Mary Louise Conan Doyle
From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Mary Louise Conan Doyle aka Toots (28 january 1889 - 12 june 1976) was the daughter and first child of Arthur Conan Doyle and Louisa Hawkins.
She had a direct younger brother Kingsley and 3 half-siblings Denis, Adrian and Jean (Lena) from the second marriage of her father.
Mary, aged 9, wrote A Visit to Heven which her father published privately in 200 copies.
She worked as journalist and musician.
Arthur Conan Doyle about Mary
In his autobiography Memories and Adventures (1923), Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his daughter :
- « One daughter, Mary, had been born to us, our household was a happy one... »
- « I came home with this great suggestion buzzing in my head and as my wife was quite willing and Mary, my little girl, was old enough now to be left with her grandmother, there seemed to be no obstacle in the way. »
- « The two children, Mary and Kingsley, were passing through the various sweet phases of human development, and brought great happiness into our lives. »
- « My daughter Mary gave herself up altogether to public work, making shells at Vickers' and afterwards serving in a canteen. »
Video
In the movie footage below, Arthur Conan Doyle with his daughter Mary, R. G. Monier-Williams and Miss De Morgan at the entrance of The Psychic Bookshop (ca. 1925) :
Photos
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Mary (2 months old) and her mother Louisa (march 1889). -
Louisa holding Mary at Tennison Road (photo by Arthur Conan Doyle) (ca. 1892). -
Mary with her aunt "Nemmie", Emily Hawkins (ca. 1892). -
Mary with her mother Louisa (august 1892). -
Mary (aged 4) and Kingsley with Ada Bishop (the maid of granny Hawkins) (1893). -
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Kingsley and Mary at Davos (15 november 1894). -
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Mary at Grayswood Beeches (ca. 1897). -
Mary (aged 9) and Kingsley (age 7) (1899). -
Mary (aged 9) (1899). -
Claire Foley with Mary (1900s). -
Mary at Miss Gruner's School (Hindhead). Mary is the 3rd standing from the right (ca. 1901). -
Family photo. Mary is standing 4th from left, between Hornung and Arthur Conan Doyle (1904). -
Kingsley and Mary (september 1908). -
Mary (right) with her step-mother Jean, Arthur Conan Doyle and her half-brothers/sister : Denis, Lena Jean, Adrian (1912). -
Kingsley and Mary at St. Anne's Cottage, Chertsey (ca. 1914). -
Mary as she arrived in New York (4 december 1919). -
Mary arrived in Los Angeles onboard the Columbia (december 1919). -
Press photo. -
Mary Louise Conan Doyle. Photo taken in California (1919-1920). -
Mary studying interior of a motion picture camera at Los Angeles (february 1920). -
Mary with film director Allan Dwan in Los Angeles Studio (march 1920). -
Mary in California (1920). -
Mary (right) with Arthur Conan Doyle at The Psychic Bookshop (ca. 1925). -
Lena Jean and Mary (1970s). -
Mary at 3 St. Helena Terrace, Richmond (1970s). -
Gravestone (reunited with Kingsley).
Biography
1889
- 28 january : Birth of Mary Louise Conan Doyle at 1 Bush Villas, Southsea, Hampshire, delivered by Arthur Conan Doyle himself.
1890
- 7 february : Mary baptised at St. James Church, Milton, Portsmouth.
1894
- Winter : She spent the winter in Davos (Switzerland) with her mother Louisa, her brother Kingsley and her aunt Lottie.
1899
- Aged 9, she wrote a short story A Visit to Heven. Her father found it so clever for her age that he published it privately in 200 copies.
1902
- Mary was sent to Prior's Field boarding school, Godalming, Surrey, a just-opened progressive school for girls.
1905
- May : She went to Paris with her mother Louisa.
1907
- September : Mary was in Dresden, Saxony (Germany) to study music until july 1910.
