Sherlock Holmes Married

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
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'Sherlock Holmes' Married is an article published in The Leeds Mercury on 19 september 1907, the day after the marriage between Arthur Conan Doyle and Jean Leckie.


'Sherlock Holmes' Married

The Leeds Mercury
(19 september 1907, p. 4)
MARRIAGE OF SIR A. CONAN DOYLE. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the well-known novelist and inventor of "Sherlock Holmes," and his bride leaving St. Margaret's, Westminster, yesterday, after the wedding ceremony.

'SHERLOCK HOLMES' MARRIED.

Quiet Wedding at Westminster.

BEAUTIFUL DRESSES.

So well was the secret kept that not a dozen people outside the bridal party knew that the wedding of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of "Sherlock Holmes," to Miss Jean Leckie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Leckie, of Blackheath, was arranged to take place at a quarter to two o'clock yesterday afternoon, at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster.

Every precaution was taken to prevent the name of the church leaking out, for Sir Arthur and his bride wished to escape the attentions of the large army of sight-seers who would have turned up' at the church to see "Sherlock Holmes" wedded had they but known the time and place.

As it was, the wedding was a very quiet affair, and only the near relations and a few friends were present. The church was decorated with white flowers and tall palms, and the service was fully choral.

The ceremony was performed by the bridegroom's brother-in-law, the Rev. Cyril Angell, of St. Augustine's Church, Victoria Park, and Capt. Hay Doyle, R.A., the bride-groom's younger brother, acted as best man. Waiting at the north door were the two bridesmaids, Miss Lily Loder-Symonds and Miss Leslie Rose, with the little page, Master Branford Angell, aged five, a nephew of the bridegroom. He was dressed in a white satin Court suit, while the brides-maids wore picturesque frocks of soft white silk veiled in net, pale blue sashes, and large blue and white hats.

Mr. Leckie gave his daughter away, and very pretty she looked in her lovely wedding robe.

The ceremony over and the register signed, Sir Arthur and his bride drove to the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Metropole, where the reception was held, at which over 250 guests were present, and later Sir Arthur and Lady Conan Doyle left for a Continental honeymoon tour.

A large number of valuable wedding presents were bestowed upon the happy couple. Sir Arthur gave his bride a superb diamond tiara, and his bride gave him a gold watch.

Then from the bride's parents there was a grand piano, a diamond pendant, and a clock for the bridegroom's study, and from Mrs. Doyle (the bridegroom's mother) a quantity of old lace and antique Sheffield plate.

The bride's wedding dress was worked out in creamy blonde silk lace of gossamer quality, the design of trails of roses and buds, with their attendant foliage, being sewn with seed pearls of graduated size, while the bodice was folded into V-shaped form over a vest of silver lace, softened with chiffon and outlined with a chain of large pearls, the moonlight gleam of which makes a charming frame to the silver dentelle. A large pure white chiffon rose, from which depended a shower of buds and tassels, and which was supplemented with loops of pearls, was tucked into the front of the corsage, while the fulness of the bodice was gathered int, a deep swathed belt of embroidered silk, which fitted snugly round the waist. Bands of silver lace and foamy frills of chiffon provided a finish to the little puffed sleeves, which were partially hidden under frills of lace, while the skirt of glistening blonde lace, softened with chiffon, fell in soft folds round the figure, the only additional note of decoration consisting of touches of pearl embroidery introduced here and there to bring the pattern into relief.

The crux of this fairylike structure consisted, however, in the train, which was slung from each shoulder and caught with huge rosettes of chiffon, from which fell clusters of pendant boules. The centre of the train was almost transparent, being composed of white silk gauze powdered with silver sequins and mounted over net, with lines of pearls forming a species of "Milky Way" across it at regular intervals. This was bordered with bands of heavy embroidered lace, caged with festoons of chiffon caught up with twisted ropes of pearls, the only hint of solidity being a wide hem of thick brocade, which in its turn was softened with bouillonnées of chiffon and sewn with pearls. A mammoth tree lover's knot of chiffon, with a clump of orange blossom and foliage, filled up the left-hand corner of the train, a cloudy tulle veil and coronet of orange blossom completing the effect.