Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ DL was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Born 22 May 1859, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish physician and author, best known for his writings about fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. His other works include science fiction, fantasy, plays, non-fiction and historical novels.
Sir Arthur was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Charles Altamont Doyle and Mary Foley, both Irish Catholics. Though his father was an alcoholic and his immediate family poor, Doyle was supported by two wealthy uncles who put him through a Jesuit Preparatory School and Stonyhurst College.
After that, from 1876 to 1881, Sir Arthur studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. It was during this time that he started writing stories.
Beyond his literary achievements, he is recognized for his interventions in real-life cases of perceived injustice. A notable example is the case of Adolf Beck (1841-1909), a man wrongly convicted of fraud in 1895. Doyle, along with journalist George Robert Sims (1847-1922), lent his voice to Beck's defense, highlighting the shortcomings of the evidence and the possibility of mistaken identity. This public support undoubtedly contributed to Beck's eventual exoneration in 1904, showcasing Doyle's commitment to fairness and his willingness to challenge the status quo[1]
Doyle was also interested in sports and played football as well as being a cricketer and a golfer.
For a short time, Sir Arthur was friends with magician Harry Houdini. However, even though Doyle was convinced that that Spiritualist mediums used trickery, he insisted that Houdini possessed supernatural powers. Though Houdini tried to convince Doyle his act was simply illusions, Doyle remained unconvinced, leading to a bitter falling out between the two.
In 1914, the Canadian government invited Doyle and his wife to travel by train from Montreal to Jasper National Park. He wrote about their cross-country tour in his 1923 autobiography Memories and Adventures.[2]
Sir A. Conan Doyle, cooking lunch over campfire, Maligne Canyon |
On July 7, 1930, Doyle was found in the hall of his house, Windlesham Manor, clutching his chest. He died that day of a heart attack at the age of 71. His last words "You are wonderful" were directed to his wife. The epitaph on his tombstone reads "Steel true/Blade straight/Arthur Conan Doyle/Knight/Patriot, Physician, and man of letters." All of Doyle's five children died without issue, meaning that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has no direct descendants.
"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 – 1930) Writer and physician, most noted for creating the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.He was a founder member of the Hampshire Society for Psychical Research.Conan Doyle was first buried on 11 July 1930 in Windlesham rose garden but later reinterred together with his wife in Minstead churchyard in the New Forest."[3]
See also
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