The Maeda Clan of Kaga

THANK YOU to Tomoya Yoshida who helped me write this post.

Over on the 'Strangers' Room', the Japanese Sherlockian Tomoya Yoshida posted that there's an exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum right now called “Hyakumangoku! The Maeda Clan of Kaga”. On display is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Here is a photo from the exhibition that Tomoya shared with me from his visit to the exhibition, along with the placard information:

Wow! Let's start with the exhibition. 

The exhibition commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the 'Maeda Ikutokukai Foundation', established to preserve the cultural legacy of the Maeda family, former rulers of the Kaga Domain and one of the most powerful samurai houses of Edo period Japan (1603-1868). Over centuries, the Maeda amassed an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, books, artworks, arms, armour, and personal objects that reflected both their political influence, scholarship, and culture. After the family’s move from Kanazawa to Tokyo in the modern era, the 'Marquis' Maeda Toshinari sought to ensure that these materials would be carefully protected and made available for future study through the creation of the Foundation.

Of course, the central items in the collection relate to 'National Treasures' such as Samurai swords, and an important archive of rare Japanese and Chinese books, historical documents, and family records. Of interest to this blog, in the 20th century the Marquis Toshinari (1885-1942) collected an international collection of autographs and letters while serving as a military attaché in London. He acquired items written by monarchs, statesmen, military leaders, writers, scientists, artists.... such as Arthur Conan Doyle. 

There is a catalog of the exhibition that I need - but isn't mailing to the US - but a digital PDF of the items in the exhibition lists the 'letter by Arthur Conan Doyle'.

The exhibition catalog itself provides images of both sides of the letter - again, Tomoya shared an image from the catalog (p 318) displaying both sides of the letter:

So lets look at the letter. Only the first page of the letter is shown - so Doyle's signature is not displayed in the exhibition. It is addressed to fellow author (and journalist) David Christie Murray (1847-1907). This is a significant literary letter - it describes Doyle's feelings My Contemporaries In Fiction killing off his famed literary character:

Reform Club

May 8 / 96

My Dear Christie Murray,—I have been in Egypt and have only just got back and received your note. Poor Holmes is dead and damned. I couldn't revive him if I would (at least not for years), for I have had such an overdose of him that I feel towards him as I do towards pâté de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day. Any old Holmes story you are, of course, most welcome to use.

I am house-hunting in the country, which means continual sallies and alarms, but I should much like to meet you before I go away, to talk over our American experiences. I do hope you are not going to allow lecturing to get in the way of your writing. We have too few born story-tellers.—

With all kind regards.

Yours very truly,

A. Conan Doyle.

Doyle's thoughts on Sherlock are known because Christie Murray included the transcript of this letter and several others in his book 'Recollections', published in 1908. Christie Murray had died the year prior (1907), yet there is no introduction in the book acknowledging that the book was completed by an editor, so presumably it was in press at the time of Christie Murray's death. He had been fairly prolific as an author, but was unwell for the last ten years of his life and  'Recollections' was his first book in ten years.

Doyle and Christie Murray carried on a correspondence, and even met in the United States in 1894. They also presumably interacted regularly in England - though both were 'on the road' a great deal with travels. DC's book 'My contemporaries in fiction' (1897) spent a great deal of space praising Conan Doyle in Chapter 13 (titled 'The Young Romancers', and DC likely earned Conan Doyle's appreciation with the praise for his non-Sherlock work:

'The Sherlock Holmes stories are far, indeed, from being Dr. Doyle’s best work, but it is to them that he mainly owes his popularity. They took the imaginative side of the general reader, and their popular properties are likely to keep them before the public mind for a long while to come. To estimate Dr. Doyle’s position as a writer one has to meet him in ‘The Refugees,’ in ‘The White Company,’ and in ‘Rodney Stone.’ In each of these there is evident a sound and painstaking method of research, as well as a power of dramatic invention; and in combination with these is a style of unaffected manliness, simplicity, and strength, which is at once satisfactory to the student and attractive to the mass of people who are content to be pleased by such qualities without knowing or asking why. The labour bestowed on ‘The White Company’ may very well be compared to that expended by Charles Reade on ‘The Cloister and the H earth.'

