Sherlock Holmes actor David Burke left an estate valued at £77,912 after his death at the age of 91.
The actor was renowned for playing Dr Watson in the original television series. He also took on two separate roles in Coronation Street, appearing as a schoolmaster at Bessie Street School in 1963 before playing factory works manager Jack Benjamin in 1966.
Burke died four months ago, on May 10, and is survived by his wife, fellow actor Anna Calder-Marshall, and their son, Tom Burke.
He was best known for portraying Sherlock Holmes’ trusted companion in the 1980s television series Sherlock Holmes, starring opposite Jeremy Brett. Brett played the legendary detective as well as Holmes’ close friend to Burke’s Watson.
Burke’s interpretation helped reshape Dr Watson’s image. Rather than presenting him as a foolish sidekick, the performance established Watson as a respected and capable ally, influencing later portrayals such as Martin Freeman’s role opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC series Sherlock.
It was revealed yesterday that Burke left his estate to Anna, 79, whom he married 55 years ago in 1971.
The High Court of Justice issued his Grant of Probate on Monday, naming his wife and son as the executors.
His gross estate in the UK was valued at £84,407. After deductions, the final figure stood at £77,912.
Burke, who also appeared in the television drama Heartbeat, made his will on September 29, 2011.
Anna has appeared in Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Tom, 45, is the couple’s only child.
Born in Liverpool, Burke won an Oxford scholarship in the 1950s to study classics. He had ambitions of becoming the next Laurence Olivier.
David Burke is survived by his wife Anna Calder-Marshall and son Tom Burke
Burke was best known for playing Dr Watson in the 1980s TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, alongside Jeremy Brett (left)
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He later trained at Rada after earning a place through an audition inspired by his experience working as a labourer on the M1. Burke went on to build a wide-ranging career in television, radio and theatre.
He played Kent in a National Theatre production of King Lear alongside Ian Holm, the Lord of the Rings star best known for portraying Bilbo Baggins.
Critics praised Burke’s performance, describing it at the time as “subtle, studied and unobtrusive”.
His television work also included Midsomer Murders, while he appeared alongside The Good Life star Felicity Kendal in The Woodlanders.
Burke featured in Coronation Street between 1963 and 1966, taking on two different parts during his time on the soap.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Tom Burke pursued a career in acting. He has played Athos in the BBC series The Musketeers and Cormoran Strike in Strike.
He also appeared with Steve Coogan in the Netflix series Legends, which premiered earlier this month.
Burke reportedly declined to appear in a second series of the show in 1985 having felt ‘terribly guilty’ about leaving his family at home while filming the 13 episodes in Manchester.
In an interview with The Times, Tom said he felt ‘guilty’ as he got older at the prospect his father had ‘given up this brilliant opportunity’ for him.
When he asked his father about it, Burke told his son: ‘It was my decision.
‘I didn’t just want to work. I also wanted to be your dad.
‘On top of that, I was getting bored of saying, “Good heavens, Holmes”.’