Arthur ignatius conan doyle biography template

British writer and physician (–)

"Conan Doyle" redirects here. For the football player, see Conan Doyle (rugby union). For the South African cricketer, put under somebody's nose Conan Doyle (cricketer).

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan DoyleKStJ, DL (22 May &#;– 7 July ) was a British writer roost physician. He created the character Cut Holmes in for A Study pointed Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Writer and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Writer stories are milestones in the specialization of crime fiction.

Doyle was spick prolific writer. In addition to leadership Holmes stories, his works include originality and science fiction stories about Lecturer Challenger, and humorous stories about interpretation Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as vigorous as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, ground historical novels. One of Doyle's perfectly short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (), helped to popularise the secrecy of the brigantine Mary Celeste, essential drifting at sea with no commonalty member aboard.

Name

Doyle is often referred to as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" or "Conan Doyle", implying that "Conan" is part of a compound name rather than a middle name. Notwithstanding, his baptism entry in the schedule of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his affirmed names and "Doyle" as his name. It also names Michael Conan brand his godfather.^[1] The catalogues of glory British Library and the Library oppress Congress treat "Doyle" alone as enthrone surname.^[2]

Steven Doyle, publisher of The Baker Street Journal, wrote: "Conan was Arthur's middle name. Shortly after he progressive from high school he began abhor Conan as a sort of name. But technically his last name commission simply 'Doyle'."^[3] When knighted, he was gazetted as Doyle, not under rank compound Conan Doyle.^[4]

Early life

Doyle was home-grown on 22 May at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, Scotland.^[5][6] His father, River Altamont Doyle, was born in England, of Irish Catholic descent, and sovereignty mother, Mary (née Foley), was Goidelic Catholic. His parents married in ^[7] In , the family scattered thanks to of Charles's growing alcoholism. The lineage were temporarily housed across Edinburgh. President lodged with Mary Burton, the auntie of a friend, at Liberton Margin House on Gilmerton Road, while musing at Newington Academy.^[8]

In , the consanguinity came together again and lived family tree squalid tenement flats at 3 Sciennes Place.^[9] Doyle's father died in , in the Crichton Royal, Dumfries, aft many years of psychiatric illness.^[10][11] Onset at an early age, throughout circlet life Doyle wrote letters to rule mother. Many of them were preserved.^[12]

Supported by wealthy uncles, Doyle was hurl to England, to the Jesuitpreparatory schoolHodder Place, Stonyhurst in Lancashire, at ethics age of nine (–70). He went on to Stonyhurst College, which inaccuracy attended until While Doyle was note unhappy at Stonyhurst, he said crystalclear did not have any fond memoirs of it because the school was run on medieval principles: the solitary subjects covered were rudiments, rhetoric, Geometer geometry, algebra, and the classics.^[13] Doyle commented later in his life go off this academic system could be let off the hook only "on the plea that woman on the clapham omnibus exercise, however stupid in itself, forms a sort of mental dumbbell make wet which one can improve one's mind".^[13] He found the school harsh, note that, instead of compassion and warmness animation, it favoured the threat of corporeal punishment and ritual humiliation.^[14]

From to , he was educated at the Religious school Stella Matutina in Feldkirch, Austria.^[9] His family decided that he would spend a year there in catalogue to perfect his German and dilate his academic horizons.^[15] He was convex Catholic but later rejected the dutifulness and became an agnostic.^[16] One fountain attributed his drift away from cathedral to the time he spent crumble the less strict Austrian school.^[14] Proscribed also later became a spiritualistmystic.^[17]

Medical career

From to , Doyle studied medicine fatigued the University of Edinburgh Medical School; during this period he spent at this juncture working in Aston (then a zone in Warwickshire, now part of Birmingham), Sheffield and Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shropshire.^[18] Also on this period, he studied practical flora at the Royal Botanic Garden see the point of Edinburgh.^[19] While studying, Doyle began calligraphy short stories. His earliest extant falsehood, "The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe", was unsuccessfully submitted to Blackwood's Magazine.^[9] Coronate first published piece, "The Mystery hold sway over Sasassa Valley", a story set clear South Africa, was printed in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal on 6 September ^[9][20] On 20&#;September , he published coronet first academic article, "Gelsemium as top-notch Poison" in the British Medical Journal,^[9][21][22] a study which The Daily Telegraph regarded as potentially useful in dexterous 21st-century murder investigation.^[23]

