TCDE-Team at 10:18, 20 January 2025

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[[File:Memories-and-adventures-1924-hodder-8.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] in Paris (France) for the International Spirit Congress (september 1925). In front of Hotel Regina.]]

[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] was very fond of France. He spoke and wrote French, he studied the French History for his historical novels (such as [[The White Company]], [[Sir Nigel]], [[Brigadier Gerard]]...) and France was the location of his many fictions. He had a great uncle in Paris [[Michael Edward Conan]]. He visited France several times, and he transited via France in his numerous travels.

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== Conan Doyle visits to France ==

=== 1876 : Paris ===

In june 1876, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] returning from Feldkirch (Austria) visited his great uncle [[Michael Edward Conan]] and his wife Susan in '''Paris''' for several weeks. He gave an account of the visit in his auto-biography [[Memories and Adventures]] (1923):

« ''On my way back to England I stopped at Paris. Through all my life up to this point there had been an unseen grand-uncle, named Michael Conan, to whom I must now devote a paragraph. He came into the family from the fact that my father's father ("H. B.") had married a Miss Conan. Michael Conan, her brother, had been editor of "The Art Journal" and was a man of distinction, an intellectual Irishman of the type which originally founded the Sinn Fein movement. He was as keen on heraldry and genealogy as my mother, and he traced his descent in some circuitous way from the Dukes of Brittany, who were all Conans; indeed Arthur Conan was the ill-fated young Duke whose eyes were put out, according to Shakespeare, by King John. This uncle was my godfather, and hence my name Arthur Conan. He lived in Paris and had expressed a wish that his grand-nephew and godson, with whom he had corresponded, should call en passant. I ran my money affairs so closely, after a rather lively supper at Strasburg, that when I reached Paris I had just twopence in my pocket. As I could not well drive up and ask my uncle to pay the cab I left my trunk at the station and set forth on foot. I reached the river, walked along it, came to the foot of the Champs Elysées, saw the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, and then, knowing that the Avenue Wagram, where my uncle lived, was near there, I tramped it on a hot August day and finally found him. I remember that I was exhausted with the heat and the walking, and that when at the last gasp I saw a man buy a drink of what seemed to be porter by handing a penny to a man who had a long tin on his back, I therefore halted the man and spent one of my pennies on a duplicate drink. It proved to be liquorice and water, but it revived me when I badly needed it, and it could not be said that I arrived penniless at my uncle's, for I actually had a penny. So, for some penurious weeks, I was in Paris with this dear old volcanic Irishman, who spent the summer day in his shirt-sleeves, with a little dicky-bird of a wife waiting upon him. I am built rather on his lines of body and mind than on any of the Doyles. We made a true friendship, and then I returned to my home conscious that real life was about to begin.'' »

=== 1891 : Paris ===

In march 1891, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and his wife [[Louisa Hawkins|Louisa]] arrived in '''Paris''' when they returned from Vienna (Austria) where Arthur planned to study and specialize in eye medicine. Conan Doyle told in his memories :

« ''With the spring my work at Vienna had finished, if it can be said to have ever begun, and we returned via Paris, putting in a few days there with Landolt, who was the most famous French oculist of his time.'' »

Landolt was Professor Edmond Landolt who was renowned for Optometry and author of ''The Refraction and Accomodation of the Eye and their Anomalies'' (1886).

=== 1894 : Paris ===

In april 1894, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] arrived in '''Paris''' when he returned from Davos (Switzerland) and he stayed at Hotel Byron. <ref name="lycett">''The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes'', by Andrew Lycett (Free Press, US, 2007)</ref> While he was at the Grand Café of the Louvre, he tried to count the red-ribbon gentlemen as they passed (Legion of Honour decoration).

On his return to London, he published an article giving his views about Paris: [[Paris in 1894: A Superficial Impression]] ([[The Speaker]], 21 april 1894).

During the winter 1894, Louisa and his children ([[Mary Louise Conan Doyle|Mary]] and [[Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Conan Doyle|Kingsley]]) spent the season in Davos (Switzerland). On route they visited '''Paris''' (France) and San Remo (Italy) <ref>''Out of the Shadows'', by Georgina Doyle (Calabash Press, CA, 2004)</ref>. Arthur Conan Doyle was in America at this time.

