Jean Conan Doyle
Encyclopedia
Air Commandant Dame Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle, Lady Bromet (21 December 1912 – 18 November 1997), DBE
, AE
, WRAF
, ADC
was best known as Jean Conan Doyle.
The second daughter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, she served for thirty years in the WRAF
, where she worked in intelligence during World War II
and by the time of her retirement she had attained the rank of Air Commandant, the highest rank in the Women's Royal Air Force. Until 1966 she served as an honorary Aide-de-Camp
to Queen Elizabeth II
. She was styled as Lady Bromet after marrying Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet
(1891 – 1983). Her husband served a term as Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man
. Sir Geoffrey and Lady Jean Bromet had no children.
After the death of her brother, Adrian Conan Doyle
, in 1970, Dame Jean became her father's literary executor
and the legal copyright
holder to some of the rights to the Sherlock Holmes
character as well as her father's other works. She assiduously defended Sherlock Holmes' character. She and her brothers, Adrian and Denis Conan Doyle, Arthur Conan Doyle's children by his second wife, Lady Jean Conan Doyle, inherited the copyrights with the estate when their mother died in 1940.
A spirited child, nicknamed "Billy", she was described as a tomboy by Houdini
, who used to sign herself "Your loving son". On her tenth birthday, however, she announced that she had decided to be a girl after all. She then went to her Aunt Ida's school, Granville House in Eastbourne
, where she took after her mother in her love of nature. As a schoolgirl she was a classmate and friend of future film and television actress Anna Lee
, who was her father's god-daughter.
Dame Jean and the widows of her brothers, Adrian and Denis, initially shared control of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle′s literary trust; however, the women did not get along. Denis Conan Doyle had married a Georgian princess known as Princess Nina M'divani and died in 1955. Using a loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland
, in 1970 Princess Nina bought the estate and established Baskervilles Investments Ltd. in the tax haven, Isle of Man
. Eventually, when Princess Nina fell dramatically behind on the loan, the Royal Bank of Scotland ended up with the rights to Conan Doyle′s works. The bank then sold the rights to Lady Etelka Duncan; her daughter administers the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Trust to this day.
Dame Jean regained the rights following the passage of the Copyright Act of 1976, although some of the Conan Doyle properties remain with the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Trust, which has sued the Doyle heirs. When Warner Brothers made Sherlock Holmes, released in 2010, the studio entered in negotiations with both parties.
At her death at age 84, her will stipulated that any remaining copyrights she owned were to be transferred to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. According to a 1990 interview, Dame Jean's eyesight was poor from an early age. The National Institute for the Blind sold the rights back to Doyle heirs. (There are now nine surviving Doyle heirs. None are direct descendents, as neither Dame Jean nor her brothers had any children.) Sherlock Holmes passed into the public domain
in the United Kingdom in 1980. It's scheduled to do the same in the United States in 2023.
The Doyle heirs authorized British novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz
to pen a new Holmes novel; The House of Silk was released in 2011.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, AE
Air Efficiency Award
The Air Efficiency award, abbreviated to AE when placed after a holder's name, was a United Kingdom honour given for ten years' efficient service in the Reserve Air Forces of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Empire. Unlike other long service and meritorious conduct awards, both officers and...
, WRAF
Women's Royal Air Force
The Women's Royal Air Force was a women's branch of the Royal Air Force which existed in two separate incarnations.The first WRAF was an auxiliary organization of the Royal Air Force which was founded in 1918. The original intent of the WRAF was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men...
, ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
was best known as Jean Conan Doyle.
The second daughter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, she served for thirty years in the WRAF
Women's Royal Air Force
The Women's Royal Air Force was a women's branch of the Royal Air Force which existed in two separate incarnations.The first WRAF was an auxiliary organization of the Royal Air Force which was founded in 1918. The original intent of the WRAF was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men...
, where she worked in intelligence during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and by the time of her retirement she had attained the rank of Air Commandant, the highest rank in the Women's Royal Air Force. Until 1966 she served as an honorary Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. She was styled as Lady Bromet after marrying Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet
Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet
Air Vice Marshal Sir Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet KBE CB DSO, DL was an Air Vice Marshal during World War II and a former Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.-RAF career:...
(1891 – 1983). Her husband served a term as Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Sir Geoffrey and Lady Jean Bromet had no children.
After the death of her brother, Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his second wife Jean, Lady Conan Doyle. He had two siblings, a sister, Jean, and a brother, Denis....
, in 1970, Dame Jean became her father's literary executor
Literary executor
A literary executor is a person with decision-making power in respect of a literary estate. According to Wills, Administration and Taxation: a practical guide "A will may appoint different executors to deal with different parts of the estate...
and the legal copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
holder to some of the rights to the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
character as well as her father's other works. She assiduously defended Sherlock Holmes' character. She and her brothers, Adrian and Denis Conan Doyle, Arthur Conan Doyle's children by his second wife, Lady Jean Conan Doyle, inherited the copyrights with the estate when their mother died in 1940.
A spirited child, nicknamed "Billy", she was described as a tomboy by Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
, who used to sign herself "Your loving son". On her tenth birthday, however, she announced that she had decided to be a girl after all. She then went to her Aunt Ida's school, Granville House in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, where she took after her mother in her love of nature. As a schoolgirl she was a classmate and friend of future film and television actress Anna Lee
Anna Lee
Anna Lee, MBE was an English actress.-Career:Lee studied at the Royal Albert Hall, then debuted with a bit part in the film His Lordship...
, who was her father's god-daughter.
Dame Jean and the widows of her brothers, Adrian and Denis, initially shared control of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle′s literary trust; however, the women did not get along. Denis Conan Doyle had married a Georgian princess known as Princess Nina M'divani and died in 1955. Using a loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
, in 1970 Princess Nina bought the estate and established Baskervilles Investments Ltd. in the tax haven, Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Eventually, when Princess Nina fell dramatically behind on the loan, the Royal Bank of Scotland ended up with the rights to Conan Doyle′s works. The bank then sold the rights to Lady Etelka Duncan; her daughter administers the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Trust to this day.
Dame Jean regained the rights following the passage of the Copyright Act of 1976, although some of the Conan Doyle properties remain with the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Trust, which has sued the Doyle heirs. When Warner Brothers made Sherlock Holmes, released in 2010, the studio entered in negotiations with both parties.
At her death at age 84, her will stipulated that any remaining copyrights she owned were to be transferred to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. According to a 1990 interview, Dame Jean's eyesight was poor from an early age. The National Institute for the Blind sold the rights back to Doyle heirs. (There are now nine surviving Doyle heirs. None are direct descendents, as neither Dame Jean nor her brothers had any children.) Sherlock Holmes passed into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
in the United Kingdom in 1980. It's scheduled to do the same in the United States in 2023.
The Doyle heirs authorized British novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Craig Horowitz is an English novelist and screenwriter. He has written many children's novels, including The Power of Five, Alex Rider and The Diamond Brothers series and has written over fifty books. He has also written extensively for television, adapting many of Agatha Christie's...
to pen a new Holmes novel; The House of Silk was released in 2011.