Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: He wrote in his Garden Shed and is Buried in his Garden

"His family found him lying on the ground, one hand clutching his heart and the other holding a white snowdrop."

May 22, 1859

On this day, the British writer and doctor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born.

 

In researching Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's life, I learned that Arthur was bedridden the spring before he died. 

 

Despite his illness, one morning, unattended, Arthur got up and managed to go out to the garden.

His family found him lying on the ground, one hand clutching his heart and the other holding a white snowdrop.

 

Arthur languished until July 7, 1930, when he passed away with his family at his bedside.

Arthur's last words were to his wife.

Arthur whispered,

"You are wonderful."

 

Newspaper accounts shared that Arthur was buried in the garden where he had been so much at home on a beautiful summer day - next to his garden hut, which was made into a writing room.

Over 200 people attended the funeral.

 

So many wreaths were sent from all over the world that they were spread over the large paddock west of the home, covering an acre of land with blooms.

 

When Arthur's coffin had been placed in the grave,

"Lady Doyle kissed a rose and threw it in."

 

Lady Jean Conan Doyle lived at Windlesham until her death on June 27, 1940.

She was buried next to Sir Arthur.


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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writing shed and grave.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writing shed and grave.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Garden with his dog.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Garden with his dog.
Doyle portrait by H.L. Gates c. 1927
Doyle portrait by H.L. Gates c. 1927
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (colorized) Dapper
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (colorized) Dapper
Arthur Conan Doyle (colorized) Portrait BEF c. 1904.
Arthur Conan Doyle (colorized) Portrait BEF c. 1904.
Arthur Conan Doyle c. 1893 (colorized).
Arthur Conan Doyle c. 1893 (colorized).
A Historic photograph of Undershaw, a large brick Victorian house with gabled roofs and a veranda, set on a country road surrounded by trees. In the foreground, a woman in period attire stands with children, evoking a late 19th or early 20th-century rural English scene.
A Historic photograph of Undershaw, a large brick Victorian house with gabled roofs and a veranda, set on a country road surrounded by trees. In the foreground, a woman in period attire stands with children, evoking a late 19th or early 20th-century rural English scene.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Garden with his dog.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Garden with his dog.

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