Samantha Parkington Classic Timeline
This is my best effort at a single timeline of events in the life of Samantha Parkington, based on her classic 6-book series, short stories, mysteries, and more. This does not include the Samantha movie or the books post-2016, which both have their own discrete canon.
Nellie is hired as a servant for Mrs. Ryland.
Nellie is fired from the Ryland’s and returns to New York City.
Nellie returns to Mount Bedford with her whole family to work for Mrs. Van Sicklen.
Uncle Gard formally proposes to Cornelia in front of the family.
Uncle Gard marries Cornelia Pitt in New York City.
Gard and Cornelia honeymoon in Europe.
Samantha turns ten.
Samantha sees Cornelia speak at a suffrage rally in Madison Square Park.
Grandmary marries Archibald Beemis and the couple leaves on a honeymoon. Samantha moves to New York City to live with Gard and Cornelia.
Nellie's parents die from influenza
Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny are sent to Coldrock House
Samantha helps the girls escape the orphanage and hides them in the attic
Gard and Cornelia decide to adopt all three O'Malley girls
Uncle Mike contacts Nellie.
Samantha, Grandmary, and the Admiral take a trip to England on the SS Londonia.
Uncle Mike surrenders custody of the O’Malley girls.
Samantha turns eleven.
Nellie turns eleven.
Gard and Cornelia renovate their apartment and announce they are expecting a baby “around Easter.”
Grandmary, the Admiral, Samantha, and Nellie sail for Europe in first class aboard the Queen Caroline.
Nellie visits Ireland for the first time along with Samantha, Grandmary, and the Admiral.
Gard and Cornelia’s son, William Samuel Edwards, is born.
Samantha turns twelve.
Notes on the timeline discrepancies
“Samantha Saves the Wedding” / Samantha's Wedding Memories
The date of Gard and Cornelia’s wedding is a whole mess. Read the full article here.
“Samantha's Blue Bicycle”
The original 1995 magazine printing of this story says Samantha is 10 years old, which conflicts with other details in the story. The story must take place before Happy Birthday, Samantha, since this is the first time Samantha sees Gard and Cornelia since the wedding. Later reprintings of the story edit this line to say she is still 9, putting the story in Spring 1905, which agrees with the rest of the timeline.
“Samantha's Special Talent”
The story must take place in 1905, since we know that Samantha is still living with Grandmary in Mount Bedford. However, according to the story, a meeting is held Saturday, May 5th. May 5th was a Friday in 1905– this date is only possible if the story took place in 1906.
Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure
Samantha’s transatlantic voyage on the SS Londonia must take place during the events of Nellie’s Promise. According to the text of Nellie’s Promise, the book begins about a month after Changes for Samantha, which ends on February 14, and ends two weeks before Samantha’s birthday, which is May 26. This means Nellie’s Promise spans mid-March to Mid-May. The scrapbook-style book Samantha’s Ocean Liner Adventure sets the date of the voyage as April 15-22– right in the middle of Promise. I guess this is technically possible because there is a span of several weeks in Promise where Nellie and Samantha are avoiding each other. If Samantha sailed to Europe, spent a single day in London, then took the fastest ship back to New York, she would probably be home in time for her next on-page appearance in early May. Even though this might have been physically possible, I’m marking it as a timeline discrepancy because it’s just ludicrous. Nellie would have noticed and noted if Samantha left the continent while they were in the middle of a fight. Samantha’s trip to Europe with Grandmary and the Admiral would not have involved two back-to-back voyages with no time in actual Europe.