=== 1902 : Divonne-les-Bains & Paris ===

In may 1902, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] returning from a voyage in Italy and crossing Switzerland went to '''Divonne-les-Bains''' (a spa town in France, not far from Geneva) for a rest cure. Conan wrote to his mother that Sam McClure told him a cure in this town saved his reason & life. Then he went to '''Paris''' and back to London. <ref name="letters">''Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters'', by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower & Charles Foley (Harper Press, US, 2007)</ref>

=== 1905 : Paris ===

In may 1905, [[Louisa Hawkins|Louisa]] and his daughter [[Mary Louise Conan Doyle|Mary]] took a trip to '''Paris''' (without [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]). <ref name="lycett" />

=== 1907 : Paris ===

On 21 & 22 september 1907, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and his new wife [[Jean Elizabeth Leckie|Jean]] started their two months honeymoon in '''Paris''' at the ''Hotel Regina'', Rue de Rivoli, before visiting Berlin, Venice, Rome and Constantinople. <ref>''The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle'', by Russell Miller (Harvill Secker, UK, 2008)</ref>

On their return, from 10 to 14 november, they stayed in '''Paris''' at ''Hotel Regina'' again. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote two letters to his mother from the hotel. <ref name="letters" />

[[File:the-times-1908-11-20-p15-acd-and-wife-south-of-france.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Times]] (20 november 1908, p. 15c)]]
=== 1908 : South of France ===

On 25 november 1908, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and his wife [[Jean Elizabeth Leckie|Jean]] scheduled a short stay in the '''south of France'''.

=== 1911 : Rheims ===

Late june or early july, on the route to Germany for [[The Prince Henry Tour]], [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] stayed at the ''Hôtel du Lion d'Or'' (Golden Lion) in '''Rheims'''. <ref name="wanderings">[[The Wanderings of a Spiritualist]], by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] (1921), wrongly dated 1912 by Conan Doyle.</ref>

=== 1912 : Le Touquet ===

In september 1912, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and his wife [[Jean Elizabeth Leckie|Jean]] which was pregnant spent some time in '''Le Touquet''' (a holiday resort of northern France). <ref name="lycett" /> <ref name="letters" />

=== 1916 : Paris to War front ===
''Dieppe, Bethune, Loos, Bailleul, (Ypres), Montreuil(-sur-Mer), Vimy, Notre-Dame de Lorette, Acheux(-en-Amiénois), Mailly(-Maillet), Beauquesne, Amiens, Paris, Argonne, Verdun, Soissons, Villers-Cotterêt, Châlons, Forest of Argonne, Sainte Menehould'' <ref name="memories">[[Memories and Adventures#XXVIII. EXPERIENCES ON THE BRITISH FRONT|Memories and Adventures chap. 28]] and [[Memories and Adventures#XXX. EXPERIENCES ON THE FRENCH FRONT|chap. 30]], by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] (1923-1924)</ref>

In may and june 1916, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] visited the Western Front in '''France''' :

* [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] crossed the Channel on board the destroyer HMS Zulu from Newhaven to (logically) '''Dieppe'''.
* He wen north and met with the young soldiers from the 20th Royal Fusiliers near the front.
* He attended a medal presentation in the market square of '''Bethune''' (Pas-de-Calais department) where was British Generals Munro, Haking, and Landon and a French General.
* He then visited the '''Loos''' Salient.
* He had the great pleasure to see his young brother [[John Francis Innes Hay Doyle|Innes]], who had been promoted to Colonel, and was acting as Assistant Adjutant-General of the 24th Division, the Head-quarters of which were at '''Bailleul''' (Nord department), where he dined at mess and occupied a small lodging in the town, which was about six miles from the front.
* He had a view on the '''Ypres''' Salient, and in the afternoon his brother drove him to the Square at '''Ypres''' (Belgium).
* He left the front on 1st june as he had been asked (or ordered) to lunch at the General Head-quarters at '''Montreuil''' (Pas-de-Calais), the funny old town on a hill which he had learned to know well in days of peace. There he met General Douglas Haig.
* He visited the front between '''Vimy Ridge''' and the long hill of '''Notre-Dame de Lorette''' (Pas-de-Calais).
* The next day he travelled through '''Acheux''' and '''Mailly''' (Somme) where he met his son [[Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Conan Doyle|Kingsley]], captain and Medical officer of the 1st Hampshire Regiment. One hour later he met another member of his ''household'', for his Secretary, [[Alfred H. Wood]] of the 5th Sussex Territorials, was Town Major of '''Beauquesne''' (a few kilometers west from Mailly).
* Then he went on to '''Amiens''' with [[Alfred H. Wood|Major Wood]] and his friend packed him into the train to '''Paris''', where he stayed two days at '''Hotel Crillon'''.
* In '''Paris''', he met Mr. Robert Donald, editor of the "Daily Chronicle", which introduced him to the French politician George Clémenceau.
* Conan Doyle and Robert Donald decided to visit the French lines in the ''Argonne''. From Paris they passed in '''Villers-Cotterêt''' before arriving at '''Soissons''', where they met Leo Maxse, editor of the "National Review," and M. Chevillon, who had written a book on British co-operation in the war.
* Their expedition carried them to '''Châlons''' and from Châlons they drove some twenty miles East entering the '''Forest of Argonne''' to '''Sainte Menehould''' where they met General Hennoque of the 10th Division, and a Colonel that Conan Doyle called ''Cyrano'' due to his resemblance with Cyrano de Bergerac (see photos below). They dined with General Antoine and General Humbert. The latter asked to Conan Doyle ''"Sherlock Holmes, est-ce qu'il est un soldat dans l'armée Anglaise?"'' (Is Sherlock Holmes a soldier in the British Army?) and Conan Doyle replied ''"Mais, mon général, il est trop vieux pour le service"'' (He is too old to be on duty). There was general laughter.
* They visited the front lines and could see '''Verdun''' and some cotes like '''The Observatory''' and '''Fille Morte'''.
* After three days visit, they went back to '''Paris'''.

