Robert Louis Stevenson is the author of international best-sellers that have managed to become timeless classics — particularly the very famous Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. During his lifetime, Stevenson was more than just a renowned writer. In pursuit of a climate that eased his chronic illness, Stevenson traveled restlessly and covered much ground in his numerous journeys, leaving his Scottish hometown behind and passing away on the other side of the world. During his lifetime, Robert Louis Stevenson established himself as a respected writer, creating worlds with characters that were adventurous, terrifying, and interesting — while also always portraying them with intelligence and lively humor. A life fully lived despite being sick for almost all of his 44 years, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote bestselling books, traveled extensively, and probably invented the sleeping bag.

Here are more than 40 facts about the life and death of Robert Louis Stevenson — and all of the interesting stuff in between.

Robert Louis Stevenson: Childhood, Early Life & Education

1. When and where was Robert Louis Stevenson born?

Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His birthplace at 8 Howard Place is still standing and is commemorated with a plaque. You can visit the location in person or feel free to scout his old neighborhood on Google Maps!

2. His name wasn’t always Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was actually born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson. Once he turned 18, he changed the spelling of his name from Lewis to Louis and in 1873, he had Balfour removed from his name entirely. He was henceforth known as Robert Louis Stevenson.

3. Robert Louis Stevenson had a relatively lonely childhood

Growing up, Robert Louis Stevenson was pretty awkward and eccentric kid, perhaps largely due to his sickly state. That made it difficult for him to make friends as a young man, and it probably didn’t help that he was also an only child. His childhood was pretty lonely, with only his cousins providing him company. This had a profound effect on his writing, particularly in poems like “The Child Alone” in A Child’s Garden of Verses.

Click on the book to buy A Child’s Garden of Verses!

4. Who were Robert Louis Stevenson’s parents?

Robert Louis Stevenson’s mother was Margaret Balfour, and she came from a family of church ministers and lawyers. Robert Louis Stevenson’s father was Thomas Stevenson, an established lighthouse engineer whose can from a whole family of lighthouse designers, including grandfather Robert Stevenson. The Stevenson clan had built most of the deep-sea lighthouses around the coast of Scotland.

5. Robert Louis Stevenson had a mysterious chest disease

Robert Louis Stevenson inherited a chest illness from his mother, who had also inherited it from her father. While the exact nature of this illness is unknown, it was described as a tendency to develop coughs and fevers, which are exacerbated in cold weather. Some believe it might have been bronchiectasis or sarcoidosis, while others believe it might have been tuberculosis.

6. He missed a lot of school and was a late reader

Whatever his mysterious illness was, it made regular school attendance very difficult for young Robert Louis Stevenson. He missed a lot of his classes, especially during the winter when his symptoms were severe. He was taught by private tutors and started reading at a relatively later age, around 8 years old. While his illness carried with him until adulthood, it became more tolerable at the age of 11, making it easier to attend his classes.

7. Stevenson was very close to his nurse

Alison Cunningham, also known as Cummy, was Robert Louis Stevenson’s nurse. She was extremely religious and a strong believer in folklore, which had a tremendous impact on him. Stevenson had nightmares and acquired an advanced sense of religion. Nevertheless, Cummy and young Robert were very fond of each other, and Stevenson dedicated A Child’s Garden of Verses to her.

8. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his first story at 6 years old

As he hadn’t learned to read or write yet, Robert Louis Stevenson dictated “The History of Moses” for a family competition when he was only six years old and ended up winning a Bible picture book as a prize. He also drew some sketches and illustrations to go along with it. According to his mother’s journal, young Stevenson was “was much pleased with it and from that time forward his heart’s desire to be an author.”

9. Stevenson started studying engineering for awhile

Following his family’s footsteps, Robert Louis Stevenson entered the University of Edinburgh to study engineering in the fall of 1867. However, it failed to catch his interests and Stevenson was quickly bored of it, devoting all his energy to coming up with ways to avoid attending his classes.

10. Stevenson quit engineering and studied law instead

When Robert Louis Stevenson explained to his parents that he had no intention to become an engineer, he and his father reached a compromise that Stevenson would study law instead. In 1875, he became qualified to attend the Scottish bar but he never practiced it.

