A Chronology of Conan Doyle's Life

Date	Event	Description
1856	Birth	22 July - Birth of Ann Mary Frances Conan (Annette) (ACD’s sister)
1858	Birth	22 April - Birth of Catherine Amelia Angela Doyle (ACD’s sister).
1858	Death	20 Oct - Death of Catherine Amelia Angela Doyle - Hydrocephalus Burial after 20 Oct Grange Cemetery, Newington
1859	Birth	22 May – Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle is born at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, and baptised into the Roman Catholic religion of his parents.
1861	Birth	4 May - Birth of Mary Helena Monica Doyle (ACD’s sister).
1863	Death	3 Jun - Death of Mary Helena Monica Doyle.
1863	Death	6 Jun - Mary Helena Monica Doyle Burial Portobello, Edingburgh, MLN
1866	Birth	15 Feb - Birth of Caroline Mary Burton (Lottie) (ACD’s sister)
1866 - 1866	Education	Fall 1866- Spring 1868 – Newington Academy, Edinburgh.
1868	Birth	4 Mar - Birth of Constance Amelia Monica (Connie) (ACD’s sister)
1868 - 1870	Education	Sept - ACD is sent to Hodder Preparatory School in England.
1870 - 1875	Education	Fall – ACD sent to Stonyhurst Jesuit College, Lancashire.
1873	Birth	31 Mar - Birth of John Frances Innes Hay (ACD’s brother)
1875	Birth	16 Mar - Birth of Jane Adelaide Rose (Ida) (ACD’s sister)
1875-1876	Education	ACD passes London Matriculation Examination at Stonyhurst and studies for a year in the Jesuit college at Feldkirch, Austria.
1876	Education	ACD attends the University of Edinburgh Medical School where he meets Dr. Joseph Bell, the person who inspired the character of Sherlock Holmes. Now lodging with the Doyle family at 2 Argyle Park Terrace.
1877	Birth	2 Mar - Birth of Bryan Mary Josephine (Dodo) (ACD’s sister).
1877-1880	Education	ACD continues medical studies, becoming surgeon's clerk to Joseph Bell at Edinburgh; also takes temporary medical assistantships with Dr Richardson (Sheffield), Dr Elliott (Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shropshire), and Dr Hoare (Birmingham), the last leading to a close friendship with his employer's family.
1878	Education/ Employment	Late Spring – ACD becomes student assistant to Dr. Richardson in Sheffield, West Riding Yorkshire for 3 weeks.
	Residence	Summer - ACD stays with Doyle relations at 54 Clifton Gardens, Maida Hill (now Maida Vale), London.
	Education/ Employment	For four months (July – Oct?) ACD works as a student assistant to Dr. Henry Francis Elliot at Cliffe House, Ruyton-of-the-eleven-towns, Shropshire.
1879	Education/ Employment	Summer – ACD becomes a student assistant to Dr Reginald Ratcliff Hoare, Clifton House, Aston Road, Aston, Birmingham.
1879	Published	6 September - First story published, 'The Mystery of Sasassa Valley' in Chambers's Journal) 20 September - First non-fiction published - Gelseminum as a Poison', British Medical Journal
1880	Employment	28 Feb – Sept – ACD works on Whaler ‘Hope’.
1880	Education/ Employment	ACD works as a student assistant to Dr Hoare.
1881	Education	ACD graduates MB, CM(Edin.); Waller and the Doyles living at 15 Lonsdale Terrace, Edinburgh.
	Published	14 and 21 October - Article ‘After Cormorants with a camera’ appears in the BJP.
	Employment	ACD becomes a Medical assistant to Dr. Hoare.
1881-1882	Employment	22 Oct – 14 Jan - ACD serves as surgeon on the steamer Mayumba to West Africa, spending three days with U.S. Minister to Liberia, Henry Highland Garnet, black abolitionist leader, then dying.
1881-1882	Visit	July – Aug - Visits Foley relatives in Lismore, Co. Waterford, Ireland.
1882	Residence	Ill-fated partnership with George Turnavine Budd after working as a Medical assistant in Plymouth. ACD moves to Southsea, Portsmouth, in June to establish his own medical practice.