Conan Doyle wrote an account of his visit to the French Front: [[A Glimpse of the French Line]] which was collected in [[A Visit to Three Fronts]] (British, French and Italian), and he started to write accounts of the battles: [[The British Campaign in France (april 1916)|The British Campaign in France (21 articles)]].

[[File:map-1916-war-front-france.jpg|thumb|730px|center|Arthur Conan Doyle's visits to war front in [[France]] (may-june 1916)<br />Read Conan Doyle's account in [[Memories_and_Adventures#XXVIII._EXPERIENCES_ON_THE_BRITISH_FRONT|Memories and Adventures: XXVIII. Experiences on the British front]] and [[Memories_and_Adventures#XXX._EXPERIENCES_ON_THE_FRENCH_FRONT|XXX. Experiences on the French front]].]]

<gallery mode="packed" heights="260px">
File:1916-06-arthur-conan-doyle-on-the-french-front.jpg|[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] visiting the French front in the Argonne, with Colonel ''Cyrano'' and Robert Donald on the left.

File:john-murray-1931-arthur-conan-doyle-a-memoir-p106-photo.jpg|[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] in the Argonne. From left to right: Colonel ''Cyrano'', [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], Mr. Robert Donald and General Hennoque.

File:the-daily-mirror-1916-07-01-p6-surveying-the-ruins-photo.jpg|[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] visiting the ruins in Soissons, France (may~june 1916).
</gallery>

=== 1917 : France ===

Late january or early february 1917, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] wrote to his mother that he shall go to '''France'' about 12 february for a day or two as Sir Douglas Haig wanted him over some matter of the history. <ref name="letters" />

=== 1920 : Marseilles ===

Late august 1920, on his route to Australia and New Zealand, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and family disembark in '''Marseilles''' where he saw some of the Senegal troops in the streets — a whole battalion of them marching down for re-embarkation. <ref name="wanderings" />

=== 1921 : Marseilles, Paris, Aisne battlefields, Colombes, St. Jean de Luz ===
''Marseilles, Paris, Meaux, Château Thierry, La Ferté Millon, Belleau, Dormans, Bligny, Rheims, Chemin des Dames, Soissons, Paris, Colombes, St. Jean de Luz'' <ref name="wanderings" />

In march 1921, returning from his 7-month trip in Australia and New Zealand, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] and family arrived in '''Marseilles''' again where they stayed at ''Hotel du Louvre'' on the Cannebière.

From Marseilles, they took a long stride to '''Paris''' where they stayed "under the friendly and comfortable roof" of the ''Hôtel du Louvre''. The first visit which he paid in '''Paris''' was to Dr. Geley, head of the Institut Metaphysique, at 89, Avenue Niel. Conan Doyle volunteered to give an exhibition of his Australian slides, and they invited a distinguished audience of men of science to see them. When Conan Doyle found that his box of slides was in the luggage which [[Alfred H. Wood|Major Wood]] had taken on with him in the "Naldera" to England, he was horrified. They were rushed over by aeroplane, however, in response to his telegram, and so the situation was saved. He made a one hour and a quarter private lecture in French which was attended by Mr. Charles Richet, Mr. Gabrielle Delanne, and a number of other men of science. After the lecture he attended an exhibition from a medium named Aubert. The next day he had the honour of meeting Camille Flammarion, the famous astronomer, who was deeply engaged in psychic study. He met Madame Bisson and Professor Jules Courtier of the Sorbonne as well.

