Quick Facts
Biography
Charles Alexander Stevenson MICE MIEE FRSE (1855, Edinburgh – 1950) was a Scottish lighthouse engineer who built twenty three lighthouses in and around Scotland.
Life
He was born at 8 Forth Street in north-east Edinburgh The family moved to 20 Royal Terrace on Calton Hill shortly after his birth.
Born into the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers, son of David Stevenson and his wife Elizabeth Mackay, brother of David Alan Stevenson, and nephew of Thomas Stevenson, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy 1866 to 1872 then studied Mathematics and Engineering at Edinburgh University where he graduated BSc. He joined the family business of lighthouse design in 1875 but remained unpaid as a family member until 1887 when his uncle, Thomas Stevenson died, whereafter he became a partner. Between 1887 and 1937 he built twenty three lighthouses with his brother, David, and is noted for his experiments with optics. He also improved foghorns and created his own wireless communication system prior to Marconi's wireless.
In 1886 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir John Murray, Peter Guthrie Tait, George Chrystal and Alexander Buchan.
He lived at 9 Manor Place in Edinburgh with Ernest Maddox as his neighbour at 7 Manor Place.
He died on 9 May 1950.
Family
His cousin was Robert Louis Stevenson, and grandfather was the lighthouse engineer, Robert Stevenson.
His son David Alan (1891-1971) was the last of the family to enter the profession of lighthouse design. He also had two daughters.
Lighthouses of Charles A Stevenson
- Skroo, Fair Isle (1892)
- Helliar Holm (1893)
- Sule Skerry (1895)
- Rattray Head (1895)
- Stroma (1896)
- Tod Head (1897)
- Noup Head (1898)
- Flannan Isles (1899)
- Tiumpan Head (1900)
- Killantringan (1900) originally including a gigantic foghorn
- Barns Ness (1901)
- Bass Rock (1903)
- Hyskeir (1904)
- Trodday (1908)
- Neist Point (1909)
- Rubh Re (1912)
- Milaid Point (1912)
- Maughold Head (1914)
- Copinsay (1915)
- Clyth Ness (1916)
- Duncansby Head (1924)
- Esha Ness (1929)
- Tor Ness (1937)