It's been a tick of time since last we've visited our good friend Mr. Barker. If you've not been along for the ride at all or not in full, this marks the fourth installment of a three-part series regarding the perhaps recurring character. Yes, you read that correctly. For the others, please simply type "Barker" in the Search Kaplowitz Media. field to your immediate-ish right. There, you'll take a whirlwind tour of The Retired Coulourman [RETI], The Valley of Fear [VALL], and The Adventure of the Empty House [EMPT].
Now, we look at our perhaps-Barker in The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton [Chas]. Also, and more accurately stated, at one Ms. Agatha, a housemaid in Milverton's employ and fiancee to Holmes when he poses as "a plumber with a rising business, Escott by name," in order to surveil Milverton's premises. Yes, you read that correctly, too. Fiancee. Nevertheless, Holmes counters Watson's in light of this news quite appropriate "Surely, you have gone too far?" comment with...
"You must play your cards as best you can when such a stake is on the table. I rejoice to say that I have a hated rival who will certainly cut me out the instant that my back is turned." Now let's take it back to The Retired Colourman and Holmes' direct mention of our on-going man of interest. "You had not met Barker, Watson. He is my hated rival upon the Surrey shore." Hated rival, see.
There are those who feel this 'hated rival' points also to the same Barker and furthermore, that when Holmes canned the faux engagement, Barker stepped in and married Agatha the housemaid. Mrs. Agatha Barker, then. Do I count myself amongst those? Well, let's see--CHAS was first published in Collier's on March 26, 1904. More importantly and according to (as ever) the chronology of Baring-Gould, the tale takes place on January 5, 1899.
A reminder of the involved Adventures B-G time-line. (For funsies, the year of publishing is listed parenthetically.)
VALL January 7, 1888 (1915)
EMPT April 5, 1894 (1903)
RETI July 28, 1898 (1926)
CHAS January 5, 1899 (1905)
I mean, it certainly seems plausible then. "This agency stands flatfooted upon the ground." Says Holmes to Watson in The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire [SUSS]. He says so in regards to not partaking in the supernatural realm and says so in, again according to B-G, November 19, 1896. (Published January 1924.) AGENCY. That would indicate having others under his employ, although his rag-tag Irregulars would alone qualify there, but only somewhat. Those street Arabs first appear, after all, in A Study in Scarlet [STUD], the ::: very ::: first chronicled Holmes tale.
But I highly doubt Holmes would elevate the then-current crop to be his Agency. Although, he does pay them handsomely and says nice enough things like they're "as sharp as needles, too; all they want is a little organisation." - STUD. Organization. Agency. The problem here is that none of these are of the marrying type (of even a housemaid) or age at the CHAS time, so this must be dismissed. If Barker was once an Irregular, as I suspect, he has some greater age on him at this point. STUD, chronologically, happened March 4, 1881--some 18 years prior.
Come to think of it, that would place Barker at quite a decent and ready marrying age. A figure ten-year-old Study in Scarlet street kid becomes a 28-year-old professional fellow over that time, and under the tutelage then the employment of Holmes. The average marrying age of Victorian Era gents actually seems placed at 26 and a half years. THE CLOCK WAS TICKING, perhaps. I still at least see nothing to conflict here. So then what to make of a Holmes so ready to toy with Agatha's affections as to treat them as fungible?
We could save his soul by offering him the grace of elaborately playing match-maker in an albeit icky manner. After all, he does not like women but never does treat them harshly. I mean, there is also a sort of precedent set within the canon, with Watson meeting Mary while earlier (B-G 1888) working in The Sign of the Four. The fact that it fits, coupled with the just-mentioned precedent, and adding-in the fact that Holmes admittedly had his back against the wall in dealing with Milverton--
I'd say sure to Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Barker. And to a slew of kids, why not? A thing to recall is that ACD is writing all these stories; years apart, but nevertheless. They are not, as we play at believing, random cases made public by Watson. Therefore, any plausible connection was probably penned purposefully-so. What are the odds of them being accidental? "Hated rival" is not a common phrase and therefore seen as barely less than "Barker." Only a tick less than a pointed finger. It's not as if it's only a character of a certain height to go on.
As an aside, chronologically-speaking, my headache began somewhere between the second and the fourth paragraph of writing this article. I'll admit, chronology is most definitely not my most comfortable suit. I thankfully (I'd imagine) cannot taste the passage of time. A little synesthesia humor puts a wrap on things here.
::: very :::