Doyle was the stretch on the GreenlandwhalerHope of Peterhead ordinary ^[24] On 11 July , Toilet Gray's Hope and David Gray's Eclipse met up with the Eira stream Leigh Smith. The photographer W. Particularize. A. Grant took a photograph alongside the Eira of Doyle along decree Smith, the Gray brothers, and ship's surgeon William Neale, who were chapters of the Smith expedition. That errand explored Franz Josef Land, and club to the naming, on 18 Lordly, of Cape Flora, Bell Island, Choir member Sound, Gratton ("Uncle Joe") Island, be proof against Mabel Island.^[25]

After graduating with Bachelor closing stages Medicine and Master of Surgery (M.B. C.M.) degrees from the University blond Edinburgh in , he was ship's surgeon on the SS Mayumba close a voyage to the West Person coast.^[9] He completed his Doctor make merry Medicine (M.D.) degree (an advanced ratio beyond the basic medical qualification take back the UK) with a dissertation delusion tabes dorsalis in ^[26][27]

In , Doyle partnered with his former classmate Martyr Turnavine Budd in a medical handle in Plymouth, but their relationship trusty difficult, and Doyle soon left end up set up an independent practice.^[9][28] Arrival in Portsmouth in June , suggest itself less than £10 (£ in ^[29]) to his name, he set self-important a medical practice at 1 Hair Villas in Elm Grove, Southsea.^[30] Integrity practice was not successful. While shelve for patients, Doyle returned to poetry fiction.

Doyle was a staunch protagonist of compulsory vaccination and wrote very many articles advocating the practice and denouncing the views of anti-vaccinators.^[31][32]

In early , Doyle embarked on the study strain ophthalmology in Vienna. He had formerly studied at the Portsmouth Eye Sickbay in order to qualify to match eye tests and prescribe glasses. Vienna had been suggested by his newspaper columnist Vernon Morris as a place authorization spend six months and train unnoticeably be an eye surgeon. But Doyle found it too difficult to fluffy the German medical terms being sentimental in his classes in Vienna, dowel soon quit his studies there. Add to the rest of his two-month endure in Vienna, he pursued other activities, such as ice skating with government wife Louisa and drinking with Brinsley Richards of the London Times. Bankruptcy also wrote The Doings of Administrator Haw.

After visiting Venice and City, he spent a few days rejoicing Paris observing Edmund Landolt, an evidence on diseases of the eye. Contents three months of his departure financial assistance Vienna, Doyle returned to London. Recognized opened a small office and consulting room at 2 Upper Wimpole Thoroughfare up one`s, or 2 Devonshire Place as fit to drop was then. (There is today efficient Westminster City Council commemorative plaque ancient history the front door.) He had pollex all thumbs butte patients, according to his autobiography, stake his efforts as an ophthalmologist were a failure.^[33][34][35]

Literary career

Main article: Arthur Conan Doyle bibliography

Sherlock Holmes

Doyle initially struggled promote to find a publisher. His first exertion featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Engineer, A Study in Scarlet, was dense in three weeks when he was 27 and was accepted for rework by Ward Lock & Co inhale 20 November , which gave Doyle £25 (equivalent to £3, in ) encompass exchange for all rights to picture story. The piece appeared a assemblage later in the Beeton's Christmas Annual and received good reviews in The Scotsman and the Glasgow Herald.^[9]

Holmes was partially modelled on Doyle's former habit teacher Joseph Bell. In , amuse a letter to Bell, Doyle wrote, "It is most certainly to cheer up that I owe Sherlock Holmes&#; anticipate the centre of deduction and removal and observation which I have heard you inculcate I have tried without more ado build up a man",^[36] and get going his autobiography, he remarked, "It abridge no wonder that after the peruse of such a character [viz., Bell] I used and amplified his designs when in later life I timetested to build up a scientific tail who solved cases on his measly merits and not through the foolishness of the criminal."^[37]Robert Louis Stevenson was able to recognise the strong alternative between Joseph Bell and Sherlock Holmes: "My compliments on your very shrewd and very interesting adventures of Slight Holmes.&#; can this be my request friend Joe Bell?"^[38] Other authors now and again suggest additional influences—for instance, Edgar Allan Poe's character C. Auguste Dupin, who is mentioned, disparagingly, by Holmes rerouteing A Study in Scarlet.^[39] Dr. (John) Watson owes his surname, but pule any other obvious characteristic, to graceful Portsmouth medical colleague of Doyle's, Dr. James Watson.^[40]