1882	Published/ Employment	ACD published in London Society, All the Year Round, The Lancet, and The British Journal of Photography. Over the next eight years ACD becomes an increasingly successful general practioner at Southsea.
1882–1883	Residence	Break-up of the Doyle family in Edinburgh. Charles Altamont Doyle henceforth confined because of alcoholism and epilepsy. Mary Foley Doyle resident in Masongill Cottage on the Waller estate at Masongill, Yorkshire. Innes Doyle (b. 1873) resides with ACD as schoolboy and surgery page from September 1882.
1883	Published	'The Captain of the Pole-Star' published (Temple Bar, Jan.), as well as a steady stream of minor pieces. Works on ‘The Mystery of Cloomber’.
1883	Joins Society	ACD joins the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society.
1884	Published	Jan - ACD publishes 'J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement' (Cornhill Magazine and 'The Heiress of Glenmahowley' (Temple Bar) April and May - ’John Barrington Cowels’’, 'The Cabman's Story' (Cassell's Saturday Journal, working on The Firm of Girdlestone.
1885	Published	Jan - Publishes 'The Man from Archangel' (London Society)
	Death	John Hawkins, briefly a resident patient with ACD, dies of cerebral meningitis.
	Marriage	5 Aug - Louise Hawkins, John’s sister, marries ACD. Travels in Ireland for honeymoon.
	Award	Awarded Edinburgh MD.
1886	Writing	8 Mar - Began work on ‘A Study in Scarlet’.
1887	Published	A Study in Scarlet published in Beeton's Christmas Annual.
1889	Published	Feb - Micah Clarke (ACD's novel of the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685) published.
	Birth	28 Jan - Mary Louise Conan Doyle, ACD's eldest child, born in Southsea, Portsmouth.
	Published	Unauthorised publication of Mysteries and Adventures (published later as The Gully of Bluemansdyke and My Friend the Murderer). The Sign of the Four and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray commissioned by Lippincott's.
1890	Published	Jan - 'Mr [R.L.] Stevenson's Methods in Fiction' published in the National Review.
	Published	Feb - The Sign of the Four published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine.
	Published	Mar - First authorised short-story collection, The Captain of the Pole-Star and Other Tales, published.
	Published	Apr - The Firm of Girdlestone published.
	Published	Oct - First book edition of The Sign of Four published by Spencer Blackett.
1890	Death	13 Jan - Death of Ann Mary Conan (Annette) (ACD’s Sister).
1891	Employment	6 April - ACD sets up as an eye specialist at 2 Upper Wimpole Street, off Harley Street, while living at 23 Montague Place. Moves to South Norwood.
	Published	July – Dec - The first six 'Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' published in George Newnes's Strand Magazine.
	Published	Oct - The White Company published. Beyond the City first published in Good Cheer, the special Christmas number of Good Words.
	Employment	Conan Doyle gives up his medical practice in favour of writing.
1891-1894	Residence	25 June - Moves to 12, Tennison Road, South Norwood, Croydon.
1892	Published	Jan – June - Six more Holmes stories published in the Strand, with another in December.
	Published	Mar - The Doings of Raffles Haw published (first serialised in Alfred Harmsworth's penny paper Answers, Dec. 1891–Feb. 1892).
	Published	14 Oct - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes published by Newnes.
	Published	31 Oct - Waterloo story The Great Shadow published.
	Birth	15 Nov - Birth of son Alleyne Kingsley Conan Doyle, Croydon, Surrey.
	Published	Newnes republishes The Sign of Four.
1893	Published	Dec - 'Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' (second series) continues in the Strand, to be published by Newnes as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes minus 'The Cardboard Box'.
	Writing	Dec - Holmes apparently killed in 'The Final Problem' to free ACD for 'more serious literary work'.
	Published	May - The Refugees published.
	Theatre	Jane Annie, or, the Good Conduct Prize (musical comedy co-written with J.M. Barrie) fails at the Savoy Theatre.
	Death	10 Oct - Charles Altamont Doyle dies.
	Death	16 Oct - Charles Altamont Doyle Burial Dumfries, DFS.
