THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

The Writer

The novelist, poet, short story writer and doctor Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was
born on 22nd May 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland into the family of an Englishman Charles
Altamont Doyle and Irish descendant ne Mary Foley. The most admired work of Arthur Conan
Doyle still continues to be Sherlock Holmes, a classic in the field of crime fiction. Besides this
Arthur Conan Doyle is also remembered for his stories on the adventures of the science fictional
character Professor Challenger.
Conan Doyle studied at the Roman Catholic Jesuit preparatory school in Stonyhurst
followed by Stonyhurst College till 1875. In 1876 Conan Doyle enrolled in the University of
Edinburgh to pursue medicine and completed his internship in the city of Aston. During his
studies, Conan Doyle simultaneously wrote short stories which were first published in
Chambers' s Edinburgh Journal. In 1885, Conan Doyle did his doctorate in tabes dorsalis a
topic covering symptomatic degeneration of nerve cells.
In 1882, Arthur Conan Doyle joined his classmate George Budd in Plymouth for medical
practice but soon left him for independent practice in Portsmouth. Initially the practice was
minimal allowing Arthur Conan Doyle ample time to write stories. Doyles first major work was A
Study in Scarlet, featured in 1887 Beeton's Christmas Annual.
During his stay in Southsea, Arthur Conan Doyle played football for Portsmouth
Association Football Club and cricket for the MCC. Also as a keen golfer who captained
Crowborough Beacon Golf Club based at East Sussex in the year 1910.

In 1885, Conan Doyle married Louisa Hawkins who died from tuberculosis on 4th July
1906. They had 2 children namely Mary Louise and Arthur Alleyne Kingsley. In 1907, Conan
married Jean Elizabeth Leckie whom he met in 1897 but had maintained a platonic relationship.
They later had three children namely Denis Percy Stewart, Adrian Malcolm and Jean Lena
Annette.
In 1890, Doyle studied physiology of the human eye in Vienna and in the subsequent
year relocated to London in order to practice ophthalmology. His practice as an ophthalmologist
was minimal, once again allowing him ample time to concentrate on his writings. Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle ended Sherlock Holmes life in a waterfall in the story titled "The Final Problem" but
his followers demanded him back forcing Arthur Conan Doyle to force life into Sherlock Holmes
like a true physician. Sherlock Holmes reappeared in the Story titled "The Adventure of the
Empty House. Holmes was ultimately featured in 4 novels and fifty six short stories.
Conan Doyle died of a heart attack on the 7th July 1930 at "Windlesham", Crowborough
and is buried in the Church Yard at Minstead in Hampshire, England. Sir Arthurs last words
were dedicated to his wife: "You are wonderful." A statue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is at
Crowborough Cross in East Sussex, England, where he lived for 23 years. Sherlock Holmess
statue is also honoured in Picardy Place, Edinburgh, Scotland, near to Sir Arthurs birth place

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Synopsis

Set in 1888, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called down to Boscombe Valley (a fictitious
place in Herefordshire) to investigate the death of Mr. Charles McCarthy. Insp. Lestrade, a
detective from Scotland Yard whose meager abilities are often upstaged by Holmes's brilliant
deductions, has concluded without much ado that it is a murder, and that McCarthy's son James
is the killer. James was seen by one witness following his father to the nearby pond, and
another, a young girl, saw the two remonstrating with each other by the pond.
Holmes will not accept Lestrade's conclusion, however, as there are some facts that simply do
not seem to fit. Who was McCarthy going to the pond to meet? He had told his serving-man that
he had to keep an appointment there, from which he never came back alive. How could the
meeting have been with James when McCarthy believed that his son was in Bristol? Why did
McCarthy use the call "Cooee!", which his son is used to using? Why did he get angry with
James? Why won't James reveal the exact nature of the conversation when his silence might
well put his neck in a noose? How did a piece of clothing a few yards from James and his dying
father vanish without a trace while James was right there? What did McCarthy's dying words
about "a rat" mean? Who could have wanted McCarthy dead, if not James, and why? Is Miss
Turner, who wants to marry James, somehow tied into all this?
Holmes employs his usual keen powers to unravel this tangle of questions, and once again, he
puts Lestrade to shame. Young James is left in jail by the time the story ends, and may not even
be spared a referral to the next assizes, but Sherlock Holmes has arranged for Her Majesty's
case against the young man to fall apart if it seems likely that a court will send him to the

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Background
Information
The Real Boscombe Valley
Sherlock Holmes describes to Watson en route to the murder: "Boscombe Valley is a country
district not very far from Ross, in Herefordshire." There is no such location by this name or
description in England. Leslie S. Klinger in his The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes calls it 'a
disguised name' and lists the possible true locations of the murder site as posted by other
researchers. Obviously Watson changed the location of the crime. Through that insight, it is
possible that names and other identifying characteristics of the crime would have just as easily
been changed.
Adaptation
The events of this story were recently adapted into a promenade-style play for the 2007
Edinburgh Festival, now under the name of "Murder in the Gardens". In this version of the story,
although most of the names and histories of the characters remain unaltered, the events of the
mystery are relocated to Edinburgh, with the murder of McCarthy taking place in Princes Street
Gardens and Holmes and Watson being called in while attending lectures on police methods in
Edinburgh University. As well as this, the killer is, in the end, revealed to be Jane Turner's
mother rather than her father, her father having died long before the events of the play, with
James McCarthy cleared of the crime after Watson's diagnosis of the body confirms that it
would have been impossible for the son to kill his father due to the angle and location of the
wound on the back of the head.

