What became of Arthur Conan Doyle’s father? The last years of Charles Altamont Doyle

Abstract

This paper examines the fate of Arthur Conan Doyle’s father, Charles Altamont Doyle, a Victorian illustrator, who spent his last years as an asylum inmate. Based on new archival research, it looks at the reasons for his institutionalisation and what befell him during his stay. It will consider Doyle’s claim that he was wrongfully confined and also the suggestion that his family were responsible for having him committed. Finally, the paper will examine the nature of Doyle’s condition and the creative work he produced whilst an asylum inmate.