Rumpole of the Bailey
A Chronological List of the Stories
The missing Rumpole stories
Rumpole and the Haunted Courtroom
Published in The Observer newspaper (London), on 21 December 1986.
Rumpole and the Hanging Judge
Published in The Television Detectives Omnibus: Great Tales of Crime and Detection, 1992.
Rumpole and the Christmas Squeeze*
Published in The Sunday Times newspaper on 24 December 1995.
Rumpole and the Widow Twanky*
A reading of the story broadcast on BBC Radio, December 1996.
Rumpole and the Nanny Society
Published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Number 670, June 1997.
Rumpole and the Absence of Body
A reading of the story broadcast on BBC Radio, December 1998.
Published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine September/October 1999.
Rumpole and the Case Of Rumpy-Pumpy
Published in The Evening Standard newspaper (London) on 19 October 2000.
Rumpole and Carrots the Clown
Manuscript only, dated 2000. Never published.
Rumpole’s Bonfire Night
Published in The Mail on Sunday's You Magazine supplement (London), 27 October 2002
and then in the United States in The Strand Magazine Number 10, 2003.
Rumpole and the Kings of Rock
Published in The Strand Magazine Number 15, February/May 2005.
Rumpole and the Wedding Guest
Published in The Strand Magazine Number 18, February/May 2006.
*Note that the full text of these two stories were combined into one story with new linking text and printed as Rumpole and the Old Familiar Faces in the book Rumpole Rests His Case in 2001, which makes them less "missing" than the others in the list above.
The absent Rumpole stories
In the Rumpole stories the text refers to several early courtroom triumphs of Rumpole such as The Penge Bungalow Murders, and The Great Brighton Benefit Club Forgery. The account of the first of these was published in the 2004 novel of the same name. Alas, the other stories of past cases were mentioned in passing only. They are not missing stories as such. It's more correct to call them absent stories because they were never written either by John Mortimer as the author or Horace Rumpole as the memoirist. Most of the cases in the following list are past glories, but a few of them are cases mentioned by Rumpole in transit from a named completed trial to his new case about which he is writing. The earlier trials are dropped into Rumpole's memoirs to illustrate his legal history and career. Research is continuing to locate these unwritten early tales in the books. Those that have been identified are:
The Streatham Co-Op Robbery
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Younger Generation
The Great Brighton Benefit Club Forgery
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Younger Generation and Rumpole and the Married Lady
The Euston Bank Robbery, 1938
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Heavy Brigade.
This case occurs in the year before The Penge Bungalow Murders
The Brick Lane Billiard Hall murder
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Man of God
The Saracen's Head Hotel Arson
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Man of God
The Paddington Station Affray
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Fascist Beast
The Great Grimsby Fish Fraud
Mentioned in Rumpole’s Return
The Deptford Old People’s Home Murders
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Expert Witness
The Swansea Indecency*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Last Resort
The Cardiff Firm Fraud*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Judge’s Elbow
The Orphington Bride Poisoning, 1958
Mentioned in Rumpole and the The Quality of Life
The Luton Axe Killing
Mentioned in Rumpole at Sea
The Snaresbrook Arson*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Children of the Devil
The Musical Drug Ring
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle
The Luton Axe Killing
Mentioned in Rumpole at Sea
The Acton Robbery*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice
The Leeds Old People’s Home Stabbing
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Family Pride
The Streatham Affray*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Way Through the Woods
The Serbiton Bank Job
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Boy
The Eastbourne Nursing Home Murder
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Millennium Bug
The Channel Crossing Disappearance
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Millennium Bug
The Epsom Weedkiller Murder
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Millennium Bug
The Godalming Abattoir Death
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Millennium Bug
The Snaresbrook Breaking and Entering*
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Case of Rumpy Pumpy
The Cradle to the Grave Savings Bank Robbery
Mentioned in Rumpole and Carrots the Clown
The Swansea Dangerous Driving
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Remembrance of Things Past
The Home for the Blind Murder*
Mentioned in Rumpole Redeemed
The Brondesbury Murder
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Kings of Rock
The Enfield Post Office Job
Mentioned in Rumpole and Father Christmas
The Scarlet Band Criminal Damage Conspiracy
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Reign of Terror
The Flood Street Stabbing
Mentioned in Rumpole and the Wedding Guest
Note: This has a uniuqe position as the stabbing case is discussed during a contemporary trial.
*Contemporary cases named but without a written account.
THE MISSING AND UNCOLLECTED STORIES
Eleven stories printed in newspapers and magazines remain unpublished by Penguin in any Rumpole of the Bailey book. Arguably this is nine stories because two of them as noted below were merged into one short story included in Rumpole Rests His Case.
Download the missing stories
Use the links below to acquire a privately assembled document of these stories. The compiler of the document has made Rumpole's Missing Memoirs available for download.
Extensive work was involved in the making of this ebook. Please take a moment to share your appreciation for this effort by sending an email which will be forwarded to the supplier.
Rumpole's Missing Memoirs contains the stories listed below. If you enjoy the collection please consider buying one of John Mortimer's other books in lieu of this unpublished collection.
*These links were active when inspected recently. Please advise if you find that the link has been taken down.
