Dr. A. Conan Doyle (article 13 december 1890)
Dr. A. Conan Doyle is an article published in the Portsmouth Times on 13 december 1890.
The article presents the young Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle as a talented and admired Southsea physician, rising author, sportsman, and public-minded citizen whose departure for further eye study in Vienna and a larger career in London was warmly regretted but sincerely celebrated.
Dr. A. Conan Doyle
The announcement that Dr. Conan Doyle is about to leave Southsea for Vienna, where he will continue his special study of the eye prior to commencing practice as an oculist in London, has caused deep regret. Portsmouthians would have preferred to retain the skilled physician, the gifted litterateur, and the genial, kind-hearted townsman. Dr. Doyle having, however, after mature consideration, decided to neck a wider sphere of usefulness, the good wishes expressed for his future welfare at the parting dinner at which he was entertained last night at the Grosvenor Hotel, Southsea, under the auspices of the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society, will be heartily endorsed by the inhabitants generally. Dr. Doyle is essentially an "all-round man." During his eight years' residence here he has steadily made his way in his profession; he has found time to devote to literature, in which he has achieved a national reputation as a writer of sterling and stirring fiction; and, withal, he has gained renown as a cricketer and footballist.
Dr. Conan Doyle, who is 31 or 32 years of age, was born at Edinburgh, and comes from a good stock. His father, Charles Doyle, was an artist, and the son of John Doyle, a celebrated caricaturist (better known, perhaps, as "H.B."). James Doyle, the historian, Henry Doyle, C.B., director of the Irish Academy, and Richard Doyle, formerly of Punch, are uncles of the subject of our sketch.
Dr. Doyle was educated at Stonyhurst College, and after a year's study in Germany entered as a medical student at Edinburgh University, where in due course be took his degree of M.D. Then he went on a voyage in the Arctic Seas, following this by a trip to the West Coast of Africa, and eventually, in the year 1882, settled at Southsea as a medical practitioner. But before this Dr. Doyle had given proof of literary talent, for at the early age of 18 he contributed short tales to Cornhill and Temple, several of which, we believe, were reprinted not long since in "The Captain of the Polestar," published by Messrs. Longman. His first great success was "Micah Clarke," a work in which very many of our readers have doubtless found much to interest them. The Figaro, a periodical whose criticisms of the works of budding novelists are not as a rule all honey and sugar, in speaking of the book recently said:— "It must have cost the author an immense amount of labour; for there is not a slipshod passage in it, and the minor details obviously received the same careful attention us the plot and characterisation." The great demand for the book is in itself strong evidence of its popularity; it has now gone through five editions. Since then Messrs. Chatto and Windus have published for him "The Firm of Girdlestone," a more sensational work, in which the character studies are remarkably good, which cannot be said of some of the books of this class which flood the press in the present day. Dr. Doyle's latest great work is The White Company," which is to appear as the serial story in next year's Cornhill. He has written an article on the life of Dr. Koch, whose name is on every one's lips to-day, which appears as the "character Sketch" in the December issue of The Review of Reviews.
Dr. Doyle, it may be mentioned, married, three years after his settlement in Southsea, Miss Louisa Hawkins, of Minsterworth, Gloucestershire. His love of outdoor recreation is well-known, and he will be greatly missed by the Portsmouth Cricket and Association Football Clubs, in whose welfare he has taken a practical interest. The Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society, of which he was one of the hon. secs., will lose an active member, who, being a ready and able speaker, has made notable contributions to the debates. A strong Liberal Unionist, Dr. Doyle took a prominent part at the last election, and he made an effective speech on the occasion of the Hon. Evelyn Ashley being introduced as the Liberal Unionist candidate at the next election.
Early in January Dr. Conan Doyle intends to start for the Austrian capital, where he proposes to spend three months in study of the eye-practice in the University of that city. He hopes to continue his studies in Paris, and finally to settle an a specialist in London. Our readers will unite with us in wishing him God-speed and success in his future career, both in the medical and literary professions.