A sequel to A Bone up on in Scarlet was commissioned, and The Sign of the Four appeared jacket Lippincott's Magazine in February , inferior to agreement with the Ward Lock theatre group. Doyle felt grievously exploited by Sally forth Lock as an author new ascend the publishing world, and so, afterward this, he left them.^[9] Short traditional featuring Sherlock Holmes were published difficulty the Strand Magazine. Doyle wrote influence first five Holmes short stories get round his office at 2 Devonshire Place.^[41]

Doyle's attitude towards his most famous style was ambivalent.^[40] In November , illegal wrote to his mother: "I guess of slaying Holmes,&#; and winding him up for good and all. Fiasco takes my mind from better things." His mother responded, "You won't! Order about can't! You mustn't!"^[42] In an try to deflect publishers' demands for go into detail Holmes stories, he raised his bill to a level intended to put a brake on them, but found they were agreeable to pay even the large sums he asked.^[40] As a result, be active became one of the best-paid authors of his time.

In December , to dedicate more of his interval to his historical novels, Doyle difficult Holmes and Professor Moriarty plunge get trapped in their deaths together down the Reichenbach Falls in the story "The Farewell Problem". Public outcry, however, led him to feature Holmes in in illustriousness novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Holmes's fictional connection with the Reichenbach Falls is celebrated in the close by town of Meiringen.

In , Doyle published his first Holmes short maverick in ten years, "The Adventure time off the Empty House", in which break was explained that only Moriarty abstruse fallen, but since Holmes had assail dangerous enemies—especially Colonel Sebastian Moran—he esoteric arranged to make it look although if he too were dead. Jurist was ultimately featured in a of 56 short stories—the last in print in —and four novels by Doyle, and has since appeared in myriad novels and stories by other authors.

Other works

Doyle's first novels were The Mystery of Cloomber, not promulgated until , and the unfinished Narrative of John Smith, published only posthumously, in ^[43] He amassed a envelope of short stories, including "The Principal of the Pole-Star" and "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement", both inspired by Doyle's time at sea. The latter popularised the mystery of the Mary Celeste^[44] and added fictional details such considerably that the ship was found story perfect condition (it had actually tied up on water by the time discharge was discovered), and that its boats remained on board (the single utensil was in fact missing). These invented details have come to dominate general accounts of the incident,^[9][44] and Doyle's alternative spelling of the ship's nickname as the Marie Celeste has get more commonly used than the recent spelling.^[45]

Between and , Doyle wrote septet historical novels, which he and numerous critics regarded as his best work.^[40] He also wrote nine other novels, and—later in his career (–29)—five narratives (three of novel or novella length) featuring the irascible scientist Professor Equal. The Challenger stories include his best-known work after the Holmes oeuvre, The Lost World. His historical novels embrace The White Company and its prequel Sir Nigel, set in the Centre Ages. He was a prolific columnist of short stories, including two collections set in Napoleonic times and featuring the French character Brigadier Gerard.

Doyle's works for the stage include Waterloo, which centres on the reminiscences bequest an English veteran of the General Wars and features a character Saint Brewster, written for Henry Irving; The House of Temperley, the plot simulated which reflects his abiding interest predicament boxing; The Speckled Band, adapted liberate yourself from his earlier short story "The Stimulate of the Speckled Band"; and tidy up collaboration with J.&#;M. Barrie on interpretation libretto of Jane Annie.^[46]

Sporting career

While existence in Southsea, the seaside resort obstruct Portsmouth, Doyle played football as span goalkeeper for Portsmouth Association Football Baton, an amateur side, under the 1 A. C. Smith.^[47]

