Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer.

Life

Stevenson was born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Thomas Stevenson and grandson of Robert Stevenson, both successful lighthouse engineers, and Margaret Balfour. He studied at Edinburgh Academy in his youth. His parents were both very religious. Robert gave up the religion of his parents while studying at Edinburgh University, but the teaching that he received as a child continued to influence him.

Related Topics:
Edinburgh - Thomas Stevenson - Robert Stevenson - Edinburgh Academy - Edinburgh University

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Although ill with tuberculosis from childhood, Stevenson had a full life. He began his education as an engineer but, despite his family history, he showed little aptitude and soon switched to studying law. At the age of 18 he dropped the name Balfour and changed his middle name from Lewis to Louis (but retaining the original pronunciation); from this time on he began styling himself "RLS". He turned to the law because of poor health, but he never practiced. He ended his life as a tribal leader (called by his tribe Tusitala, meaning "storyteller" in Samoan) and plantation owner at his residence "Vailima" in Samoa, all this in addition to his literary career.

Related Topics:
Tuberculosis - Law - Vailima - Samoa

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Stevenson's novels of adventure, romance, and horror are of considerable psychological depth and have continued in popularity long after his death, both as books and as films.

Related Topics:
Novels - Films

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His wife Fanny (née Osbourne), whom he married in 1880, was a great support in his adventurous and arduous life.

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Stevenson made several trips to the Kingdom of Hawaii and became a good friend of King David Kalakaua with whom Stevenson spent much time. Stevenson also became best friends with the king's niece Princess Victoria Kaiulani, also of Scottish heritage. Since the tragic deaths of both Stevenson and Kaiulani, historians have debated the true nature of their relationship as to whether or not they had romantic feelings for each other. Because of the age difference, such stories have often been discredited. In 1888, Stevenson travelled to the island of Molokai just weeks after the death of Father Damien. He spent twelve days at the missionary priest's residence, Bishop Home at Kalawao. Stevenson taught the local girls to play croquet. When Congregationalist and Presbyterian ministers began to incite slander against Father Damien out of spite for his Catholicism, Stevenson wrote one of his most famous essays in defense of the life and work of the missionary priest.

Related Topics:
Kingdom of Hawaii - King David Kalakaua - Princess Victoria Kaiulani - 1888 - Molokai - Father Damien - Bishop Home - Kalawao - Croquet - Congregationalist - Presbyterian - Catholicism

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Stevenson died of a brain (cerebral) haemorrhage in Vailima in Samoa, aged 44. In his will, he bequeathed his birthday to a little girl who had been born on Christmas Day.

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