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British mystery author Dr. Richard Austin Freeman was born in Soho, London on April 11, 1862. He died in Gravesend, Kent on September 28, 1943. Dr. Freeman is largely remembered for his Dr. John Thorndyke mysteries published under the name “R. Austin Freeman."
The Oxford Companion to Crime, & Mystery Writing praises Thorndyke’s creator as: “[T]he creator of Dr. John Thorndyke, detective fiction’s foremost medico-legal expert…. Thorndyke made his first full-fledged appearance in The Red Thumb Mark (1907), the book extolled by Howard Haycraft as ‘[O]ne of the undisputed milestones of the genre.’” (The final Thorndyke tale was, The Jacob Street Mystery [1942]).
In his superbly edited volume, Blood on the Tracks, Martin Edwards, the longest-serving Chair of the Crime Writer’s Association and a British Library Crime Classics consultant, says of Freeman, “[He] was, like Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Eustace, a doctor who achieved greater fame as a crime writer than a medical practitioner.” Further, when discussing Freeman’s mystery, “The Case of Oscar Brodski,” Martin notes that this Freeman mystery is widely recognized as the first “inverted” detective story. In these type mysteries readers know everything and the fun is seeing how the unknowing detective pieces together the puzzle. For modern-day crime fiction fans the character of Lieutenant Columbo likely comes to mind.
In 1976, recognizing Freeman’s invaluable contributions to the mystery genre, Thorndykean enthusiast Philip T. Asdell created and edited a magazine called, The Thorndyke File. In 1981, at Asdell’s request, editorial duties transferred to my father, John McAleer.
The following interview excerpts between my father and Dr. Freeman’s domestic helper, Mrs. Ethel Baldcock, provide some insights into Freeman’s daily activities. The interview appeared in the Spring,1982, Thorndyke File and the full discussion will appear in a forthcoming Von Stray’s Crimestalker Casebook. (www.henryvonstraymysteries.com)
THE FREEMANS OF THORNDYKE HOUSE
An Interview by Edgar Winner John McAleer
I [John McAleer] have been successful in locating Ethel Baldock, who, as Ethel Osborne, a girl in her early twenties, worked for Dr. and Mrs. R. Austin Freeman, at their home, “Rosemount,” 94 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent, from early 1940 to 1943, and again, after Dr. Freeman’s death, from 1944 to 1946. Mrs. Baldock graciously consented to the following interview:
John McAleer: What were the Freemans like?
Ethel Baldock: They were the nicest people I worked for. They were—a very old-fashioned term—real gentlefolk!
McAleer: When did Freeman write?
Baldock: He wrote when he was what he called a “writing mood,” so far as I know all by hand.
McAleer: How were Dr. Freeman’s hearing and eyesight in his last years?
Baldock: Both were very good.
McAleer: We know little about Mrs. Freeman. What can you tell us?
Baldock: She was a very precise lady. Used to talk to me a lot. She was quite small, about five foot three or four. Weight not known, but fairly slim. She read quite a lot. Did beautiful crochet work. And was very thrifty, but—definitely—not mean.
McAleer: Did Dr. Freeman keep late hours?
Baldock: Being a daily domestic I don’t know what time the Freemans retired, but, when he was well, they were up when I got there, about 7:30 a.m.
McAleer: Were there any particular dishes that Dr. Freeman favored?
Baldock: During the time I was there—the war years—it was not possible to have very many preferences with food. They did have a glass of sherry every morning and, when I returned after an illness, insisted on my having one. Dr. Freeman also enjoyed his jar of Mazawatte Tea every afternoon.
McAleer: I gather that you found the Freemans thoughtful and kind?
Baldock: I did, yes. I have a book he gave me for my birthday, in 1940, signed by him—Pontifex, Son & Thorndyke(1931). When I was ill, Dr. Freeman walked to where I lived with a week’s wages, although, at that time, it was not usual to receive wages whilst one was sick. The remarkable thing was, he had to use two walking sticks, as he had been ill himself with rheumatics; his own G.P. (general practitioner) had said he would not be able to walk out again, but he was a very strong-willed person.
Andrew McAleer is the best-selling author of the Detective Henry von Stray classic British crime series created by Edgar winner John McAleer. Von Stray’s adventures appear in A Casebook of Crime Volume One. A second von Stray collection, A Casebook of Crime Volume Two, is scheduled for release in March 2026 (Level Best Books). Mr. McAleer taught classic crime fiction at Boston College and served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army Historian before returning to public service in the criminal justice system. Visit the Henry von Stray Museum of Criminal Artifacts at: www.Henryvonstraymysteries.com
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