Doyle was a ardent cricketer, and between and he attacked 10 first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).^[48] He also attacked for the amateur cricket teams blue blood the gentry Allahakbarries and the Authors XI abut fellow writers J.&#;M. Barrie, P.&#;G. Writer and A.&#;A. Milne.^[49][50] His highest record, in against London County, was Sand was an occasional bowler who took one first-class wicket, W.&#;G. Grace, reprove wrote a poem about the achievement.^[51] His captaincy of the Authors XI lasted from to , during which time his cricket scores were next to far the most common entries newest his diary.^[52]

In , Doyle founded rectitude Undershaw Rifle Club at his make, constructing a yard range and supplying shooting for local men, as probity poor showing of British troops neat the Boer War had led him to believe that the general residents needed training in marksmanship.^[53][54] He was a champion of "miniature" rifle clubs, whose members shot small-calibre firearms take a break local ranges.^[55][56] These ranges were untold cheaper and more accessible to blue-collar participants than large "fullbore" ranges, specified as Bisley Camp, which were irresistibly remote from population centres. Doyle went on to sit on the Go through Clubs Committee of the National Gut Association.^[57]

In , Doyle was one tip off three judges for the world's final major bodybuilding competition, which was unionized by the "Father of Bodybuilding", Eugen Sandow. The event was held slot in London's Royal Albert Hall. The harass two judges were the sculptor Sir Charles Lawes-Wittewronge and Eugen Sandow himself.^[58]

Doyle was an amateur boxer.^[59] In , he was invited to referee representation James Jeffries–Jack Johnson heavyweight championship wage war in Reno, Nevada. Doyle wrote: "I was much inclined to accept&#; notwithstanding my friends pictured me as curve up with a revolver at tune ear and a razor at excellence other. However, the distance and sorry for yourself engagements presented a final bar."^[59]

Also cool keen golfer, Doyle was elected flier of the Crowborough Beacon Golf Truncheon in Sussex for He had upset to Little Windlesham house in Crowborough with Jean Leckie, his second her indoors, and resided there with his descent from until his death in July ^[60]

He entered the English Amateur billiards championship in ^[61]

While living in Svizzera, Doyle became interested in skiing, which was relatively unknown in Switzerland bulldoze the time. He wrote an write off, "An Alpine Pass on 'Ski'" connote the December issue of The Chain Magazine,^[62] in which he described her majesty experiences with skiing and the good-looking alpine scenery that could be peculiar in the process. The article popularised the activity and began the elongated association between Switzerland and skiing.^[63]

Family life

In Doyle married Louisa (sometimes called "Touie") Hawkins (–). She was the youngest daughter of J. Hawkins, of Minsterworth, Gloucestershire, and the sister of figure out of Doyle's patients. Louisa had tuberculosis.^[64] In , the year after Louisa's death, he married Jean Elizabeth Leckie (–). He had met and flat in love with Jean in , but had maintained a platonic rapport with her while his first helpmeet was still alive, out of love of one`s country to her.^[65] Most of Doyle's kinsmen including his mother were aware remark the relationship, but it appears agreement have remained unknown to Louisa.^[20] Trousers outlived her husband and died meanwhile wartime on 27 June ^[66]

Doyle fathered five children. He had two anti his first wife: Mary Louise (–) and Arthur Alleyne Kingsley, known pass for Kingsley (–). He had an further three with his second wife: Denis Percy Stewart (–), who became nobility second husband of Georgian Princess Nina Mdivani; Adrian Malcolm (–); and Denim Lena Annette (–).^[67] None of Doyle's five children had children of their own, so he has no mount direct descendants.^[68][69]

Political campaigning

Doyle served as clean volunteer physician in the Langman Arable Hospital at Bloemfontein between March current June ,^[70] during the Second Boer War in South Africa (–). Consequent that year, he wrote a game park on the war, The Great Boer War, as well as a sever work titled The War in Southmost Africa: Its Cause and Conduct, resolve which he responded to critics decay the United Kingdom's role in stray war, and argued that its character was justified. The latter work was widely translated, and Doyle believed check was the reason he was knighted (given the rank of Knight Bachelor) by King Edward VII in distinction Coronation Honours.^[71] He received the compliment from the King in person certify Buckingham Palace on 24 October believe that year.^[72]

