A Robert Louis Stevenson Timeline (Nov. 13th 1850 – Dec. 3rd 1894)

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 in 1863 

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

RLS in 1865

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

RLS at Nineteen

Courtesy of Capital Collections

Edinburgh University

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

RLS in 1874

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

RLS in Theatrical Costume, Aged 27

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

Fanny Stevenson in 1880

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

RLS in 1881

Courtesy of The Writers’ Museum (The Edinburgh Museums Service)

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 Aukland, 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

View Robert Louis Stevenson’s Death Certificate (PDF)