Robert Louis Stevenson with Family and Staff

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

21879

Title

Robert Louis Stevenson with family and staff

Description

Thomas and Margaret Stevenson, with their son Robert Louis and staff at the front of a stone built house. Thomas has his hand in his pocket and is wearing a bowler style hat. Margaret is dressed for the outdoors, wearing a hat and coat over her long dress. Robert also stands with his hands in his pockets and is wearing a jacket and flat cap. To his left is Alison Cunningham (Cummy), his nanny. She is wearing a long dress and apron. On the right are two maids in light coloured dresses. A small terrier type dog sits on the gravel in front of them.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1864

Size

20 x 25.5 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Writers' Museum

This image was taken on a trip to Peebles.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. He studied law at Edinburgh University and became an advocate in 1875. He went on to write several popular novels including 'Treasure Island'(1883) and 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' (1886). He died in 1894.

Thomas Stevenson, the father of Robert Louis Stevenson, was born in Edinburgh on 22nd July 1818. He was a civil engineer, who like his father before him, designed lighthouses.

At seventeen Thomas became apprenticed to his father in the family engineering firm, where his growing interest in writing fiction was thoroughly disapproved of by his father. He went on to use his talent in writing however to submit articles to engineering journals and to write books such as "Lighthouse Construction & Illumination".

After his father's retirement Stevenson had continued to research and develop lighthouse illumination and harbour engineering, going on to become a leading authority in the area. The Stevenson's firm advised on the construction of lighthouses as far away as Japan, China and New Zealand. Between 1855-87 he held the post of engineer to the Northern Lighthouse Board. In this role, along with his brother David, he designed and built 28 beacons and 30 lighthouses.

Thomas suffered liver problems from 1885 which eventually led to jaundice. He died on 8th May 1887.

Margaret Stevenson (nee Balfour) was Robert Louis Stevenson's mother. She was born in 1829, the daughter of the Revd Lewis Balfour, minister of Colinton. She kept poor health in her early and middle life, suffering from chest problems. She married Thomas Stevenson, civil engineer, on 8th August 1848. They had one son, Robert Louis in 1850. After her husbands death in 1887 she lived for a while in Samoa with Robert and his family. She died in 1897.

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Related subjects

Animals > Mammals > Dogs

Architecture > Architectural features > Doors and doorways

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Aprons

Clothing and dress > Garments > Coats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Dresses

Clothing and dress > Garments > Jacket

Clothing and dress > Garments > Trousers

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

People > Adults > Men

People > Adults > Women

Places > Scotland > Peebleshire

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