Inchkeith Lighthouse lens, National Museum of Scotland

David Alan Stevenson (21 July 1854 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

– 11 April 1938) was a lighthouse engineer who built 26 lighthouses in and around

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

Life

The Stevenson family grave, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh

He was born on 21 July 1854 the son of David Stevenson and his wife, Elizabeth Mackay. His early years were spent at their home at 8 Forth Street in the eastern section of the New Town in

. The family later moved to 45 Melville Street. He was part of the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers, including brother Charles Stevenson, uncle

Thomas Stevenson Thomas Stevenson PRSE MInstCE FRSSA FSAScot (22 July 1818 – 8 May 1887) was a pioneering Scottish civil engineer, lighthouse designer and meteorologist, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, as well as the Stevenson s ...

, and grandfather Robert Stevenson. His cousin was the author

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

. Stevenson was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is an independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located on Arboretum Ro ...

(1865–70) and then studied Engineering at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, graduating BSc in 1875. In 1884 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were William Swan,

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait FRSE (28 April 1831 – 4 July 1901) was a Scottish mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook ''Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he co-wrote wi ...

, Robert MacKay Smith and

George Chrystal George Chrystal FRSE FRS (8 March 1851 – 3 November 1911) was a Scottish mathematician. He is primarily know for his books on algebra and his studies of seiches (wave patterns in large inland bodies of water) which earned him a Gold Meda ...

.). Stevenson died at his home, "Troqueer", in the Kingsknowe area of Edinburgh on 11 April 1938. He is buried in Dean Cemetery. The grave lies on the north wall of the original cemetery, backing onto the first northern extension. It is heavily worn.

Family

In 1882 he married Annie Roberts (1862–1945). The family resided in Edinburgh's West End at 45 Melville Street. Their daughter Dorothy Emily was born in 1892; she became a best-selling author of more than 40 books published under the name D. E. Stevenson. A commemorative plaque marks the house. His nephew was also named David Alan Stevenson (1891-1971).

Works

Between 1885 and 1886 he built three lighthouses with his uncle Thomas, and over the following 50 years, built a further 23 with his brother Charles. From 1904 he was assisted by John Davidson Gardner who became his Chief assistant in 1911.Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: obituaries June 1966 He retired aged 83 in March 1938.

Lighthouses of David A Stevenson

Stevenson worked on 26 lighthouses during his career. Among them are: *

Fidra Fidra (archaically Fidrey or Fetheray) is a currently uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, northwest of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland. The island is an RSPB Scotland nature reserve. Geography Like the other islands near N ...

(1885) * Oxcar (1886) *

Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig (; sco, Ailsae Craig; gd, Creag Ealasaid) is an island of in the outer Firth of Clyde, west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the ...

(1886) * Skroo,

Fair Isle Fair Isle (; sco, Fair Isle; non, Friðarey; gd, Fara) is an island in Shetland, in northern Scotland. It lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney. It is known for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. Th ...

(1892) *

Helliar Holm Helliar Holm is an uninhabited island off the coast of Shapinsay in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is home to a lighthouse, which was built in 1893 and automated in 1967. It is a tidal island that used to be connected to Shapinsay. It is still ...

(1893) *

Sule Skerry Sule Skerry is a remote skerry in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland. Geography Sule Skerry lies west of the Orkney Mainland at . Sule Skerry's sole neighbour, Sule Stack, lies to the southwest; the remote islands of Rona a ...

(1895) * Rattray Head (1895) * Stroma (1896) * Tod Head (1897):

Catterline Catterline is a coastal village on the North Sea in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated about south of Stonehaven; nearby to the north are Dunnottar Castle and Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve. Other noted architectural or historic features in the ...

, Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Noup Head (1898) * Flannan Isles (1899) *

Tiumpan Head Tiumpan Head (Scottish Gaelic:''Rubha an Tiùmpain'' or ''Rudha an Tiùmpain'') is the north-eastern end of the Point peninsula on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Tiumpan Head Lighthouse has marked the western limit of The Min ...

(1900) * Killantringan (1900) * Barns Ness (1901) * Hoxa Head (1901) *

Bass Rock The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volca ...

(1903) *

Hyskeir Hyskeir ( gd, Òigh-sgeir) or Heyskeir is a low-lying rocky islet (a skerry) in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The Hyskeir Lighthouse marks the southern entrance to the Minch. Geography Hyskeir lies in the southern entrance to the Minch, 10 kil ...

(1904) * Trodday (1908) *

Neist Point Neist Point ( gd, Rubha na h-Eist) is a viewpoint on the most westerly point of Skye. Neist Point Lighthouse has been located there since 1909. Geography Neist Point is the most westerly point on the Duirinish peninsula on the Isle of Skye. It ...

(1909) * Rubh Re (1912) * Milaid Point (1912) *

Maughold Head Maughold Head is the easternmost point of the Isle of Man and the closest point in the Isle of Man to England, being from St. Bees Head in Cumbria. Maughold Head lies in the northeast of the island, some from Ramsey, at the southern end of R ...

(1914) *

Copinsay Copinsay ( non, Kolbeinsey) is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, lying off the east coast of the Orkney Mainland. The smaller companion island to Copinsay, Horse of Copinsay lies to the northeast. The Horse is uninhabited, and is managed a ...

(1915) * Clyth Ness (1916) *

Duncansby Head Duncansby Head ( gd, Ceann Dhunngain or Dùn Gasbaith) is the most northeasterly part of both the Scottish and British mainlands, slightly northeast of John o' Groats. It lies approximately 20 km (12 mi) east-southeast of Dunnet Hea ...

(1924) * Ardtornish (1927) * Esha Ness (1929) * Tor Ness (1937)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, David Alan Lighthouse builders Scottish civil engineers 1854 births 1938 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Stevenson family (Scotland)