Charles Altamont Doyle
Charles Altamont Doyle (25 march 1832 - 10 october 1893) was an artist, watercolourist and illustrator, and the father of Arthur Conan Doyle. Charles was the youngest son of the caricaturist John Doyle (1797-1868) known as "H.B." and brother of Richard Doyle (Dicky). He joined the Edinburgh Office of Works at 19. He exhibited a number of watercolours and pen and ink studies at the Royal Scottish Academy. He illustrated John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and produced several illustrations for London Society between 1862 and 1864 and also for humorous books. But he never met success and fell into depression and alcoholism. He finally went insane and get interned in various asylums from 1885 to his death. It has been said that his best artistic works has been produced in the confines of the asylums.
However, in july 1888, Charles did 6 illustrations for his son's novel A Study in Scarlet published by Ward, Lock & Co., and two months later he drew again 1 illustration for Arthur's The Mystery of Cloomber serialized in The Pall Mall Gazette (19 september 1888) and in The Pall Mall Budget (27 september 1888).
Autoportraits
-
Ink convenience and no mistake, as he appears a heavy sweel. Truth as Death. (5 july 1889)
Charles meets Death and Angel shows the way. -
I believe this is known as a "pick-me up". (22 may 1889)
Charles depicted by himself while suffering a tremendous headache. -
Portrait of a gentleman, and you'ld require to be told so. (22 may 1889)
Charles depicted by himself while suffering a tremendous headache. -
Well Met (19 july 1889)
Charles meets Death. -
Mary , my ideal home ruler. No repeal of the union proposed in this case
Charles and his wife Mary. -
Where pussy used to sit at home, observe her observant critical look, friendly but sorrowful
Charles with cat. -
Autoportrait while confined in 'Sunnyside' as he named the Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London) -
Charles Altamont Doyle and his wife Mary
(National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin)
Illustrations for Arthur Conan Doyle
- A Study in Scarlet (1888)
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The Mystery of Cloomber (1888)
-
Important dates of his life
1832
- 25 march : Birth of Charles Altamont Doyle.
1855
- 31 july : Marriage with Mary Josephine Elizabeth Foley at Edinburgh's Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary..
1856
- 22 july : Birth of his 1st child: Anne Mary Frances Conan Doyle aka Tottie / Annette / Nan.
1857
- Charles and Mary lived at 1 South Nelson Street, Edinburgh.
1858
- Charles and Mary lived at 5 Nelson Street, Edinburgh.
- Charles and Mary lived at 11, Picardy Place, Edinburgh until 1861.
- 22 april : Birth of his 2nd child: Catherine Amelia Angela Doyle.
- 22 october : Death of his 2nd child: Catherine Amelia Angela Doyle.
1859
- 22 may : Birth of his 3rd child : Arthur Conan Doyle.
1861-1864
- Charles and Mary lived at 3 Tower Bank, (Tower Bank House) Portobello.
1861
- 4 may : Birth of his 4th child: Mary Helena Monica Harriet Doyle.
1863
- 3 june : Death of his 4th child: Mary Helena Monica Harriet Doyle.
1866
- Charles and Mary lived at Liberton Bank, Liberton (Edinburgh).
- 22 february : Birth of his 5th child: Caroline Mary Burton Doyle (1866-1941) aka Lottie.
1868-1875
- Charles and Mary lived at 3, Sciennes Hill Place, Newington, Edinburgh.
1868
- 4 march : Birth of his 6th child: Constance Amelia Monica Doyle (1868-1924) aka Connie.
1873
- 31 march : Birth of his 7th child: John Francis Innes Hay Doyle (1873-1919) aka Duff.
1875
- 16 march : Birth of his 8th child: Jane Adelaide Rose Doyle (1875-1937) aka Ida.
1875-1877
- Charles and Mary lived at 2, Argyle Park Terrace.
1877
- 2 march : Birth of his 9th child: Bryan Mary Julia Josephine Doyle (1877-1927) aka Dodo.
1881
- Charles lives in Blairerno, a boarding house, possibly one that specialized in the treatment of alcoholics, near Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, Scotland.
1885-1892
- Charles in Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum (Sunnyside), Kincardinshire (now Angus), Scotland.
1892
- january-may : Charles in Royal Edinburgh Asylum (Morningside).
- from 31 may : Charles in The Crichton Royal Institution, Dumfries, Dumfrieshire, Scotland.
1893
- 10 october : Death of Charles Altamont Doyle. He was buried at High Cemetery, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway (south side of Craigs Road).
1924
- February : His son, Arthur Conan Doyle, mounted an exhibition of the works of his father at The Brooke Galleries, London.
Performers
-
David McKail as the spirit of Charles Altamont Doyle in TV episode The Other Side (1992) -
John Bett as Charles Altamont Doyle in TV movie The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (2000) -
John Bett as Charles Altamont Doyle in TV movie The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle (2005) -
Sarah Marschner as Charles Altamont Doyle in ballet Duke Ellington Meets Sherlock Holmes (2010)
and also in:
- 2001 : Murder Rooms: The White Knight Stratagem (Hugh Ross as Charles Altamont Doyle)