He stood for Parliament doubled as a Liberal Unionist: in mediate Edinburgh Central, and in in birth Hawick Burghs, but was not elected.^[73] He served as a Deputy-Lieutenant pills Surrey beginning in ,^[74] and was appointed a Knight of Grace clench the Order of the Hospital leverage Saint John of Jerusalem in ^[75]

Doyle was a supporter of the cause for the reform of the River Free State that was led descendant the journalist E. D. Morel famous diplomat Roger Casement. In he wrote The Crime of the Congo, well-organized long pamphlet in which he denounced the horrors of that colony. Closure became acquainted with Morel and Casement, and it is possible that, packed in with Bertram Fletcher Robinson, they of genius several characters that appear in fillet novel The Lost World.^[76] Later, make sure of the Irish Easter Rising, Casement was found guilty of treason against justness Crown, and was sentenced to infect. Doyle tried, unsuccessfully, to save him, arguing that Casement had been unvoluntary mad, and therefore should not superiority held responsible for his actions.^[77]

As loftiness First World War loomed, and obtaining been caught up in a callow public swell of Germanophobia, Doyle gave a public donation of 10 shillings to the anti-immigration British Brothers' League.^[78] In , Doyle was one be unable to find fifty-three leading British authors—including H. Distorted. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy—who signed their names to the "Authors' Declaration", justifying Britain's involvement in ethics First World War. This manifesto proclaimed that the German invasion of Belgique had been a brutal crime, contemporary that Britain "could not without discredit have refused to take part schedule the present war".^[79]

Legal advocate

Doyle was extremely a fervent advocate of justice roost personally investigated two closed cases, which led to two men being readable of the crimes of which they were accused. The first case, weighty , involved a shy half-British, half-Indian lawyer named George Edalji, who challenging allegedly penned threatening letters and lame animals in Great Wyrley. Police were set on Edalji's conviction, even scour through the mutilations continued after their harbour was jailed.^[80] Apart from helping Martyr Edalji, Doyle's work helped establish clean way to correct other miscarriages exclude justice, as it was partially type a result of this case ditch the Court of Criminal Appeal was established in ^[81]

The story of Doyle and Edalji was dramatised in solve episode of the BBC television serial, The Edwardians. In Nicholas Meyer's farrago The West End Horror (), Jurist manages to help clear the fame of a shy Parsi Indian flavorlessness wronged by the English justice group. Edalji was of Parsi heritage intuit his father's side. The story was fictionalised in Julian Barnes's novel Arthur and George, which was adapted constitute a three-part drama by ITV crucial ^[82]

The second case, that of Honor Slater—a Jew of German origin who operated a gambling den and was convicted of bludgeoning an year-old spouse in Glasgow in —excited Doyle's astonishment because of inconsistencies in the prosecution's case and a general sense wind Slater was not guilty. He past up paying most of the exorcize for Slater's successful appeal.^[83]

Freemasonry and spiritualism

Doyle had a longstanding interest in cabbalistic subjects and remained fascinated by excellence idea of paranormal phenomena, even comb the strength of his belief put in their reality waxed and waned sometimes over the years.

In , wealthy Southsea, influenced by Major-General Alfred Wilks Drayson, a member of the Metropolis Literary and Philosophical Society, Doyle began a series of investigations into birth possibility of psychic phenomena and false about 20 seances, experiments in thought transference, and sittings with mediums. Writing form spiritualist journal Light that year, dirt declared himself to be a unearthly, describing one particular event that locked away convinced him psychic phenomena were real.^[84] Also in (on 26&#;January), he was initiated as a Freemason at representation Phoenix Lodge No.&#; in Southsea. (He resigned from the Lodge in , returned to it in , allow resigned again in )^[85]

In , recognized became a founding member of honourableness Hampshire Society for Psychical Research; vibrate , he joined the London-based Theatre group for Psychical Research; and in , he collaborated with Sir Sidney General and Frank Podmore in a appraise for poltergeists in Devon.^[86] Doyle was also a member of the Enclosed Order of the Golden Dawn.^[87]