[[Arthur Conan Doyle]], his wife [[Jean Elizabeth Leckie|Jean]] and his son [[Denis Percy Stewart Conan Doyle|Denis]] went for a two days visit of the '''Aisne''' battlefields, "paying their respects incidentally to Bossuet at '''Meaux''', Fenelon at '''Château Thierry''', and Racine at '''La Ferté Millon'''". They followed on the same route than the taxi cabs of the Marne, passed near '''Belleau''' woods, then '''Dormans''', '''Bligny''', '''Rheims''', the '''Chemin des Dames''' where Denis found a Prussian helmet and ended at '''Soissons''' before they came back to '''Paris'''.

During their stay in '''Paris''' they went to see the Anglo-French Rugby match at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in '''Colombes'''. Conan Doyle said ''The French have not quite got the sporting spirit, and there was some tendency to hoot whenever a decision was given for the English, but the play of their team was most excellent, and England only won by the narrow margin of 10 to 6.'' Marshal Foch was present. Result was 10-6 for England. <ref>[[The Wanderings of a Spiritualist]] (1921)</ref>

While in '''Paris''', Conan Doyle heard that his brother-in-law, [[E. W. Hornung]], the author of "Raffles", was dying at '''St. Jean de Luz''' in the Pyrenees. He started off at once, but was only in time to be present at his funeral.

=== 1925 : Paris ===

Early september 1925, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] attended and was chairman at a meeting of the ''International Spiritualist Congress'' in '''Paris'''.

During his stay, Conan Doyle was interviewed by French journalists : he replied in French in [[Une interview de Conan Doyle avant le Congrès des esprits]] (7 september 1925) and [[A French View of Conan Doyle]] (12 september 1925).

[[File:Memories-and-adventures-1924-hodder-8.jpg|thumb|250px|center|[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] in Paris (France) for the International Spirit Congress (september 1925). In front of Hotel Regina.]]

=== Undated ===

[[Arthur Conan Doyle]] was said to have come several times in [[Les Andelys]] (20 km south-east of Rouen) where his sister [[Anne Mary Frances Conan Doyle|Annette]] lived. It's still to be verified.

== Conan Doyle's lectures/interviews related to France ==

'''1899'''
* [[British Writers on French Authors]] (11 february 1899, [[The Morning Post]])
'''1912'''
* [[France as a Holiday Playground]] (6 november 1912, Café Royal) ''lecture''
'''1914'''
* [[Submarine Railway between England and France]] (26 february 1914, Cannon-Street Hotel) ''lecture''
'''1925'''
* [[A French View of Conan Doyle]] (12 september 1925, [[Les Nouvelles Littéraires]]) ''interview''

== Conan Doyle's writings related to France ==

=== Articles, Letters, Books ===

'''1890'''
* [[The Duello in France]] (december 1890, [[The Cornhill Magazine]]) ''article''
'''1894'''
* [[Paris in 1894: A Superficial Impression]] (21 april 1894, [[The Speaker]]) ''article''
'''1913-1922'''
* [[A Channel Tunnel]] ''letters''
'''1916'''
* [[A Glimpse of the French Line]] (20 & 22 june 1916, [[The Daily Chronicle]]) ''articles''
* [[A Tribute to France]] (22 july 1916, [[Manchester City News]]) ''article''
* [[A Visit to Three Fronts]] (august 1916, [[Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.]]) ''book''
* [[The British Campaign in France (april 1916)|The British Campaign in France (21 articles)]] (1916-1919, [[The Strand Magazine]]) ''articles''
* [[The British Campaign in France and Flanders]] (1916-1920, [[Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.]]) ''books''
'''1954 (posthume)'''
* [[The Wild Geese. The Story of the Irish Brigades in France]] (13-22 september 1954, [[The Irish Times]]) ''article''

=== Fictions ===

* [[The Ring of Thoth]] (1890) : the short story takes place in Paris.
* [[The White Company]] (1891) : many references and locations in France.
* [[The Refugees]] (1893) : the novel takes place in Louis XIV's France.
* [[The Slapping Sal]] (1893) : short story related to a French frigate and captain.
* [[Brigadier Gerard|The Brigadier Gerard stories]] (1894-1910) : the stories take place in the Napoleonic France.
* [[The Tragedy of the Korosko]] (1897) : many references to French colonies in Africa.
* [[The Leather Funnel]] (1902) : the short story takes place in Paris.
* [[Sir Nigel]] (1906) : many references and locations in France.
* [[The Prisoner's Defence]] (1916) : related to World War I on French front.
* and France is mentioned in many others.

