Percival Bartlebooth.
		15 August: death of Serge Valène.