Courtesy of RLS Collection, Gen. Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
RLS aged 7 with father
Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)
RLS, Aged 25, in his Advocate’s Robes
Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)
RLS in 1876
Image drawn by Fanny Osbourne (later Stevenson). From The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson by Graham Balfour (London: Methuen & Co, 1901), vol 1
1850
November
13: Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson [from about 1868: Robert Louis Balfour; from about 1873: Robert Louis] born at 8 Howard Place, Edinburgh
January
Family move to 1 (now 9) Inverleith Terrace, Edinburgh
December
13: Baptized
1852
May
Alison Cunningham (“Cummy”) becomes RLS’s nurse (remaining in the household until 14 November 1872)
1856
November
13: Receives a toy theatre as birthday present from his uncle and aunt, David and Jane Stevenson.
November-December
Dictates “The History of Moses” to his mother
1857
May
Family move to 17 Heriot Row, Edinburgh
September
30: Goes to school for the first time: Mr Henderson’s Preparatory School, India Street (attends a few weeks because of poor health)
1859
June
14: Three-week holiday with his parents (till 6 July): Bridge of Allan, Perth and Dundee
October
Returns to Mr Henderson’s Preparatory School, India Street
1861
October
1: Starts attending Edinburgh Academy (for 15 months)
1862
July
RLS and parents visit Bad Homburg vor der Höhe (then Homburg), the capital of Hesse-Homburg, Germany. The family stayed in Homburg from 11 July – 8 August 1862 for a health cure for Mr Stevenson. From 1-11 July 1862, the family made their way to Homburg, traveling via Peterborough, London, Dover, Brussels, Koblenz, and Frankfurt to Homburg. Their return journey took from 9-16 August 1862. The Stevensons travelled via Heidelberg, Wiesbaden, Koblenz, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, The Hague and Ostend to Edinburgh
1863
January
3: Start of five-month tour of Europe with his parents and Cummy; two months in Mentone in the south of France, then to Genoa, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, Innsbruck.
May
29: Returns to Edinburgh
August
28: – Thomas Stevenson takes RLS to the Burlington Lodge Academy, Spring Grove, Isleworth (for one term only)
December
19: Leaves Burlington Lodge Academy; stays in London with his father
20: Leaves for Mentone with his father; stays in Mentone three months with his mother (who had been there all autumn)
1864
May
31: Goes to Colinton Farm (Ramsay Traquair family) with his mother (for a month)
June
6-9: Returns briefly to 17 Heriot Row, Edinburgh
10: Back in Colinton with his mother till the end of June
October
3: Starts school at Robert Thomson’s private school in Frederick Street (until 1867)
1865
May
16: Arrives in Torquay with his mother
1866
November
28: Date on (untraced) manuscript of The Pentland Rising, published (Edinburgh: Andrew Eliot) at RLS’s father’s expense in November 1866
1867
November
Starts studying at Edinburgh University
1868
July
1-31: At Anstruther, as part of training for lighthouse engineering
August – October
27: At Wick (until 6 October), as part of training for lighthouse engineering
1869
February
16: Elected to Speculative Society
March
2: Attends first meeting of the Speculative Society
June
14-29: With father on the yacht Pharos, visiting Orkney and Shetland (described in “The Education of an Engineer” [1888])
1870
August
1: Leaves for Erraid and stays there for three weeks as part of training for lighthouse engineering
1871
November
Begins studying law at Edinburgh University
1873
January
31: Announces to his father that he doesn’t believe in the Christian religion; quarrel
July and August
Visits cousin Maud Balfour at Cockfield Rectory, Suffolk (arrives 26 July) and stays until the end of August. Here, he meets Frances Sitwell and Sidney Colvin
November
6: Travels to Mentone, France, under doctor’s orders, staying until the end of March 1874
December
4: “Roads”, his first paid publication, is published under the name L.S. Stoneven in Portfolio
1874
April
Visits Paris
26: Returns to Edinburgh
May
Publishes “Ordered South” in Macmillan’s Magazine
August
Publishes “Victor Hugo’s Romances” in Cornhill Magazine
1875
February
9: Meets W.E. Henley at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh
March and April
29 March – 19 April: Visits Barbizon and Paris with Bob Stevenson
July
14: Passes the final examination for the Scottish Bar. End of his studies at Edinburgh University
16: Called to the Scottish Bar