Christie Murray's recollections includes transcriptions of five letters from Doyle, and it's worth reproducing the four letters here. The first is included in a chapter on Christie Murray's handwriting expertise and his researches into the Dreyfus Affair - an espionage scandal that could have inspired several Holmes stories. Doyle was clearly interested in the scandal, and in justice:

“My dear Murray,—Its being a week-end will prevent my coming up for I have always several visitors. I hope when you can come down you will let me know. Very much interested in your views upon the Dreyfus case. I fancy that the Government may know upon evidence which they dare not disclose (spy or traitor evidence) that he is guilty and have convicted him on a  bogus document,—Yours very truly,

(Sgd.) A. Conan Doyle.

The remainding letters are included in a chapter composed of letters received by Christie Murray.  The second letter we have already seen (on display in Tokyo).

The third is on the curious topic of the value of a statue of George Washington being erected in London. Christie Murray first published a letter in newspapers in 1897 on the topic, and presumably Conan Doyle wrote shortly afterwards.

Copy of Letter to David Christie Murray (undated).

My Dear Sir,—I think that your idea of a statue to Washington to be erected by public subscription in London is an admirable one. The future of the world belongs to the Anglo-Celtic races if they can but work in unison, and everything which works for that end makes for the highest. I believe that the great stream which bifurcated a century ago may have re-united before many more centuries have passed, and that we shall all have learned by then that patriotism is not to be limited by flags or systems, but that it should embrace all of the same race and blood and speech. It would be a great thing—one of the most noble and magnanimous things in the history of the world—if a proud people should consent to adorn their capital with the statue of one who bore arms against them. I wish you every success in your  idea, and shall be happy to contribute ten guineas towards its realisation.—Yours very truly,

(Sgd.)     A. Conan Doyle.

Letters four and five are included together. Bother presumably relate to Christie Murray's book 'My contemporaries in fiction' - Doyle was indeed thankful for being counted among peers such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling, and the comparison made with Poe. The second letter refers to having just moved into Undershaw, so the letters were probably also written in 1897 (and may have been direct follow-up correspondence to the Washington statue letter above).

Copy of Letter to David Christie Murray (undated).

Undershaw, Hindhead, Haslemere

My Dear Murray,—I shall be delighted and honoured to have a first glance at the ms. I never read anything of yours which I did not like, so I am sure I shall like it, but there are degrees of liking, and I will tell you frankly which degree I register.

Now you will bear that visit in mind and write to me when you are ready and your work done.—With all kind regards, yours very truly,

(Sgd.)    A. Conan Doyle.

Copy of Letter to David Christie Murray (undated).

Undershaw, Hindhead, Haslemere.

My Dear Murray,—I have just finished your critical book and think it most excellent and useful. I couldn't help writing to you to say so. It is really fine—so well-balanced and clear-sighted and judicial. For kind words about myself many thanks. I don't think we are suffering from critical kindness so much as indiscriminate critical kindness. No one has said enough, as it seems to me, about Barrie or Kipling. I think they are fit—young as they are—to rank with the highest, and that some of Barrie's work, Margaret Ogilvy and A Window in Thrums, will endear him as Robert Burns is endeared to the hearts of the future Scottish race.

I have just settled down here and we are getting the furniture in and all in order. In a week or so it will be quite right. If ever you should be at a loose end at a week-end, or any other time, I wish you would run down. I believe we could make you happy for a few days. Name your date and the room will be ready. Only from the 16th to the 26th it is pre-empted.—With all kind remembrances, yours very truly,

(Sgd.)       A. Conan Doyle

If the Sherlock letter was acquired by Marquis Toshinari while on diplomatic service, one wonders whether the other letters are also 'out there' in private hands, or even with the Maeda Ikutokukai Foundation.

The Doyle letter is something of a curiosity at an exhibition of cultural significant Japanese items from the Maeda clan, but it's a wonderful curiosity.