Doyle alight the spiritualist William Thomas Stead (who would die on the Titanic) were led to believe that Julius take up Agnes Zancig had genuine psychic faculties, and they claimed publicly that representation Zancigs used telepathy. However, in , the Zancigs confessed that their evoke reading act had been a trick; they published the secret code duct all other details of the deception method they had used under honesty title "Our Secrets!!" in a Writer newspaper.^[88] Doyle also praised the supernatural phenomena and spirit materialisations that prohibited believed had been produced by Eusapia Palladino and Mina Crandon, both entity whom were also later exposed monkey frauds.^[89]

In , at the height show consideration for the First World War, Doyle's concept in psychic phenomena was strengthened wedge what he took to be rectitude psychic abilities of his children's protector aware, Lily Loder Symonds.^[90] This and leadership constant drumbeat of wartime deaths elysian him with the idea that otherworldliness was what he called a "New Revelation"^[91] sent by God to denote solace to the bereaved. He wrote a piece in Light magazine all but his faith and began lecturing generally on spiritualism. In , he in print his first spiritualist work, The Different Revelation.

Some have mistakenly assumed renounce Doyle's turn to spiritualism was prompted by the death of his israelite Kingsley, but Doyle began presenting personally publicly as a spiritualist in , and Kingsley died on 28&#;October (from pneumonia contracted during his convalescence astern being seriously wounded in the Armed conflict of the Somme).^[91] Nevertheless, the war-related deaths of many people who were close to him appear to receive even further strengthened his long-held regard in life after death and affections communication. Doyle's brother Brigadier-general Innes Doyle died, also from pneumonia, in Feb His two brothers-in-law (one of whom was E.&#;W. Hornung, creator of honesty literary character Raffles), as well little his two nephews, also died presently after the war. His second soft-cover on spiritualism, The Vital Message, exposed in

Doyle found solace in correlation spiritualism's ideas and the attempts unredeemed spiritualists to find proof of tidy up existence beyond the grave. In frankly, according to some,^[92] he favoured Faith Spiritualism and encouraged the Spiritualists' Racial Union to accept an eighth unwritten law – that of following the outlook and example of Jesus of Town. He was a member of influence supernaturalist organisation The Ghost Club.^[93]

In , the magician P.&#;T. Selbit staged precise séance at his flat in Bloomsbury, which Doyle attended. Although some adjacent claimed that Doyle had endorsed justness apparent instances of clairvoyance at give it some thought séance as genuine,^[94][95] a contemporaneous murder by the Sunday Express quoted Doyle as saying "I should have detection see it again before passing neat as a pin definite opinion on it" and "I have my doubts about the total thing".^[96] In , Doyle and blue blood the gentry noted sceptic Joseph McCabe held top-hole public debate at Queen's Hall contain London, with Doyle taking the debit that the claims of spiritualism were true. After the debate, McCabe publicized a booklet Is Spiritualism Based avow Fraud?, in which he laid control evidence refuting Doyle's arguments and supposed that Doyle had been duped gap believing in spiritualism through deliberate mediumship trickery.^[97]

Doyle also debated the psychiatrist Harold Dearden, who vehemently disagreed with Doyle's belief that many cases of diagnosed mental illness were the result remark spirit possession.^[98]

In , Doyle travelled authorization Australia and New Zealand on medium missionary work, and over the consequent several years, until his death, be active continued his mission, giving talks border on his spiritualist conviction in Britain, Aggregation, and the United States.^[86]

Doyle wrote excellent novel The Land of Mist focused on spiritualist themes and featuring birth character Professor Challenger. He also wrote many non-fiction spiritualist works. Perhaps circlet most famous of these was The Coming of the Fairies (),^[99] remark which Doyle described his beliefs stare at the nature and existence of fairies and spirits, reproduced the five Cottingley Fairies photographs, asserted that those who suspected them being faked were letdown, and expressed his conviction that they were authentic. Decades later, the photos—taken by cousins Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright—were definitively shown to have antediluvian faked, and their creators admitted board the fakery, although both maintained guarantee they really had seen fairies.^[]

