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2026-03-20T11:43:00Z

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	== Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will ==		== Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will ==
	[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p33-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 33)]]		[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p33-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol. 8, 1998, p. 33)]]
	[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p34-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 34)]]		[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p34-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol. 8, 1998, p. 34)]]
	[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p35-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 35)]]		[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p35-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol. 8, 1998, p. 35)]]

	[[Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle\|Dame Jean]]'s Will is a twenty-six page document (twenty-five pages of original, and a single page codicil), which seems rather vaguely written in some respects. As would be expected, there are a number of dispositions of personal property, and these need be of no concern to us here.		[[Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle\|Dame Jean]]'s Will is a twenty-six page document (twenty-five pages of original, and a single page codicil), which seems rather vaguely written in some respects. As would be expected, there are a number of dispositions of personal property, and these need be of no concern to us here.

TCDE-Team: Created page with " ''Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will'' is her testament published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 8, 1998). This article summarizes the main Conan Doyle-related provisions of Dame Jean Conan Doyle's will, especially the distribution of manuscripts, letters, diaries, and copyright interests. It explains how key literary assets were divided between museums, the British Library, private trustees, and the Royal N..."

2026-03-17T16:10:06Z

Created page with " ''Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will'' is her testament published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 8, 1998). This article summarizes the main Conan Doyle-related provisions of Dame Jean Conan Doyle's will, especially the distribution of manuscripts, letters, diaries, and copyright interests. It explains how key literary assets were divided between museums, the British Library, private trustees, and the Royal N..."

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''Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will'' is her testament published in the [[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol. 8, 1998).

This article summarizes the main [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Conan Doyle]]-related provisions of [[Dame Jean Conan Doyle]]'s will, especially the distribution of manuscripts, letters, diaries, and copyright interests. It explains how key literary assets were divided between museums, the British Library, private trustees, and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

== Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will ==
[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p33-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 33)]]
[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p34-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 34)]]
[[File:Acd-society-journal-1998-vol8-p35-dame-jean-conan-doyle-s-will.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society]] (Vol.80, 1998, p. 35)]]

[[Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle|Dame Jean]]'s Will is a twenty-six page document (twenty-five pages of original, and a single page codicil), which seems rather vaguely written in some respects. As would be expected, there are a number of dispositions of personal property, and these need be of no concern to us here.

Our interest lies in the provisions made regarding some personal assets, copyrights, and those papers relating to the estate of [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] which have, of course, been disputed for so long. Relevant provisions relating to those assets are as follows (the detail is provided for information only, and to clarify the position as it now exists; it would be inappropriate to make further comment at this stage).

4. I GIVE to my Trustees free of all taxes three of my manuscripts each being a manuscript of a Sherlock Holmes story as they shall in their absolute discretion select for them to hold upon trust to distribute one such manuscript to each of the following or to such other alternative museums as my Trustees shall in their absolute discretion decide:

: (i) THE BRITISH LIBRARY
: (ii) A MUSEUM IN EDINBURGH
: (iii) A MUSEUM IN PORTSMOUTH OR SOUTHSEA

AND I DIRECT

(1) that my Trustees may only distribute a manuscript pursuant to this clause to a museum or body which falls within Schedule 3 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 or any statutory modification or re-enactment of that Schedule

(2) that otherwise my Trustees' decisions as to the choice of such manuscripts for the purposes of this gift and their distribution to the above or alternative museums shall be final and binding on each museum or body

5. (a) SUBJECT to clause 4 above I GIVE to my Trustees such six of my remaining manuscripts of my late father [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s published works (therefore excluding amongst other things my late father's notebooks and diaries) as they shall in their absolute discretion select to hold upon trust for sale such manuscripts being hereinafter referred to as "The Manuscripts Charitable Fund'

6. SUBJECT to clauses 4 and 5 I GIVE to THE BRITISH LIBRARY all my right title and interest in the physical property of original letters written by my late father and in my late father's original personal manuscripts diaries engagement books and writings but not my right title and interest in any published copies of such document or documents and not my right title and interest in any such document or documents which my Trustees in their absolute discretion may decide are documents merely of family interest and my Trustees' decisions in this respect shall be final and binding on all parties

7. I GIVE to my Trustees free of all tax payable upon or by reason of my death the remainder of my personal chattels as defined by Section 55(1)(x) of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 not hereby or by any Codicil hereto otherwise specifically disposed of UPON TRUST for them within two years of my death to distribute the same in their absolute uncontrolled discretion as if such personal chattels were their own property and I DECLARE but without creating any trust or legal obligation whatsoever in respect thereof that it is my wish that my Trustees shall in distributing such chattels bear in mind the origins and sources of any such chattels and that in the case of some items it may be appropriate that they should be donated to some permanent body or institution in memory of my late father [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] upon such terms (if any) and in such manner as my Trustees shall think fit and I DIRECT that any such chattels not so distributed within two years of my death shall be held as an accretion to my Residuary Estate (as defined below)

8. I GIVE free of all taxes to such of the said [[Georgina Stevenson|Georgina Doyle]] and the said [[Charles Foley]] as shall survive me and if both in equal shares absolutely all my right title and interest in:

(a) the copyrights and all other rights of a like nature or arising therefrom and all merchandising advertising and kindred rights throughout the world in the unpublished writings of my late father and

(b) all such rights throughout the world except in the United States of America in the published works of my late father other than those works which are specified in the first schedule to a deed of assignment dated 16th February 1972 and made between Fides Union Fiduciare (1) [[Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle|myself]] (2) [[Anna Charlotte Andersen|Anna Conan Doyle]] (3) [[Nina Mdivani|Nina Harwood]] (4) [[Dame Jean Conan Doyle]]'s Will and Baskerville Investments Limited (5)

9. I GIVE as a charitable bequest my copyrights and all other rights of a like nature or arising therefrom and all merchandising advertising and kindred rights that I own in the published works of my late father which arise in the United States of America to THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND (Charity Number 226227) of 224 Great Portland Street London WIN 6AA for the general purposes of the said Institute AND it is my wish that the said Institute shall continue to use the services of Mr [[Jon L. Lellenberg|Jon L Lellenburg]] [sic] as Agent and Mr Saul Cohen of Santa Fe New Mexico as Attorney in respect of my said copyrights and associated rights

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Dame Jean Conan Doyle's Will - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 11:43, 20 March 2026