26: Travels to London (and then on to France)
August
Begins walking tour of the Valley of the Loing with Walter Grindlay Simpson. He later describes the walk in “An Epilogue to An Inland Voyage” (1888)
1876
January
8-17: Walking tour of Ayr, Maybole, Girvan, Ballantrae, Stranraer, Glenluce, and Wigton (described in “A Winter’s Walk in Carrick and Galloway” [1896])
August
25: At Antwerp. Begins voyage with Walter Simpson (described in An Inland Voyage [1888])
September
9: At Compiègne
14: At Pontoise; the “inland voyage” terminates; travels to Paris
Travels to Grez-sur-Loing; meets Mrs Fanny Osbourne
October
14: Arrives in Paris
16: Arrives in Edinburgh
Writing “Some Portraits by Raeburn” (1881) and “On Falling in Love” (1877)
November
Finishes “On Falling in Love” (1877)
Writing “The Devil on Cramond Sands”
“Some Portraits by Raeburn” rejected by Cornhill Magazine
December
“Charles of Orleans” published in Cornhill Magazine
16: Arrives in Edinburgh
1877
January
Stays in Paris with Fanny
February
Publishes “On Falling in Love” in the Cornhill
October
“A Lodging for the Night”, his first published short story, appears in Temple Bar
1878
August
Fanny returns with her children to her husband, Sam Osbourne, in California
September-October
Walking tour of the Cevennes (described in Travels with a Donkey [1879])
December
Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes is published
1879
August
6: Travels from London to Glasgow
7: Sails from Greenock on the Devonia, bound for New York; on the journey finishes “The Story of a Lie” (1879)
17: Arrives in New York; spends the night in a boarding house
18: Starts train journey from New Jersey
30: Arrives in Monterey. RLS later writes about the journey to California in The Amateur Emigrant (1895). The first part of The Amateur Emigrant was ready to be published, but was withdrawn in 1880. The second part was published as “Across the Plains” in 1883 – it was later included in Across the Plains (1892).
October
“The Story of a Lie” is published in the New Quarterly Review
December
12: Fanny divorces Sam Osbourne
22: Moves to 608 Bush Street, San Francisco (till May 1880)
1880
March
c. 15: Moves to the Tubbs Hotel, East Oakland. Has a hemorrhage and is moved to Fanny’s house nearby so that she can nurse him
April
Early April: Stevenson’s parents promise him £250 yearly
May
19: Marries Fanny Osbourne in San Francisco; stays at Palace Hotel (till 21 or 22 May)
22: RLS and Fanny set out for their honeymoon at Napa Valley
June
9: Arrives at abandoned mining cabin at Silverado with Fanny and Lloyd Osbourne (described in The Silverado Squatters [1884])
13-25: At Calistoga
25: Returns to Silverado
July
Returns to San Francisco with Fanny and Lloyd
29: Begins train journey to New York
August
17: RLS, Fanny and Lloyd arrive in Liverpool from New York where his parents meet Fanny for the first time
October
Advised to winter in Davos, Switzerland for his health
November
RLS, Lloyd and Fanny arrive in Davos (stay until April 1881)
1881
April
Publication of Virginibus Puerisque
June
2: Arrives in Pitlochry (stays until 2 August)
August
2: Leaves Pitlochry for Braemar where he stays for almost two months. Here he writes the opening of “The Travelling Companion” (a Doubles story later destroyed) and begins work on The Sea Cook (later to become Treasure Island [1883])
24: Two chapters of The Sea Cook written
October
1: Young Folks magazine begins the serial publication of Treasure Island under the name Captain George North
18: Arrives Davos where he winters again for his health. He stays until April 1882
“Thrawn Janet” is published in Cornhill
1882
This year, RLS summers in various parts of Scotland: Lochearnhead, Ballachulish, Oban, Peebles, Kingussie. He winters in various parts of France: Montpellier, Marseilles, and moves to Nice in January 1883
February
Publication of Familiar Studies of Men and Books
April
Publication of “Talk and Talkers” in Cornhill
May
Publication of “The Foreigner at Home” in Cornhill
June
Publication of “The Merry Men” in Cornhill
July
Publication of New Arabian Nights
November
Publication of “A Gossip on Romance” in Longman’s Magazine
December
21: First performance of Deacon Brodie in Bradford
1883
This year, RLS works on Prince Otto
March
22: Moves to Chalet la Solitude, 4 Rue Victor Basch, Hyères (till June 1884)
April
Publication of “The Treasure of Franchard” in Longman’s Magazine
June
30: Black Arrow, begins to be serialized in Young Folks under the name Captain George North
September
9: Death of his friend Walter Ferrier
November