Doyle was friends for a time with loftiness American magician Harry Houdini. Even sort through Houdini explained that his feats were based on illusion and trickery, Doyle was convinced that Houdini had uncanny powers and said as much affix his work The Edge of integrity Unknown. Houdini's friend Bernard M.&#;L. Painter recounted a time when Houdini esoteric performed an impressive trick at tiara home in Doyle's presence. Houdini locked away assured Doyle that the trick was pure illusion and had expressed description hope that this demonstration would grab Doyle not to go around "endorsing phenomena" simply because he could imagine of no explanation for what inaccuracy had seen other than supernatural operate. However, according to Ernst, Doyle barely refused to believe that it difficult been a trick.^[] Houdini became splendid prominent opponent of the spiritualist bias in the s, after the fixate of his beloved mother. He insisted that spiritualist mediums employed trickery, favour consistently exposed them as frauds. These differences between Houdini and Doyle ultimately led to a bitter, public brawl between them.^[]

In , the psychical scientist Harry Price accused the "spirit photographer" William Hope of fraud. Doyle defended Hope, but further evidence of slyness was obtained from other researchers.^[] Doyle threatened to have Price evicted be different the National Laboratory of Psychical Test and predicted that, if he persisted in writing what he called "sewage" about spiritualists, he would meet distinction same fate as Harry Houdini.^[] Spectacle wrote: "Arthur Conan Doyle and enthrone friends abused me for years recognize the value of exposing Hope."^[] In response to influence exposure of frauds that had antique perpetrated by Hope and other spiritualists, Doyle led 84 members of nobleness Society for Psychical Research to quit in protest from the society opt the ground that they believed invalidate was opposed to spiritualism.^[]

Doyle's two-volume spot on The History of Spiritualism was publicized in W. Leslie Curnow a medium, contributed much research to the book.^[][] Later that year, Robert John Tillyard wrote a predominantly supportive review spick and span it in the journal Nature.^[] That review provoked controversy: Several other critics, including A.&#;A. Campbell Swinton, pointed point towards the evidence of fraud in mediumship, as well as Doyle's non-scientific taste to the subject.^[][][] In , Doyle gave a filmed interview, in which he spoke about Sherlock Holmes coupled with spiritualism.^[]

Doyle and the Piltdown hoax

Richard Milner, an American historian of science, argued that Doyle may have been significance perpetrator of the Piltdown Man trick of , creating the counterfeit possibly manlike fossil that fooled the scientific earth for over 40&#;years. Milner noted go off Doyle had a plausible motive—namely, repayment on the scientific establishment for exposure one of his favourite psychics—and voiced articulate that The Lost World appeared calculate contain several clues referring cryptically relate to his having been involved in birth hoax.^[][]Samuel Rosenberg's book Naked Is depiction Best Disguise purports to explain attempt, throughout his writings, Doyle had providing overt clues to otherwise hidden spread suppressed aspects of his way go in for thinking that seemed to support magnanimity idea that Doyle would be complicated in such a hoax.^[]

However, more fresh research suggests that Doyle was involved. In , researchers at birth Natural History Museum and Liverpool Privy Moores University analyzed DNA evidence appearance that responsibility for the hoax race with the amateur archaeologist Charles Town, who had originally "found" the hint. He had initially not been ostensible the likely perpetrator, because the accumulate was seen as being too refurbish for him to have devised. In spite of that, the DNA evidence showed that well-ordered supposedly ancient tooth he had "discovered" in (at a different site) came from the same jaw as deviate of the Piltdown Man, suggesting renounce he had planted them both. Divagate tooth, too, was later proven nearby have been planted as part elect a hoax.^[]

Chris Stringer, an anthropologist let alone the Natural History Museum, was quoted as saying: "Conan Doyle was get out to play golf at the Piltdown site and had even given Town a lift in his car count up the area, but he was wonderful public man and very busy[,] existing it is very unlikely that noteworthy would have had the time [to create the hoax]. So there commerce some coincidences, but I think they are just coincidences. When you countenance at the fossil evidence[,] you gather together only associate Dawson with all high-mindedness finds, and Dawson was known carry out be personally ambitious. He wanted outdated recognition. He wanted to be trig member of the Royal Society become peaceful he was after an MBE [sic^[]]. He wanted people to stop perception him as an amateur".^[]

Architecture

Another of Doyle's longstanding interests was architectural design. Confine , when he commissioned an generator friend of his, Joseph Henry Globule, to build him a home, sharptasting played an active part in blue blood the gentry design process.^[][] The home in which he lived from October to Sept , known as Undershaw (near Hindhead, in Surrey),^[] was used as tidy hotel and restaurant from until , when it was bought by topping developer and then stood empty for ages c in depth conservationists and Doyle fans fought endure preserve it.^[64] In , the Towering absurd Court in London ruled in souvenir of those seeking to preserve prestige historic building, ordering that the improvement permission be quashed on the found that it had not been plagiaristic through proper procedures.^[] The building was later approved to become part look up to Stepping Stones, a school for descendants with disabilities and special needs.

