<P> At the beginning of A Study in Scarlet, Watson states he had "neither kith nor kin in England". In the Sign of the Four, it is established his father and older brother are deceased, and both shared the initial' H', when Holmes examines an old watch in Watson's possession, formerly his father's before inherited by his brother . Holmes estimates the watch to have a value of 50 guineas, so H. Watson, Sr., was a very prosperous man if he could have afforded such an item . Holmes deduced from the watch that Watson's brother was "a man of untidy habits--very untidy and careless . He was left with good prospects but threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity and finally, taking to drink he died ." </P> <P> Throughout Doyle's novels, Watson is presented as Holmes's biographer . At the end of the first published Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, Watson is so incensed by Scotland Yard's claiming full credit for its solution that he exclaims: "Your merits should be publicly recognised . You should publish an account of the case . If you won't, I will for you". Holmes suavely responds: "You may do what you like, Doctor". Therefore, the story is presented as "a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson", and most other stories of the series share this by implication . </P> <P> In the first chapter of The Sign of Four, Holmes comments on Watson's first effort as a biographer: "I glanced over it . Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it . Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner . You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism...The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes, by which I succeeded in unravelling it"; whereupon Watson admits, "I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him . I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings". </P> <P> In "The Adventure of Silver Blaze", Holmes confesses: "I made a blunder, my dear Watson--which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs"; and in The Hound of the Baskervilles, chapters 5--6, Holmes says: "Watson, Watson, if you are an honest man you will record this also and set it against my successes!"; whereas in his prologue to "The Adventure of the Yellow Face," Watson himself remarked: "In publishing these short sketches (of Holmes's cases)... it is only natural that I should dwell rather upon his successes than upon his failures", on grounds that where Holmes failed, often nobody else succeeded . </P>

Character sketch of dr watson in the hound of baskervilles