Stevenson, Robert Louis

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850–94). Writer. A spirited but sickly child, Stevenson abandoned engineering studies at Edinburgh for law but, although admitted as advocate (1875), never practised: rejecting parental calvinism for liberal bohemianism, he was determined to write. Much of his life was spent journeying in search of health after tuberculosis developed, and this provided material for future publication; it was while in France that he met his future wife, the American Fanny Osbourne. His output covered essays, short stories, poetry (A Child's Garden of Verses), travelogues, and collaborations with his stepson Lloyd Osbourne, while delighting readers with Scottish romances (Kidnapped, Catriona) and story-telling (Treasure Island, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde). Financially independent after his father's death (1887), Stevenson took the whole family to the South Seas, settling eventually at Vailima (Samoa), where his health improved partially and he gained a reputation as ‘Tusitala’ (‘Teller of Tales’).

A. S. Hargreaves