The Case of Charles Altamont Doyle

Charles Altamont Doyle’s artistic career never quite took off during his lifetime. His brother Richard ‘Dicky’ Doyle on the other hand, was a frequent contributor to the London magazine ‘Punch’ and even designed the publication's masthead. Charles would also never reach the levels of fame bestowed upon his son, the much celebrated author Arthur Conan Doyle. Although a gifted and creative artist, his chances of success were no doubt hindered by his declining mental health, his epilepsy and struggles with alcoholism. These all played a part in him being interned (or as he would write, ‘imprisoned’) within a total of three asylums - Sunnyside Asylum (Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum), The Royal Edinburgh Hospital (REH) and Crichton Royal in Dumfries, where he would eventually pass away.

"Honey Suckle, how unlike any other plant. But it's a creeper/Another sort of creeper not so nice as above"
Page from 'The Doyle Diary' by Charles Altamont Doyle and Michael Baker

During the 2020 lockdown, I stumbled across one of Charles’ drawings while sucked in to the usual time-killing, rabbit-hole internet searches. I quickly became fascinated with his sketches of flora and fauna, his propensity for puns, his dark humour, and his whimsical depictions of supernatural beings such as fairies and elves. I went on to purchase the book ‘The Doyle Diary’ which reproduces one of the sketchbooks Charles kept while he was a patient at Sunnyside Asylum.

My trusted second-hand copy of 'The Doyle Diary'

"9th April 1889 Delightful walk at Sunnyside" 

Living in Granton I can relate on a personal level to this drawing.

Page from 'The Doyle Diary' by Charles Altamont Doyle and Michael Baker

Fast forward several months, and I am the Modern Apprentice at the Centre for Research Collections, being given a socially distanced introduction to the varied collections at Lothian Health Services Archive by Louise Williams, the archivist for LHSA. She shows me a great deal of fascinating collection items, including a case book from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. I am reminded of Charles Doyle’s sketches and I ask her if there might be anything relating to him within the case books. She said there should be a case book entry for him, as he was a patient for a time at REH, shortly before his death 1893. She invited me to contact LHSA to gain access to the records. I had meant to do so for a long time but never got a chance.

Fast forward again to almost two years later and I currently find myself working at LHSA as their interim Access Officer and I decide that the time has finally come to look at Charles’ case book entry (which definitely felt like a circle closing!).

The case books are invaluable resources for researchers and genealogists as they contain a wealth of precious information on past patients such as; dates of admission, profession, marital status, home residence, religion, description of illness, duration of attack, treatment carried out, updates of their condition and dates of discharge or death. Even appearance is recorded in some cases. For Charles we have that he was “Tall, thin. Dilated capillaries on nose” with “Greyish yellow" eyes and “Dark grey” hair."

Case Book
LHB7/51/56

Doyle was interned within the asylum involuntarily as suggested by his certification paper, which was filled out by his wife Mary Foley Doyle. 

Certification Paper
LHB7/52/706

"Mary, my ideal home ruler/ No repeal of the union proposed in this case"
Drawing depicting Charles and his wife Mary. Doyle was of Irish background and this drawing alludes to the Irish question.
Page from 'The Doyle Diary' By Charles Altamont Doyle and Michael Baker

He would be a patient at the REH from 23^rd January 1892 to 26^th May 1892. He was then transferred to Crichton, the last case book entry stating: “Transfer Certificate, His memory and general intelligence are very much enfeebled".

I was hoping that there might be some artwork in the archive that Doyle made while a patient at the REH but unfortunately nothing of the sort has been unearthed as of yet.

"Something queer both in head and heart/Lost 'em both./By no means unusual"

Page from 'The Doyle Diary' by Charles Altamont Doyle and Michael Baker

There were also a couple of enclosures which originally lived in the case book but for preservation purposes, have been neatly re-housed in melinex folders. The enclosures can range from photographs of the patient, correspondence, various types of ephemera, medical charts and more. For Charles there is a letter from the assistant medical officer at Sunnyside to his physician at the REH, regarding his transfer.

There is also a newspaper article, written shortly after his death. The article does not mention his internment within the asylums, simply stating that he “gave up residence in this city”, suggesting his actual whereabouts was kept from public knowledge, perhaps to avoid scandal. The article recognises Charles’ artistic talent but not without knocking his technical abilities: “While possessing a great force of natural genius as an artist, his colouring and composition were somewhat crude, but in expression of humour and pathos he had a great facility”. The article goes on to say that “Personally, he was a most likeable man, genial, entertaining, and amusing in conversation. Possessing a fertile imagination, it was always enjoyable to listen to his anecdotes”.

Enclosures
LHB7/51/56

The case of Charles Doyle is rather a sad one. It's likely he lacked self-esteem and perhaps felt over-shadowed by the more illustrious members of his family. To have spent the last years of his life isolated from friends and family must have been incredibly difficult.

Self-portrait of C. A. Doyle.
 "Busting out"

"Trying to get out of quod (prison)"

"Succeded"
Pages from 'The Doyle Diary' by Charles Altamont Doyle, Michael Baker 

I’m pleased that over time, interest in his art and life has piqued. Personally, his story has served as a rather nice segue into my new role at LHSA, combining three of my big loves: Art, archives, and research!

Lauren McKay

Further reading: "What became of Arthur Conan Doyle's father? The last years of Charles Altamont Doyle" by A Beveridge