Sources
URL
: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boscombe_Valley_Mystery
Date accessed : 13 October 2009

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Plot

Exposition
1. Sherlock Holmes invited Dr Watson to solve a murder case in Boscombe Valley.
2. Charles McCarthy was found dead by his son, James McCarthy who was later accused
of killing his own father.
3. Moran, the gamekeeper saw both, James and Charles on the path to Boscombe Pool
while his 14-year-old daughter saw them arguing.
4. During the trial, James mentioned hearing his father cried Cooee and quickly ran
towards him.
5. He found his father on the ground and his fathers last word was Raat.
6. When the judge asked what they were arguing about, he refused to reveal it and he also
mentioned a grey coat.
Rising Action
1. At the hotel, Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and Inspector Lestrade met Alice Turner, who
believes that James McCarthy is innocent.
2. Her father, John Turner and Charles McCarthy were friends when they were back in
Australia.
3. Alice revealed that the argument was about her. Charles wanted James to marry Alice
but James refused as he is still too young. Her father totally disapproves of them getting
married.
4. When they wanted to see her father, she told them that her father is very ill and was
shocked about the murder.
5. Sherlock Holmes visited James in the prison and James told him that he is married.
6. Sherlock Holmes went to Boscombe Pool to collect evidence.
7. He followed the footprints and found the murder weapon which still has blood on it.

8. He revealed the murderer is a tall man, left-handed and limps on his right leg. He wore
heavy boots and smokes Indian cigars.
Climax
1. At the hotel, Sherlock Holmes explained his findings to Dr Watson that Cooee is an
Australian word and only recognised by Australian and Raat is actually a place in
Australia, Ballarat.
2. The footprints he found have limps, a heavy-toed boots, the type worn in Australian
bush.
3. The murderer is also left-handed as he hit Charles on the left side of the head.
4. He also found ashes of Indian cigar where only a rich person could afford it.
Falling Action
1. Responding to Sherlock Holmes letter, John Turner went to his house and later
confessed to killing Charles.
2. He explained that he was before known as Black Jack of Ballarat and did things he
wasnt proud of.
3. He moved to England and turned a new leaf. He is a well and respected person in
Boscombe Valley until he met Charles McCarthy 20 years ago and he was blackmailed
by him since then.
4. Sherlock Holmes asked him to write a confession letter to be used if James is found
guilty. Otherwise, he will destroy the letter.
Resolution
1. Seven months later, John Turner passed away.
2. James and Alice got married and Sherlock Holmes kept his promise and destroyed the
confession letter.

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Setting

Dr. Watsons house

Paddington Station A
railway station in London

Mr. Turners farm

McCarthys house

Boscombe Pool

The gamekeepers house

The courtroom

A local hotel

The prison

Holmess house in Baker

Street

The outback (Robbery at

Ballarat)

Year 1888

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Characters
Main characters

Sherlock Holmes

Dr. Watson

An intelligent, patient and a good detective

from Baker Street, London

A good sidekick that helps Holmes solve

cases

James McCarthy

John Turner

An innocent victim blamed to have killed his

own father

The murderer who was blackmailed by the

victim

Minor characters

Charles McCarthy

Alice Turner

Insp. Lestrade

The victim

John Turners
daughter

The police officer who

did the first
investigation

Patience Moran

Mrs. Moran

The judge

A 14-year-old girl, the

daughter of the
Gamekeeper who
saw James and
Charles McCarthy
having an argument

The person, Patience

told about the
argument she saw

The person who

sentences James to
prison

The gamekeeper
(Moran)
One of the witnesses
who saw James and
Charles on the path to
Boscombe Pool

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

Themes and Values

Themes
Seeking the Truth
Being an investigator, Sherlock Holmes must take into account all the evidence put forward and
analyse them to prove whether James McCarthy is innocent or not. If he had only relied on what
the papers and rumours said about James, he would not be able to solve the case successfully.
Weighing the facts, evidence, the accusers statement and the physical evidence at the crime
scene, Sherlock Holmes proves that a thorough investigation to seek the truth will be
worthwhile.
Keeping a secret
There are two instances where this is shown. The first instance is when Sherlock Holmes writes
a letter inviting John Turner to his house wanting to see him to avoid scandal. It was at that
moment; John Turner breaks down and confesses to the killing of Charles McCarthy. Sherlock
Holmes later asks John Turner to write a confession letter and promises to use it only if James
is found guilty. Towards the end of the story, John Turner dies; James gets out of prison and
marries Alice. Sherlock Holmes keeps his promise and desroyes the letter.
Next instance is when Charles McCarthy promises to keeep the old secret between him and
John Turner about their past. He breaks his promises and uses it to blackmail John Turner, who
has turned a new leaf and lives a well and respected life. Here , we can see how a secret can
bring more harm than good.
Being Knowledgeable
Being knowledgeable really helps in solving the case. Sherlock Holmes, using his knowledge
and experinces, cleverly solves the mystery. Knowing the word cooee is an Australian word
and associating Raat with Ballarat really helps to narrow down the suspect. Next, when
Sherlock Holmes is at the crime scene, he examines the footprints. He also takes into account
the unusual mark on Charless head and where he was hit. He also deduce that the murderer is
a rich man from the ashes of the Indian cigar he found at the crime scene.

Law and Order

If you break the law, you will be punished. You should not take matters into your own hands.
There are many ways to solve this problem and killing another human being is not one of it.

Moral Values

Do not judge a book by its cover

Keep your promises
Its never too late to turn over a new leaf
Do not take advantage on other peoples misery
Love and protect you family