These are highlights from a speech I recently gave on Arthur Conan Doyle. I have been doing considerable research on him as he is one of the turning point characters in my Silent Meridian novel series.

Subject/Topic: Arthur Conan Doyle, The Man Behind & Beyond Sherlock Holmes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be a brief biographical overview of the important influences, which shaped the life of the famous author, Arthur Conan Doyle.

Although personally, he would have rather considered himself famous as a pioneer in the realm of Spiritualism, the general public remembers him fondly as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote an enormous body of work including poetry, stage plays and non-fiction beyond his Sherlock Holmes stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, I am going to present several facets of his very interesting life to illustrate there was more to the man than just Sherlock Holmes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To begin with, Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, who took his additional surname from a revered aunt and uncle along with several other members of his family, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 22, 1859. He traveled all over the world during the course of his lifetime. His journeys included stints on whaling ships, service in South Africa during the Boer War, to being one of the first people to popularize the sport of skiing in the Alps, and of course, there were his various lecture tours abroad. He finally died at the age of 71 at his estate at Windlesham in Crowborough, England in 1930. Eventually he was interred at New Forest with his wife, Jean, after his estate was sold.

Let’s uncover a few clues about his background to see what influenced the man who created Sherlock Holmes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conan Doyle was the eldest child of nine to reach adulthood. Raised Catholic, later in his life he became agnostic and eventually turned to Spiritualism with the belief that one’s spirit survives death.

• His mother, Mary Doyle was Irish and his father, Charles Altamont Doyle of English descent. Arthur was extremely close with his mother throughout his life, having known to write hundreds of letters to her. His father, on the other hand suffered from alcoholism and was eventually institutionalized, therefore there was little money during his upbringing.

 

• Arthur Conan Doyle was married twice. Between the two marriages he had five children. His first wife, Louise Hawkins, nicknamed Touie, died of tuberculosis. He created some controversy within his family when he started seeing the woman who eventually became his second wife, Jean Leckie, while his first wife was ailing and still alive. Once doctors had given her the diagnosis, they expected she would only have a few months to live, but managed to hang on thirteen years before she finally passed away.