Editing David Stevenson (engineer)

{{Short description|Scottish lighthouse designer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = 
| name               = David Stevenson
| honorific_suffix   = [[Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|FRSE]] [[Royal Scottish Society of Arts|FRSSA]] [[Institution of Civil Engineers|MICE]]
| image              = David Stevenson.jpg<!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] -->
| alt                = black and white engraving of a portrait of David Stevenson
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1815|1|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Edinburgh]], Scotland
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1886|7|17|1815|1|11|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[North Berwick]], Scotland
| nationality        = Scottish
| other_names        = 
| education          = 
| alma_mater         = [[University of Edinburgh]]
| occupation         = Lighthouse engineer
| employer           = [[Northern Lighthouse Board]]
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| spouse             = {{marriage|Elizabeth Mackay|1840}}
| partner            = 
| children           = [[David Alan Stevenson]]<br />[[Charles Alexander Stevenson]]<br />Jane Stevenson
| parents            = [[Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)|Robert Stevenson]] (father)<br />Jean Smith (mother)
| relatives          = [[Thomas Stevenson]] (brother)<br />[[Alan Stevenson]] (brother)<br />[[Robert Louis Stevenson]] (nephew)
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}}

'''David Stevenson''' [[Institution of Civil Engineers|MICE]] [[Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|FRSE]] [[Royal Scottish Society of Arts|FRSSA]] (11 January 1815 &ndash; 17 July 1886) was a Scottish [[civil engineer]] and [[lighthouse]] designer who designed over 30 lighthouses in and around [[Scotland]], and helped continue the [[dynasty]] of lighthouse engineering founded by his father, [[Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)|Robert Stevenson]].

==Life==

He was born on 11 January 1815 at 2 Baxters Place<ref>Edinburgh and Leith Post Office directory 1815-16</ref> at the top of [[Leith Walk]] in Edinburgh, the son of Jean Smith and engineer [[Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)|Robert Stevenson]]. He was brother of the lighthouse engineers [[Alan Stevenson|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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last= |date=1887 |title=Obituary: David Stevenson, 1815-1886. |url=https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/10.1680/imotp.1887.21315 |journal=[[Institution of Civil Engineers|Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers]] |language=en |volume=87 |issue=1887 |pages=440–443 |doi=10.1680/imotp.1887.21315 |issn=1753-7843 |access-date=12 January 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |date=1888 |title=Obituary: David Stevenson |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-royal-society-of-edinburgh/article/david-stevenson/3B7BCBA6CCCA3F99A0D08371145D29D2 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh |language=en |volume=14 |pages=145–151 |doi=10.1017/S0370164600004776 |issn=0370-1646 |access-date=12 January 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 

In 1844 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]], his proposer being [[David Milne-Home]]. He was elected as a member of the [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] in 1844, and subsequently acted as a member of its council from 1877 until 1883, when he retired due to ill health. He was also a member of the [[Ingénieurs et scientifiques de France|Société des ingénieurs civils de France]].<ref name=":1" />

In 1853 he moved to the [[Northern Lighthouse Board]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=19 July 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Between 1854 and 1880 he designed many lighthouses, all with his brother Thomas. In addition he helped [[Richard Henry Brunton]] design lighthouses for [[Japan]], inventing a novel method for allowing them to withstand [[earthquakes]]. His sons [[David Alan Stevenson]] and [[Charles Alexander Stevenson]] continued his work after his death, building nearly thirty further lighthouses.<ref name=":0" />

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 surveyor|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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stevenson |first=D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xC1kAAAAcAAJ |title=A treatise on the application of Marine Surveying and Hydrometry to the practice of Civil Engineering |date=1842 |publisher=[[Adam & Charles Black]] |location=Edinburgh |language=en |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref>

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 canal|ship canals]].<ref name=":1" /> 

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 [[Land reclamation|reclamation]] and protection of land.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stevenson |first=D. |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781139565592/type/book |title=The Principles and Practice of Canal and River Engineering |date=1872 |publisher=[[Adam & Charles Black]] |isbn=978-1-108-05772-1 |edition=1 |location=Edinburgh |doi=10.1017/cbo9781139565592.017 |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> 

In the 1860s he lived at 25 [[Royal Terrace, Edinburgh]].<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1862</ref>

Non-lighthouse engineering included the Edinburgh and [[Leith]] Sewerage Scheme, the widening of [[North Bridge, Edinburgh|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 [[River Forth|Forth]], [[River Tay|Tay]], [[River Ness|Ness]], [[River Nith|Nith]], and [[River Clyde|Clyde]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/David_Stevenson|title=David Stevenson – Graces Guide}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stevenson |first=D. |date=1841 |title=Description of a cofferdam used in excavating rock from the navigable channel of the River Ribble |url=https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/10.1680/imotp.1841.24949 |journal=Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1841 |pages=81–83 |doi=10.1680/imotp.1841.24949 |issn=1753-7843 |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> In Ireland, he contributed to the improvement of the [[River Erne|Erne]] and [[River Foyle|Foyle]] rivers.<ref name=":2" /> 