1909
- August : She was on holidays at Swanage Dorset with her brother Kingsley and her aunt Juey. Then in Scotland with Kingsley and Dorothy Kirkwood near Largs.
1910
- 25 july : She left Dresden and came back to England.
- 11 august : She arrived in London from Dresden. After, Kingsley, Mary and Dorothy Kirkwood attended the play The Speckled Band: An Adventure of Sherlock Holmes at Globe Theatre.
- August : Then they went for holiday in Seaview (Isle of Wight) with aunt Juey.
1918
- November : She was living at 9 St. Mary's House, London.
1919
- 24 november : Mary sailed from Glasgow on board the Columbia for America.
- 4 december : Mary arrived in New York from Glasgow on the Anchor liner Columbia on her way to San Francisco. She was accompanied by Mrs. C. R. A. Colonna [1] (or Mrs. W. H. Coleman [2]), an English concert singer.
1920
- september 1920 : Mary returned to England after several months on the USA West coast.
1922
- august : Mary started a tour of Europe.
- 30 september : Mary and her young Indian friend Pillo were in Florence (Italy).
1925
- 23 october : Mary played piano with the Scolia Folk Song Quartette at the Aeolian Hall, New Bond Street, London. Arthur Conan Doyle attended the concert.
- Mary worked in The Psychic Bookshop of her father as a temporary manager after the opening but was asked to stay by the hired manager and assistant.
1927
- 24 march : Mary played piano with the Scolia Folk Song Quartette at the Faculty of Arts Gallery, and gave a lecture.
1930
- 11 july : She attended the funeral of her father at Windlesham.
- 13 july : She attended the Memorial service organised by the Marylebone Spiritualist Association at the Albert Hall.
1955
- 7 july : She attended the re-burial of the remains of her father from Windlesham to Minstead Church, New Forest.
1976
- 12 june : Mary died, aged 87. She was buried next to her mother Louisa at St. Luke's Church, Grayshott.
Articles by Mary
- American Impressions by Miss Conan Doyle
- 01. The American Type (10 may 1920)
- 02. Social Functions in the West (14 may 1920)
- 03. Clothes (17 may 1920)
- 04. Women in Business (19 may 1920)
- 05. Club Life (25 may 1920)
- 06. The Influence of the Movies (1 june 1920)
- 07. Mrs. Fiske and the American Stage (5 june 1920)
- 08. Tradition in the West (9 june 1920)
- 09. Romance (11 june 1920)
- 10. Prohibition (18 june 1920)
- 11. The Child (22 june 1920)
- God's Truth, Pure, Clear Seen in 'Pilgrim Play' (13 july 1920)
- Conan Doyle's Daughter Writes on Spiritualism
- 01. Tells How Visit to "Circle" Converted Her (1 january 1921)
- 02. A Talk with Lady Glenconner on Modern Spiritualism (8 january 1921)
- 03. What Are Thougths? (15 january 1921)
- 04. Message of Spiritualistic Thoughts (22 january 1921)
- 05. Impulses from Beyond (29 january 1921)
- 06. Recognizing the Spirit (5 february 1921)
- 07. Mary Conan Doyle Talks With a Great and Petulant Prelate (12 february 1921)
- Mrs. Clare Sheridan Talks About Russia and Her Art (19 february 1921)
- Mrs. Philip Snowden Talks About Ireland and Growing Troubles (5 march 1921)
- Sunny-Haired Girl is British Premier's Aide (19 june 1921)
- A Glimpse of Harry Lauder (24 july 1921)
- Lloyd George's Girl Secretary is Adept in Guarding Secrets (28 august 1921)
- Can Women Handle Big Business? (30 october 1921)
- Conan Doyle's Daughter Pays Tribute to Him (7 july 1929)
Performers
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Erin Rowan in TV movie The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle (2005).
Related articles
- The Children of Well-known Men: Dr. Conan Doyle (The Sketch, 26 april 1899, p. 26)