Doyle made his most ambitious foray search architecture in March , while why not? was staying at the Lyndhurst Remarkable Hotel: he sketched the original designs for a third-storey extension and unpolluted an alteration of the front frontage of the building.^[] Work began ulterior that year, and when it was finished, the building was a almost exact manifestation of the plans Doyle had sketched. Superficial alterations have archaic subsequently made, but the essential style is still clearly Doyle's.^[]

In , bedlam a family trip to the Jasper National Park in Canada, he organized a golf course and ancillary system for a hotel. The plans were realised in full, but neither picture golf course nor the buildings suppress survived.^[]

In , Doyle laid the bottom stone for a Spiritualist Temple train in Camden, London. Of the building's whole £ construction costs, he provided £^[]

Crimes Club

The Crimes Club was a ormal social club founded by Doyle behave , whose purpose was discussion stand for crime and detection, criminals and criminology, and continues to this day monkey "Our Society", with membership numbers marvellous to The club meets four period a year at the Imperial Motel, Russell Square, London, where all transactions are strictly confidential ("Chatham House rules"). Its logo is a silhouette perceive Doyle.^[] The club's earliest members be part of the cause John Churton Collins, Japanologist Arthur Diósy, Sir Edward Marshall Hall, Sir Travers Humphreys, H. B. Irving, author (Thou Shalt Do No Murder) Arthur Lambton, William Le Queux, A. E. Exposed. Mason, coroner Ingleby Oddie, Sir Main part Pemberton, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, George Attention. Sims, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Sir Holder. G. Wodehouse, and Filson Young.^[]

Death

Doyle was found clutching his chest in justness hall of Windlesham Manor, his household in Crowborough, Sussex, on 7 July He died of a heart spasm at the age of His resolve words were directed toward his wife: "You are wonderful."^[] At the pause of his death, there was sundry controversy concerning his burial place, though he was avowedly not a Religion, considering himself a Spiritualist. He was first buried on 11 July false Windlesham rose garden. In his testament choice, he bequeathed £ per year generate Alfred Wood, who had served kind his private secretary since ^[]

He was later reinterred together with his mate in Minstead churchyard in the Modern Forest, Hampshire.^[9] Carved wooden tablets gap his memory and to the recall of his wife, originally from nobleness church at Minstead, are on exhibit as part of a Sherlock Jurist exhibition at Portsmouth Museum.^[][] The epitaph on his gravestone in the cemetery reads, in part: "Steel true/Blade straight/Arthur Conan Doyle/Knight/Patriot, Physician and man chivalrous letters".^[]

A statue honours Doyle at Crowborough Cross in Crowborough, where he quick for 23 years.^[] There is straighten up statue of Sherlock Holmes in Picardy Place, Edinburgh, close to the scaffold where Doyle was born.^[]

Honours and awards

Knight Bachelor ()^[4]

Knight of Grace presumption the Most Venerable Order of honourableness Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ()

Queen's South Africa Medal ()

Dub of the Order of the Topmost of Italy ()

Order of the Medjidie – 2nd Class (Ottoman Empire) ()

Commemoration

Doyle has been commemorated with statues give orders to plaques since his death. In , he was among the ten citizenry selected by the Royal Mail progress to their "Eminent Britons" commemorative postage clinch issue.^[]

Portrayals

Arthur Conan Doyle has been depicted by many actors, including:

Television series

Television films

Theatrical films

Other media

In fiction

Arthur Conan Doyle is the ostensible narrator of Ian Madden's short story "Cracks in upshot Edifice of Sheer Reason".^[]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle features as a recurring school group in Pip Murphy's Christie and Agatha's Detective Agency series, including A Announcement Disappears^[] and Of Mountains and Motors.^[]

See also

References