He was born on 11 January 1815 at 2 Baxters Place[1] at the top of Leith Walk in Edinburgh, the son of Jean Smith and engineer Robert Stevenson. He was brother of the lighthouse engineers Alan and Thomas Stevenson. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh then studied at the University of Edinburgh. In 1838 he became a partner in his father's (and uncle's) firm of R & A Stevenson. He acquired practical skills in millwright workshops, which inspired him to advocate for hands-on training for engineers in later life.[2]
In 1835, he was asked by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to join his staff at the Thames Tunnel works, an offer which he could not accept as he had been appointed to superintend the construction of other works.[3]
In 1836 he made a tour of the United States and Canada, subsequently publishing a book on North American civil engineering in 1838. In 1842 he published A treatise on the application of Marine Surveying and Hydrometry to the practice of Civil Engineering, which focused on how engineers could acquire accurate data on which to form designs for harbour and river improvements.[5]
In 1858, his book The principles and practices of canal and river engineering was published. It was re-issued in a second expanded edition in 1872. The book provided a detailed overview of various aspects of inland navigation, including the history, construction, and maintenance of barge and ship canals.[2]
The book also focused on the engineering challenges of canal construction and explored the physical characteristics of rivers, their compartments, and the various engineering works for their improvement, such as tidal flow, removal of obstructions, dredging, and the reclamation and protection of land.[6]
Non-lighthouse engineering included the Edinburgh and Leith Sewerage Scheme, the widening of North Bridge in Edinburgh, and work on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He played a significant role in developing harbours and rivers in Scotland, including works on the Forth, Tay, Ness, Nith, and Clyde.[8][9] In Ireland, he contributed to the improvement of the Erne and Foyle rivers.[3]
Notable works in England and Wales included the Dee, Lune, Ribble, and Wear rivers, along with the restoration and enlargement of the Foss Dyke in Lincolnshire. The Foss Dyke was thought to be the oldest canal still in use in Britain,[10] although this has been disputed.[11] This project involved widening and deepening the navigation channel without interrupting traffic. Stevenson was also influential in matters related to salmon fishing in rivers and estuaries in Scotland, and he made a significant report on the subject for the Dornoch Fisheries in August 1842.[2][3]
In 1868 and 1869 he served as president of the Royal Scottish Society of the Arts.[4] He died in North Berwick on 17 July 1886. He is buried in Dean Cemetery in west Edinburgh. The grave lies on the north wall of the original cemetery backing onto the first northern extension.
Publications
Sketch of the Civil Engineering of North America (1838)
A treatise on the application of Marine Surveying and Hydrometry to the practice of Civil Engineering (1842)
The principles and practice of canal and river engineering (1872)
