The tale of the noted author's time in city

SIR Arthur Conan Doyle came to Portsmouth on a coastal steamer in June 1882.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1920sSir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1920s
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1920s

He had travelled from Plymouth, which had been his home and workplace until he fell out with his friend and fellow doctor, George Budd.

Sir Arthur arrived in Portsmouth with no job, nowhere to live and little more than £10 to his name.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As he disembarked at Clarence Pier, Southsea, he had no plans as to how long he would stay.

Sir Arthur researched the locations of other doctors before setting up as a GP at No. 1 Bush Villas, near the junction of Elm Grove and Kings Road in Southsea.

Gradually, Sir Arthur became more well-known and made sure his name was mentioned in the press.

In March 1885, Sir Arthur was consulted about the case of a young man named Jack Hawkins, who he diagnosed as having meningitis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Hawkins soon died, but Sir Arthur’s relationship with the family did not end there, as he went on to marry his sister Louisa in August 1886.

Sir Arthur joined the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society, and gave public talks.

He also played for the local cricket and bowls teams, and was the first goalkeeper for the team that became Portsmouth Football Club.

While living in Southsea he also began a second career, writing fiction.

Beginning with short stories, he moved on to write historical novels including Micah Clarke, and the first two Sherlock Holmes tales, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four.