Notable works in England and Wales included the [[River Dee, Wales|Dee]], [[River Lune|Lune]], [[River Ribble|Ribble]], and [[River Wear|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,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cumberlidge |first=J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2AYvnwEACAAJ |title=Inland waterways of Great Britain |date=2009 |publisher=Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson |isbn=978-1-84623-010-3 |edition= |location=Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> although this has been disputed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leahy |first=K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e4EiAwAACAAJ |title=The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Lindsey |date=2007 |publisher=Tempus |isbn=978-0-7524-4111-5 |location=Stroud |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> This project involved widening and deepening the navigation channel without interrupting traffic. Stevenson was also influential in matters related to [[Salmon-fishing|salmon fishing]] in rivers and [[Estuary|estuaries]] in Scotland, and he made a significant report on the subject for the [[Dornoch]] Fisheries in August 1842.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

In 1868 and 1869 he served as president of the [[Royal Scottish Society of the Arts]].<ref name=":0" /> 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)''
*''The Life of [[Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)|Robert Stevenson]]'' (1878)
[[File:Baxters Place, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|250px|Baxters Place, Edinburgh]]
[[File:The Stevenson family grave, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|250px|The grave of David Stevenson, Dean Cemetery]]

==Family==
In 1840 he married Elizabeth Mackay (1816-1871). Their children included [[Charles Alexander Stevenson]] and [[David Alan Stevenson]]. His daughter Jane Stevenson (d.1909) married [[William Mackintosh, Lord Kyllachy]].<ref name=":0" />

His nephew was [[Robert Louis Stevenson]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Olsen |first1=Trenton B. |title=The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson |date=19 May 2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-60229-0 |page=162 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vhcoEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT162 |language=en}}</ref>

==Lighthouses designed by David Stevenson==
{{Location map+|UK Scotland|width=300| caption=Scottish lighthouses constructed by David Stevenson|relief=1|
 places=
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Butt of Lewis Lighthouse|Butt of Lewis]]|position=left| lat=58.51566|long=-6.26195|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Scurdie Ness Lighthouse|Scurdie Ness]]| lat=56.70176|long=-2.437266|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Bass Rock Lighthouse|Bass Rock]]|position=top| lat=56.07671|long=-2.64105|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[St Abbs Head#Lighthouse|St Abbs Head]]|position=right| lat=55.91631|long=-2.1381|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Out Skerries]]| lat=60.424483|long=-0.72805|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Ornsay]]| lat=57.14336|long=-5.78115|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=Rona| lat=57.57806|long=-5.959116|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Rubha nan Gall|Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse]]|position=left| lat=56.6372|long=-6.06615|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Ushenish Lighthouse|Ushenish]]|position=bottom| lat=57.29825|long=-7.193|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Bressay Lighthouse|Bressay]]| lat=60.11995|long=-1.12155|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Cantick Head Lighthouse|Cantick Head]]| lat=58.78715|long=-3.1315|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Ruvaal Lighthouse|Ruvaal]]| lat=55.93635|long=-6.1234833|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Holborn Head|Holburn]]|position=left| lat=58.615|long=-3.54|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Monach Islands#History|Monach]]|position=top| lat=57.52581|long=-7.69605|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Auskerry#Lighthouse|Auskerry]]|position=top| lat=59.02595|long=-2.5727833|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Stoer Head#Lighthouse|Stoer Head]]| lat=58.24015|long=-5.40275|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=[[Turnberry Castle|Turnberry]]| lat=55.3262|long=-4.84425|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
{{location map~|UK Scotland|mark=Legenda latarnia.svg|label=Holy Island|position=left| lat=55.51226|long=-5.0701833|marksize=15|label_size=100 }}
}}
* [[Whalsay Skerries]] (1854)
* [[Out Skerries]] (1854)
* [[Muckle Flugga]] (1854)
* [[Davaar]] (1854)
* [[Ushenish]] (1857)
* [[South Rona]] (1857)
* [[Kyleakin]] (1857)
* [[Ornsay]] (1857)
* [[Sound of Mull]] (1857)
* [[Cantick Head Lighthouse|Cantick Head]] (1858)
* [[Bressay]] (1858)
* [[Ruvaal Lighthouse|Ruvaal]] (1859)
* [[Corran Point]] (1860)
* [[Fladda, Slate Islands|Fladda]] (1860)
* [[McArthur's Head]] (1861)
* [[St Abb's Head]] (1862)
* [[Butt of Lewis Lighthouse|Butt of Lewis]] (1862)
* [[Holborn Head Lighthouse|Holborn Head]] (1862)
* [[Monach Islands]] (1864)
* [[Skervuile]] (1865)
* [[Auskerry]] (1866)
* [[Lochindaal]] (1869)
* [[Scurdie Ness]] (1870)
*[[Stoer Head]] (1870)
* [[Dubh Artach]] (1872)
* [[Turnberry lighthouse|Turnberry]] (1873)
* [[Chicken Rock Lighthouse|Chicken Rock]] (1875)
* [[Lindisfarne]] (1877, 1880)

==See also==
*[[Richard Henry Brunton]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/details/lifeofrobertstev00stevrich ''Life of Robert Stevenson: Civil Engineer''] (1878), by David Stevenson. From [[Internet Archive]].

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, David}}
[[Category:Lighthouse builders]]
[[Category:Scottish civil engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:1815 births]]
[[Category:1886 deaths]]
[[Category:Stevenson family (Scotland)]]