''' In the Sherlock Holmes stories '''

* [[A Study in Scarlet]] (1887) : [[Lefevre]] committed his crimes in Montpellier, France. [[Leturier]] was murdered here as well. [[Jefferson Hope]] pursued [[Drebber]] an [[Stangerson]] in [[Paris]], France.

* [[The Sign of Four]] (1888) : [[François le Villard]] was a French policeman. [[Thaddeus Sholto]] said he was partial to the modern French school (of painting).

* [[A Case of Identity]] (1891) : [[James Windibank]]'s business often took him to France, in [[Bordeaux]]. And, a rather intricate matter has been referred to [[Sherlock Holmes]] from [[Marseilles]], France.

* [[The Red-Headed League]] (1891) : [[Sherlock Holmes]] said that German music was more to his taste than Italian or French. The [[City and Suburban Bank]] borrowed £30.000 from the [[Bank of France]].

* [[The Adventure of Noble Bachelor]] (1892) : Mr. and Mrs. [[Francis Hay Moulton]] planned to live in [[Paris]], France. [[Sherlock Holmes]] knew a case which occurred a year after the Franco-Prussian war.

* [[The Adventure of the Copper Beeches]] (1892) : [[Violet Hunter]] spoke a little of French.

* [[The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk]] (1893) : [[The Franco-Midland Hardware Company]] had 134 branches in France.

* [[The Adventure of the Reigate Squire]] (1893) : [[Dr. Watson]] travelled to [[Lyons]], France, as he was informed that [[Sherlock Holmes]] was ill there.

* [[The Adventure of the Crooked Man]] (1893) : There were French windows at [[Lachine]].

* [[The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter]] (1893) : [[Vernet]], the great uncle of [[Sherlock Holmes]], was French.

* [[The Adventure of the Naval Treaty]] (1893) : [[Bertillon]] was a French scientific policeman. [[Monsieur Dubuque]] belonged to the [[Paris]] Police. The French embassy would pay an immense sum for the stolen naval treaty. The clerk [[Gorot]] was suspected of stealing the naval treaty because of his French name.

* [[The Adventure of the Final Problem]] (1893) : [[Sherlock Holmes]] was engaged by the French government in the sprint of 1891. Holmes and Watson landed at [[Dieppe]], France. And, Watson received a note from Holmes from [[Narbonne]] and [[Nîmes]], France.

* [[The Hound of the Baskervilles]] (1901) : [[Mlle. Carère]] was French.

* [[The Adventure of the Empty House]] (1903) : [[Sherlock Holmes]] spent several months in south of France. [[Oscar Meunier]] lived in [[Grenoble]], France.

* [[The Adventure of the Norwood Builder]] (1903) : There were French windows at the [[Deep Dene House]].

* [[The Adventure of the Priory School]] (1904) : The duchess of Holdernesse lived in France.

* [[The Adventure of the Six Napoleons]] (1904) : [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] was Emperor of the French. [[Dr. Watson]] spoke of the modern French psychologists. The sculptor [[Devine]] was French.

* [[The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez]] (1904) : The French President awarded [[Sherlock Holmes]] a letter for the arrest of [[Huret]].

* [[The Adventure of the Abbey Grange]] (1904) : There were French windows at the [[Abbey Grange]].

* [[The Adventure of the Second Stain]] (1904) : The French police made important discoveries in the [[Lucas]] murder case. [[Madame Fournaye]] was French, and [[Eduardo Lucas]] had a small villa in [[Paris]], France.

* [[The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge]] (1908) : [[Don Murillo]] was attacked in [[Paris]], France.

* [[The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans]] (1908) : The [[Hôtel du Louvre]] is in [[Paris]], France.

* [[The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax]] (1911) : [[Dr. Watson]] trailed [[Lady Frances Carfax]] in France.

* [[His Last Bow]] (1917) : [[Baron Von Herling]] considered the possibility that England might leave France to her Fate in the German invasion of 1914.

* [[The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone]] (1921) : [[Tavernier]] was French. And, [[Sherlock Holmes]] knew that [[Count Sylvius]] was involved in the robbery of the train-de-luxe to the [[Riviera]], France.

* [[The Adventure of the Illustrious Client]] (1925) : [[Le Brun]] was French.

* [[The Adventure of the Three Gables]] (1926) : [[Sherlock Holmes]] asked [[Mary Maberley]] is she would like to go to the [[Riviera]], France.

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TCDE-Team at 10:18, 20 January 2025