Doyle, Arthur Conan

Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was known for his diverse pursuits, including racing cars, big-game hunting, exploration, and writing. Biographers have described him as a "spendthrift playboy" who, along with his brother Denis, reportedly exploited the family estate. Adrian married Anna C. Anderson and became his father's literary executor after his mother's death in 1940, founding the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Foundation in Switzerland in 1965. His sister Jean later took over as executor.

Adrian Conan Doyle is notably recognized for writing additional Sherlock Holmes stories. These tales, some co-authored with John Dickson Carr, aimed to flesh out adventures only referenced in his father's original works. A collection titled "The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes" was published in 1954. He also played a role in the discovery and publication of a previously unknown Sherlock Holmes story, though its authenticity and authorship were later disputed, with writer Arthur Whitaker eventually being credited.

Following his mother's passing, Adrian Conan Doyle assumed the role of literary executor for his father's estate. He co-authored additional Sherlock Holmes stories with John Dickson Carr, aiming to complete narratives hinted at but never fully developed by Sir Arthur. These were collected in "The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes" (1954). Adrian also founded the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Foundation in Switzerland in 1965. His management of his father's legacy was not without contention; he reportedly threatened legal action and career obstruction against those who published works he deemed inaccurate or disrespectful, including biographer Hesketh Pearson, whom he accused of producing a "fakeography" and whose BBC anniversary talk he threatened to derail.

In 1942, Adrian Conan Doyle announced the discovery of an unpublished Sherlock Holmes story, purportedly in his father's handwriting. However, subsequent reports suggested the manuscript was typewritten, and his sister Jean doubted its authenticity. Despite Adrian's refusal to publish it, "The Case of the Man who was Wanted" eventually appeared in "Cosmopolitan" magazine and "Sunday Dispatch." Sherlock Holmes expert Vincent Starrett speculated Adrian himself might be the author. Later, Arthur Whitaker, an architect who had submitted the story to Sir Arthur in 1911 for a potential collaboration, claimed authorship. After Whitaker provided proof, the Doyle family acknowledged his ownership in 1949. The story was eventually published as "The Adventure of the Sheffield Banker."