Anna Charlotte Andersen

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Anna Charlotte Conan Doyle born Andersen (1952)

Anna Charlotte Andersen (1910/11 - 23 january 1991) was a Danish-born woman who married in 1938 Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle (the 4th child of Arthur Conan Doyle), and became Anna Charlotte Conan Doyle.



Biography

She was born in 1910 or 1911. Her father was Adolf Gjols Andersen, a shipowner of Copenhagen, Denmark.

After school, she did 4 years at medical studies.

On 12 may 1937, she went in London to see King George VI coronation. The evening she went to a party where she met Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle for the first time. It is said that Adrian proposed her for marriage a few days after the party and she accepted. [1]

On 23 may 1938, she was married to Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle by Rev. H. Horton at All Saints Church, Minstead, New Forest, Hampshire. She was given away by Adrian's cousin Innes Foley. She wore a mediaeval gown of white satin made in Scandinavia with a tule veil and carried a bouquet of gardenias and lilies (see photo). At church were present Lady Conan Doyle, Jean Conan Doyle Mary Conan Doyle, Denis Conan Doyle as best man, Francis Doyle, Francis Doyle, Innes Foley, Marquis Julio de Amodio, Miss Angela Ashmead Bartlett, Miss and Mrs. Horton, Desmond Nicholas, Ambrose Sedgwick, Miss Cynthia Sedgwick, Robin Sanders-Clark, Miss Ruth Smith and Miss Babs Thorn. A reception was held at Cuffnels, Lyndhurst.

On 25 may 1938, the couple left for a 3-months honeymoon in the Cameroons.

In 1939, Anna opened their home as a rest house for officers. [1]

In october 1939, Anna charged Frederick Thomas Holden, a houseman employed in her house at Crowborough, with stealing a gold cigarette case marked "A. A." (see article below).

Around 1946, Anna and Adrian got bored with civilization and they lived for 6 months on a 30-foot schooner to study tropical marine life in Zanzibar. Adrian wrote a report of their expedition in Heaven has Claws (John Murray, 1952) where he referred to Anna rare courage.

In 1970, Adrian died of a heart attack aged 59.

She died on 23 january 1991 in Geneva. Her ashes were interred near Adrian's on the battlements of the Lucens Castle.


Photos


Related Articles


Death notice
(Journal de Genève, 25 january 1991, p. 25)





  1. 1.0 1.1 Adventure Spices Life of Writer, by Margaret Shipley (Arizona Republic, 2 march 1952, section 2, p. 12)