	Residence	ACD visits Reichenbach Falls. Louise is diagnosed with tuberculosis. ACD takes Louise to Switzerland because of her health.
	Joins Society	Conan Doyle joins the British Society for Psychical Research.
	Published	The Adventure of the Final Problem is published.
1894	Published	Oct - Round the Red Lamp, a collection of medical short stories, published, several for the first time.
	Writing	The Stark Munro Letters, a fictionalised autobiography, began to be concluded the following year.
	Tour	Dec - ACD on U.S. lecture tour with Innes Doyle.
	Published	The Parasite published.
	Published	'The Medal of Brigadier Gerard' published in the Strand.
	Published	The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is published.
1895	Published	The Stark Munro Letters are published.
1895	Published	'The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard published in the Strand.
1895-1896	Trip	November – ACD travels to Egypt until April.
1896	Published	Feb - The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard published by Newnes.
	Residence	ACD settles at Hindhead, Surrey, to minimise effects of his wife's tuberculosis.
	Published	Nov - Rodney Stone, a pre-Regency mystery, published.
	Published	20 Nov - Self-pastiche, 'The Field Bazaar', appears in the Edinburgh University Student
1897	Published	May - Napoleonic novel Uncle Bernac published. Three 'Captain Sharkey' pirate stories published in Pearson's Magazine
	Residence	Jan, Mar, May - ACD and his family return to England, new home at Undershaw, Hindhead.
	Meets	15 Mar - ACD meets Jean Leckie
1898	Published	Feb - The Tragedy of the Korosko published.
	Published	June - Publishes Songs of Action, a verse collection.
	Published	June – Dec - Begins to publish 'Round the Fire Stories' in the Strand—'The Beetle Hunter', 'The Man with the Watches', 'The Lost Special', 'The Sealed Room', 'The Black Doctor', 'The Club-Footed Grocer', and 'The Brazilian Cat'.
	Writing	Ernest William Hornung (ACD's brother-in-law) creates A.J. Raffles and in 1899 dedicates the first stories to ACD.
1899	Published	Jan – May - Concludes 'Round the Fire' series in the Strand with 'The Japanned Box', 'The Jew's Breast-Plate', 'B.24', 'The Latin Tutor', and 'The Brown Hand'.
	Published	Mar - Publishes A Duet with an Occasional Chorus, a version of his own romance.
	Published	Oct – Dec - 'The Croxley Master', a boxing story, published in the Strand. William Gillette begins 33 years starring in Sherlock Holmes, a play by Gillette and ACD.
1900	Boer War	Accompanies volunteer-staffed Langman hospital as unofficial supervisor to support British forces in the Boer War.
	Published	Mar - Publishes short-story collection, The Green Flag and Other Stories of War and Sport.
	Published	Oct - The Great Boer War published.
	Employment	Unsuccessful Liberal Unionist parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh Central.
1901	Published	Aug - 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' begins serialisation in the Strand, subtitled 'Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes'.
1902	Published	23 Jan - The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct published. 'Sherlockian' higher criticism begun by Frank Sidgwick in Cambridge Review.
	Published	Mar - The Hound of the Baskervilles published by Newnes.
	Title	9 August - ACD is Knighted and made Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.
1903	Published	Sept - Adventures of Gerard published by Newnes (previously serialised in the Strand).
1903	Published	Oct - 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' begins in the Strand. Author's Edition of ACD's major works published in twelve volumes by Smith, Elder and thirteen by D. Appleton & Co. of New York, with prefaces by ACD; many titles omitted.
1904	Published	Sept - 'Return of Sherlock Holmes' continues in the Strand; series designed to conclude with 'The Abbey Grange', but ACD develops earlier allusions and produces 'The Second Stain' (Dec.)
1904	Joins Society	ACD is made a member of the Crime Club.
1905	Published	Mar - The Return of Sherlock Holmes published by Newnes.
1905	Published	Dec - Serialisation of 'Sir Nigel' begun in the Strand (concluded Dec. 1906).
1906	Death	4 July - Death of Louise ('Touie'), Lady Conan Doyle at the age of 49. ACD deeply affected. ACD suffers form depression.