14: Publication of Treasure Island in book form
Publication of “A Note on Realism” in the Magazine of Art
1884
From 1884-1887 (the Bournemouth years) RLS suffers terrible health and is often unable to leave the house
January
Publication of Silverado Squatters
July
Moves to Bournemouth where stays until August 1887
December
Publication of “A Humble Remonstrance” in Longman’s Magazine
1885
March
6: Publication of A Child’s Garden of Verses
April
28: Publication of More New Arabian Nights: The Dynamiter (with Fanny)
Stevenson family move to “Skerryvore” in Bournemouth, a house which Thomas Stevenson bought as a wedding present for Fanny
September
Visits Thomas Hardy in Dorchester
October
Completes writing Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which he began at the end of September
November
1: Publication of Prince Otto
December
17: Publication of “Olalla” in Court and Society Review
1886
January
9: Publication of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
May
1: Kidnapped begins serialization in Young Folks
July
16: Publication of Kidnapped in book form
1887
February
9: Publication of The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
May
5: Travelling to Edinburgh with Fanny; they stay overnight in York
6: Arrives in Edinburgh
8: Thomas Stevenson dies
13: Funeral of Thomas Stevenson (RLS too ill to attend)
Writing “Ticonderoga” (May-June, published 1887)
Writing “Thomas Stevenson, Civil Engineer” (1887)
23: Signs contract with Cassells for publication of David Balfour/Catriona (1893)
31: Leaves Edinburgh for the last time, travels to Bournemouth
June
“Thomas Stevenson, Civil Engineer” published in Contemporary Review
14: Finishes Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin (1888)
31: Stays with Sidney Colvin in London
August
Publication of Underwoods
20 & 21: Stays at Armfield’s Hotel, Finsbury, says goodbye to friends
22: Leaves on the S.S. Ludgate Hill bound for New York via Le Havre (which he reaches on 23 August)
September
7: Arrives in New York, staying with his family at the Hotel Victoria as the guest of Charles Fairfield
8: To Newport, guest of Charles Fairfield
19: Back in New York, at the Hotel St. Stephen (46-52 East 11th Street)
30: Leaves for Saranac Lake
October
3: Arrives at Saranac Lake
November
21: Publication of Memories and Portraits
December
Publication of “The Misadventures of John Nicholson” in Cassell’s Christmas Annual
1888
January
Publication of Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin
March
RLS and W.E. Henley quarrel about Fanny’s short story “The Nixie”. Henley accuses Fanny of plagiarizing the story from Katharine de Mattos (RLS’s cousin and Bob Stevenson’s sister). RLS takes Fanny’s side and the friendship between RLS and Henley never fully recovers
10: Makes a deal with publisher S.S. McClure. He will publish the travel articles RLS writes on his journey in the South Seas
25: Serialization of The Black Arrow begins in the Philadelphia Press
26: Fanny leaves for California
April
13: Leaves Saranac lake for New York
16: Arrives in New York, staying at the Hotel St. Stephen
May
2: Goes to Manasquan, New Jersey, staying at Union House (an inn) with his mother, where they spend much time with Stevenson’s friend from his French bohemian days, Will Lowe, and his French wife Berthe (who later translated Treasure Island into French in 1890)
28: Returns to New York
June
2: Leaves for California, by train via Chicago and Salt Lake City
7: Arrives in San Francisco, staying at the Occidental Hotel
26: Moves on board the Casco
27: The Casco leaves for a cruise of the Pacific islands, including the Marquesas, the Paumotus and Tahiti. The cruise lasts till 24 January 1889 in Honolulu
1889
June
15: Publication of The Wrong Box with Lloyd
24: Leaves Honolulu on the Equator (cruise lasts till 7 December 1889 in Apia)
September
20: Publication of The Master of Ballantrae
December
7: The Equator arrives at Apia on the island of Upolo, the largest island of Samoa. RLS and family stay with an American trader, H.J. Moors, Beach Road, Apia
9: Farewell dinner for the captain and crew of the Equator, Tivoli Hotel
1890
January
10: Signs the deed for the purchase of Vailima Estate, Apia, Samoa
February
4: Leaves Apia on the Lübeck
13: Arrives in Sydney (stays at the Union Club)
April-July
Leaves Sydney on 11 April on the Janet Nicoll, cruising Auckland, New Zealand, the Tokelau Islands, Cooks Islands, Ellice Islands, Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Hebrideans and Noumea, amongst other places The cruise finishes on 26 July 1890 in Noumea, New Caledonia.
