Alan Stevenson

For the lighthouse engineer and amateur philatelist, see D. Alan Stevenson. For the footballer, see Alan Stevenson (footballer). For the Scottish cricketer, see Alan Stevenson (cricketer).

Alan Stevenson FRSE MInstCE (28 April 1807 – 23 December 1865) was a Scottish civil engineer, known for designing and building lighthouses in and around Scotland.^[1]

Alan Stevenson FRSE
Born	(1807-04-28)28 April 1807 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	23 December 1865(1865-12-23) (aged 58) Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland
Education	Royal High School, Edinburgh
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh
Occupation	Lighthouse engineer
Employer	Northern Lighthouse Board
Known for	lighthouse design Skerryvore Lighthouse
Spouse	Margaret Scott Jones (1813–1895)
Children	Robert Alan Mowbray Stevenson Jean Margaret Alan Stevenson Dorothea Francis Alan Stevenson Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson
Parent(s)	Robert Stevenson (father) Jean Smith (mother)
Relatives	David Stevenson (brother) Thomas Stevenson (brother) Robert Louis Stevenson (nephew)

Skerryvore Lighthouse

Alan Stevenson's grave, New Calton Cemetery

Life

Alan Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on 28 April 1807, the eldest son of Jean Smith and her husband (and step-brother) Robert Stevenson.^[2] With his father, and brothers David and Thomas, he was part of the notable family of Engineers and lighthouse builders. The writer Robert Louis Stevenson was his nephew.

He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh. In 1821, he attended the University of Edinburgh to study Latin, Greek and mathematics with a view to becoming a member of the clergy. However, 2 years later in 1823, he decided to pursue a career in engineering and began a four-year apprenticeship at his father's business.

Between 1843 and 1853 he built 13 lighthouses in and around Scotland. Among his notable works is the Skerryvore Lighthouse.^[3]

He was Engineer in Chief to the Northern Lighthouse Board from 1843 to 1853.^[4]

In 1838 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being James David Forbes. In 1840 the University of Glasgow conferred on him an honorary LLB degree.

He died at 13 Pitt Street^[5] (later renamed Pittville St)^[6] in Portobello on 23 December 1865.

He is buried in the Stevenson family vault in New Calton Cemetery with his wife, Margaret Scott Jones. The vault lies midway along the eastern wall.

Publications

• Biographical Sketches of the Late Robert Stevenson (1861)^[2]

Family

On 11 September 1844, he married Margaret Scott Jones (1813–1895), daughter of Jean (née Scott) and Humphrey Herbert Jones of Anglesey.^[1] They had three daughters, Jean, Dorothea and the author and journalist Katherine Elizabeth de Mattos Stevenson (1851–1939), and one son, art critic Robert Alan Mowbray Stevenson (1827–1880).^[1][7]

He was uncle to Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Alexander Stevenson and David Alan Stevenson.^{[citation needed]}

Lighthouses by Alan Stevenson

• Little Ross (1843)
• Isle of May Low Light (1843)
• Skerryvore (1844)
• Covesea Skerries (1846)
• Chanonry Point (1846)
• Cromarty (1846)
• Cairn Point, Loch Ryan (1847)
• Noss Head (1849)
• Ardnamurchan (1849)
• Sanda (1850)
• Hestan Island (1850)
• Hoy High and Hoy Low, Graemsay (1851)
• Arnish Point (1853)
• Eilean Musdile (Lismore)

Arms

Coat of arms of Alan Stevenson

Notes Granted 7th April 1865 by George Burnett, Lyon Depute.[8] Crest A dexter hand holding a wreath of laurel Proper. Escutcheon Argent on a chevron between two fleurs de lys in chief Azure and a lighthouse in base Proper three mullets of the field. Motto Ceolum Non Solum

Publications

• Biographical Sketch of the Late Robert Stevenson: Civil Engineer, read at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, at the meeting of 17 February 1851. From Google Book Search
• A Rudimentary Treatise on the History, Construction and Illumination of Lighthouses, 1850, from Google Book Search

Family Tree

Alan's position in the Stevenson family tree.

Robert Stevenson engineering family tree
Thomas Smith (engineer) Jean Lille Stevenson Alan Stevenson (merchant) Joan Smith Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) David Stevenson (engineer) Alan Stevenson (engineer) Thomas Stevenson (engineer) Charles Alexander Stevenson (engineer) David Alan Stevenson (engineer) Robert Louis Stevenson D. Alan Stevenson (engineer)

References

1. Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26427. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. "Lighthouses | Robert Louis Stevenson".
3. Waterston, Charles D; Macmillan Shearer, A (July 2006). Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-2002: Biographical Index (PDF). Vol. II. Edinburg: The Royal Society of Edinburgh. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2006.
4. Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
5. Portobello Post Office Directory 1865
6. NLS 1893 map of Portobello
7. Inscription on grave of Alan Stevenson, New Calton Cemetery
8. "Grant of Arms: Alan Stevenson 1865". Stephen J. Plowman. Retrieved 21 February 2024.