	Published	Nov - Book publication of Sir Nigel.
	Investigations	Conan Doyle begins investigation of the George Edalji case.
	Employment	ACD defeated as Unionist candidate for Hawick District in general election.
1907	Investigations	ACD clears the name of George Edalji (convicted in 1903 of cattle-maiming).
		ACD receives an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Edinburgh.
	Marriage	18 Sept - Marries Jean Leckie.
	Published	Nov - Publishes Through the Magic Door, a celebration of his literary mentors (earlier version serialised in Great Thoughts, 1894).
1908	Residence	Moves to Windlesham, Crowborough, Sussex.
	Death	Jan - Death of Sidney Paget.
	Published	Sept - Round the Fire Stories published, including some not in earlier Strand series.
	Published	Sept–Oct - 'The Singular Experience of Mr John Scott Eccles' (later retitled as 'The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge') begins occasional series of Holmes stories in the Strand.
1909	Joins Union	ACD becomes President of the Divorce Law Reform Union (until 1919).
	Birth	17 May - Birth of son Denis Percy Stewart Conan Doyle, Sussex.
		Takes up agitation against Belgian oppression in the Congo.
	Writing	ACD writes The Crime of the Congo.
1910	Published	Sept - 'The Marriage of the Brigadier', the last Gerard story, published in the Strand, and (Dec.) the Holmes story 'The Devil's Foot'.
	Theatre	ACD takes six-month lease on Adelphi Theatre; the play The Speckled Band opens there, eventually running for 346 performances.
	Birth	19 Nov - Birth of son Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle.
1910-1911	Joins Club	ACD Captain of the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club
1911	Published	Apr - The Last Galley (short stories, mostly historical) published.
	Published	Mar, Apr - Two more Holmes stories appear in the Strand: 'The Red Circle' and 'The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax' (Dec.).
		ACD declares for Irish Home Rule, under the influence of Sir Roger Casement.
	Tour	ACD and Jean participate in the Prince Henry Tour.
1912	Published	Apr – Nov - The first Professor Challenger story, The Lost World, published in the Strand, book publication in Oct.
	Birth	21 Dec - Birth of Jean Lena Annette Conan Doyle (afterwards Air Commandant Dame Jean Conan Doyle, Lady Bromet).
	Argument	ACD argues with George Bernard Shaw about the Titanic.
1913	Writing	Feb - Writes 'Great Britain and the Next War' (Fortnightly Review).
	Published	Aug - Second Challenger story, The Poison Belt, published.
	Published	'The Dying Detective' published in the Strand.
	Campaign	ACD campaigns for a channel tunnel.
1914	Speaking tour	27 May – 4 July - ACD visits North America, principally to visit Jasper Park at the invitation of the Canadian Government.
1914–1915	Published	Sept - The Valley of Fear begins serialisation in the Strand (concluding May 1915).
1915	Published	27 Feb - The Valley of Fear published by George H. Doran in New York.
1915	Films	June - The Valley of Fear published in London by Smith, Elder (transferred with rest of ACD stock to John Murray when the firm is sold on the death of Reginald Smith). Five Holmes films released in Germany (ten more during the ware).
1916	Published	Apr, May - First instalments of The British Campaign in France and Flanders 1914 appear in the Strand.
	Published	Aug - A Visit to Three Fronts published.
		Sir Roger Casement convicted of high treason after Dublin Easter Week Rising and executed despite appeals for clemency by ACD and others.
	Spiritualism	Conan Doyle declares his belief in Spiritualism in the Light magazine.
1917	Spiritualism	Conan Doyle speaks publicly on Spiritualism for the first time.
		War censor interdicts ACD's history of the 1916 campaign in the Strand.
	Published	Sept - 'His Last Bow' published in the Strand. Oct - His Last Bow published by John Murray.
1918	Published	Apr - ACD publishes The New Revelation, proclaiming himself a Spiritualist.
	Published	Dec - Danger! and Other Stories published. Permitted to resume accounts of 1916 and 1917 campaigns in the Strand, but that for 1918 never serialised.
	Death	Death of eldest son, Captain Kingsley Conan Doyle, from influenza aggravated by war wounds.
