ROBERT LOUIS BALFOUR STEVENSON (Literature):

 Born1850, died 1894.

Stevenson had a love of storytelling from a very young age and, even though he was a late writer, he was first published at age 16, a historical account of The Pentland Rising. The publication was paid for by his father, who encouraged his son’s story writing even though it was hoped he would become a lighthouse engineer as this was the family business. In fact he was “wonderfully resigned” to Robert choosing to become a man of letters in 1871, though he was also disappointed according to Stevenson’s mother.

Hugely popular author of such books as Kidnapped, Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

A celebrity in his own life time, Stevenson suffered with a weak chest throughout. He was a sickly, thin child who struggled to fit in with other children especially as he was kept away from his first school with illness a lot and had many private tutors. His Nurse would read to him regularly from story books and the Bible alike.