David Alan Stevenson (21 July 1854 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

– 11 April 1938) was a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

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. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Life

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 New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

. 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 President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 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 ...

, and grandfather

Robert Stevenson Robert, Rob, or Bob Stevenson may refer to: * Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894), Scottish writer ("Treasure Island"), grandson of lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenso ...

. 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 ...

. Stevenson was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Stockbridge, is now part of the Senior Scho ...

(1865–70) and then studied Engineering at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, graduating BSc in 1875. In 1884 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were William Swan,

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait (28 April 18314 July 1901) was a Scottish Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook ''Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he ...

Robert MacKay Smith Robert Mackay Smith FRSE (1802–1888) was a Scottish businessman, meteorologist and philanthropist. Glasgow University's Mackay Smith Prizes were founded by him in 1882. He was the Chairman of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and a Director of ...

and

George Chrystal George Chrystal FRSE FRS (8 March 1851 – 3 November 1911) was a Scottish mathematician. He is primarily known 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 Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...

. 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 nea ...

(1885) * Oxcar (1886) *

Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig (; ) 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 remains of a magmatic pluton formed d ...

(1886) * Skroo,

Fair Isle Fair Isle ( ; ), sometimes Fairisle, is the southernmost Shetland island, situated roughly from the Shetland Mainland and about from North Ronaldsay (the most northerly island of Orkney). The entire archipelago lies off the northernmost coa ...

(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 ...

(1895) *

Rattray Head Rattray Head (), historically Rattray Point, is a headland in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, on the north-east coast Scotland. To north lies Strathbeg Bay and Rattray Bay is to its south. The dunes at Rattray Head beach can be up to high and stretch ...

(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 t ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

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

Tiumpan Head Tiumpan Head (, meaning "promontory of the hill") is the northeastern end of the Point peninsula on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United King ...

(1900) * Killantringan (1900) *

Barns Ness A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

(1901) * Hoxa Head (1901) *

Bass Rock The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), 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 volcanic plug, at its highest point, and is home ...

(1903) *

Hyskeir Hyskeir () 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 kilometres south ...

(1904) * Trodday (1908) * Neist Point (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 ...

(1914) *

Copinsay Copinsay () 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 as a bird rese ...

(1915) * Clyth Ness (1916) *

Duncansby Head Duncansby Head ( 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 Head, the northernmost ...

(1924) * Brough of Birsay Lighthouse (1925) * Ardtornish (1927) *

Esha Ness Esha Ness, also written Eshaness, is a peninsula on the west coast of Northmavine, on the island of Mainland, Shetland, Scotland. Esha Ness Lighthouse is located on the west coast of the peninsula, just south of Calder's Geo. The lighthouse was ...

(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)