1919	Death	19 Feb - Death of Brigadier-General Innes Doyle (ACD's brother) from post-war pneumonia. Buried at Halle Community Cemetery, Grave number A58, Halle, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
1920	Death	30 Dec - Death of Mary Josephine (ACD’s mother)
1920	Death	Aft. 30 Dec - Mary Josephine Foley Burial St.Luke's Church, Grayshott, SRY
1920–1930	Spiritualism	ACD engaged in worldwide crusade for Spiritualism.
1920–1930	Writing	ACD writes about the Cottingley fairies in the December issue of The Strand. ACD meets Houdini.
1921–1922	Tour	ACD's one-act play, The Crown Diamond, tours with Dennis Neilson-Terry as Holmes.
1921	Published	Oct - 'The Mazarin Stone' (apparently based on The Crown Diamond) published in the Strand. Death of mother, Mary Foley Doyle.
1921		Jean Conan Doyle discovers that she had the ability to do automatic writing.
1922	Published	Feb – Mar - 'The Problem of Thor Bridge' in the Strand.
	Speaking tour	9 April – 24 June – ACD on a speaking tour in the US.
	Published	July - John Murray publishes a collected edition of the non-Holmes short stories in six volumes: Tales of the Ring and Camp, Tales of Pirates and Blue Water, Tales of Terror and Mystery, Tales of Twilight and the Unseen, Tales of Adventure and Medical Life, and (Nov.) Tales of Long Ago.
	Published	Sept - Collected edition of ACD's poems published by Murray.
	Published	The Coming of the Fairies is published.
	Spiritualism	Jean Conan Doyle attempts to contact Houdini's mother.
1923	Published	Mar - 'The Creeping Man' published in the Strand.
1924	Published	Jan - 'The Sussex Vampire' appears in the Strand.
	Published	June - 'How Watson Learned the Trick', ACD's own Holmes pastiche, appears in The Book of the Queen's Dolls' House Library.
	Published	Sept - Memories and Adventures published (reprinted with additions, deletions, and index 1930).
1925	Published	Jan - 'The Three Garridebs' and Feb –Mar - 'The Illustrious Client' published in the Strand.
	Published	July - The Land of Mist, a Spiritualist novel featuring Challenger, begins serialisation in the Strand.
	Film	The Lost World is made into a film.
1926	Published	Mar - The Land of Mist published.
1926	Published	Oct - Strand publishes 'The Three Gables', Nov - 'The Blanched Soldier' and Dec - 'The Lion's Mane'
1927	Published	Jan - Strand publishes 'The Retired Colourman', Feb - 'The Veiled Lodger' and Apr - ’Shoscombe Old Place'
	Published	June - Murray publishes The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
	Death	8 Feb - Death of Bryan Mary Josephine (Dodo) (ACD’s sister).
1928	Published	Oct - The Complete Sherlock Holmes Short Stories published by Murray.
1928	Tour	12 Nov - Conan Doyle launches a five-month tour of Africa.
1929	Published	June - The Conan Doyle Stories (containing the six separate volumes issued by Murray in 1922) published.
	Writing	July - The Maracot Deep and Other Stories, ACD's last collection of his fictional work.
	Tour	Autumn – set off for his last Psychic tour to Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
	Death	Death of Constance Amelia Monica (Connie) (ACD’s sister). Burial Our Lady of Consolation & St. Francis' Church, West Grinstead, SXW
	Diagnosis	ACD is diagnosed with Angina Pectoris.
1930	Death	7 July, 8:30 a.m. - Death of Arthur Conan Doyle at his home, Windlesham, in Crowborough.
1930	Death	He is buried at the rose garden in Windlesham, Minstead Church, New Forest, Hampshire.
1939	Death	1 Jul - Death of Jane Adelaide Rose (Ida) (ACD’s sister).
1940	Death	27 June - Death of Jean Leckie (ACD’s second wife).
1941	Death	3 May - Death of Caroline Mary Burton (Lottie) ACD’s sister.

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A Chronology of Conan Doyle's Life

Date

Event

Description

Inspiration