May: Publication of Father Damien: An Open Letter to Reverend Doctor Hyde
27 July: Fanny and Lloyd depart for Sydney, RLS stays in Noumea.
August
2: RLS Leaves Noumea
7: Arrives in Sydney (stays at the Union Club, working on The Wrecker [1892], The Ebb-Tide [1894], Island Nights’ Entertainments [1893] and Ballads [1890])
September
During this month, the Stevenson family settle at Vailima
4: Leaves Sydney for Apia with Fanny on the Lübeck
15: Arrives in Apia
December
Publication of Ballads
1891
January
6: Leaves Apia for Sydney on the Lübeck
20: Arrives in Sydney
Lloyd and RLS’s mother also join RLS in Sydney.
February
6: In the South Seas begins serialization in Black and White
8: “The Bottle Imp” begins serialization in the New York Herald
18: Leaves Sydney with his mother on the Lübeck
March
1: Returns to Samoa with mother (Lloyd had returned earlier)
April
2-13: Sails around the Samoan islands in Nukunona
May
16: Margaret Stevenson moves into Vailima
August
Serialization of The Wrecker (with Lloyd) begins in Scribner
November
7: Finishes writing The Wrecker (with Lloyd)
1892
In 1892, RLS is increasingly involved in Samoan politics, writing letters to The Times expressing his views on the Samoan situation
February
13: Begins writing Catriona (1893)
April
6: Publication of Across the Plains
June
25: Publication of The Wrecker (with Lloyd)
July
2: Serialization of “The Beach of Falesa” begins in Illustrated London News
August
6: Graham Balfour arrives at Vailima and stays with the Stevensons for most of the last two and a half years before RLS’s death
8: Publication of A Footnote to History
September
26: Finishes Catriona
1893
February
4: “Isle of Voices” begins serialization in National Observer
18: Leaves Apia on the S.S. Mariposa with Fanny and Belle
24: Arrives in Auckland
28: Arrives in Sydney (stays at the Oxford Hotel)
March
20: Leaves Sydney on the Mariposa
30: Returns to Vailima, working on Weir of Hermiston (1896) and The Ebb-Tide (1894)
April
6: Publication of Island Nights’ Entertainments
June
5: Finishes The Ebb-Tide; sends first ten chapters to Sidney Colvin in London
18: Sends last two chapters of The Ebb-Tide to Colvin
July
9-18: War between the Samoan chiefs Mataafa and Laupepa. Although Mataafa is defeated, RLS supports him
September
1: Publication of Catriona
12: Travels to Honolulu on SS Mariposa. Stays in Sans Souci Hotel, Waikiki
October
27: Leaves Hawaii for Samoa
November
Returns to Samoa
11: Serialization of The Ebb-Tide (with Lloyd) begins in Today
1894
This year RLS works on St Ives (1897) and Weir of Hermiston (1896)
August
Publication of “My First Book: Treasure Island” in The Idler
September
21: Publication of The Ebb-Tide (with Lloyd)
October
7: Feast to celebrate the completion of “The Road of the Loving Heart”. The native political prisoners RLS had supported during the war built this road, connecting Vailima to the public road, to thank him
November
13: Feast celebrating RLS’s 44th birthday
December
3: Dies of a cerebral hemorrhage
4: Buried on the summit of Mount Vaea on Upolu, Samoa. The Samoans (led by Lloyd) cleared a path to the top of the mountain overnight in order to be able to bury RLS there