Life & Times of Robert Louis Stevenson

11. Stevenson’s college life wasn’t as friendless as his childhood

While Robert Louis Stevenson did not practice engineering or law, his experience at university was more significant for the bonds he formed with other students. He became a member of The Speculative Society (an elite debating society) and befriended Charles Baxter, who would become Stevenson’s financial agent. He also met professor Fleeming Jenkin, whose home hosted amateur plays in which Stevenson participated. Stevenson even wrote his friend’s biography Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin, which was publish in 1888.

Click on the book to buy Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin!

12. Robert Louis Stevenson was a hipster

Instead of focusing on his education at Edinburgh Academy, Robert Louis Steven developed more of his personality and became well-known for his unusual clothing and behavior. Robert Louis Stevenson was nicknamed “Velvet Jacket” because of his fashion choices, which frequently included a wide-brimmed hat with a velveteen coat. He and his cousin Bob would party a lot, frequenting brothels and smoking hashish.

13. At 22, Robert Louis Stevenson declared he was an atheist

When his father found out Stevenson rejected Christianity in 1873, he was heartbroken. Thomas Stevenson told his son, “You have rendered my whole life a failure.” His mother Margaret described the discovery as “the deepest grief” that had ever befallen her. Harsh! His parents’ grief weighed heavily on Stevenson. He once wrote to his friend Charles Baxter, “O’ Lord, what a pleasant thing it is to have just damned the happiness of (probably) the only two people who care a damn about you in the world.”

14. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote over 100 musical compositions

Long after he was a successful writer, Robert Louis Stevenson decided to explore music and try his hand as a songwriter.. At the age of 36, he began studying piano and composition and went on to write over 100 original compositions. However, his music pursuits didn’t catch the nearly the same attention as his literary achievements and only three of his compositions were published. Kinda like Stephen King and The Rock Bottom Remainders!

15. Did Robert Louis Stevenson invent the sleeping bag?

He may have! A lot of people believe that we have Robert Louis Stevenson to thank for the invention of the sleeping bag. During his travel and hikes, the author preferred sleeping outside and created a sleeping bag out of “green waterproof cart-cloth without and blue sheep’s fur within.” It was “a sort of long roll or sausage,” which is basically what a sleeping bag is.

16. Robert Louis Stevenson was sick — a lot

In addition to Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood illness, his frequent travels to some of the world’s most exotic locations also exposed him at higher risk for pneumonia, bronchitis, malaria, typhus, and cholera, and other diseases we’d get a million vaccines for today. Robert Louis Stevenson was so sick and had so many illnesses that he is known to have contracted nearly every sickness that was common in the 19th century, most notably tuberculosis.

17. Robert Louis Stevenson met his wife in Paris while she was still married

Frances Vandegrift Osbourne (Fanny) met Robert Louis Stevenson on one of his journeys to France. At that time, Fanny was a married — albeit separated — American woman. She was living in Paris to study art along with two of her children, and she hit it off with Stevenson. Fanny was 11 years older than him, and took an interest in Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing career, encouraging him to pursue his passion. Despite their initial chemistry, Fanny eventually left Paris and Stevenson behind, going back to her husband.

18. Against everyone’s advice, Stevenson decided to go after Fanny

Robert Louis Stevenson, who had clearly fallen heads over heels for Fanny Osbourne, revealed his intention to literally travel across the world to California and pursue a romance with Fanny — but his friends and parents were all against it. Stevenson had to pay his own way since his parents refused to fund the trip, and this took months for him to figure out.

19. His trip to see Fanny almost killed Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson arrived in New York in 1879 after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. Already ill, his health deteriorated even further as he crossed America in an emigrant train. Due to his exhaustion, illness, and poverty, he lingered in Monterey, California and then San Francisco for a while, nearly dying in both cities.

20. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about his trip to Fanny in The Amateur Emigrant

The Amateur Emigrant was written in 1880 but was not fully published until 1895, one year after his death. It gives a highly thorough and entertaining description of what it was like to journey to America as an emigrant in the nineteenth century, at a period of large migrations to the New World.

Click to buy the book of Robert Louis Stevenson essays!

21. Robert Louis Stevenson had wooden teeth!

Robert Louis Stevenson stayed in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1878 while pursuing the (unhappily) married Fanny Osbourne. Lonely and in terrible condition, he suffered from a bleeding mouth and rotting teeth while staying at Tubbs Hotel. A local dentist extracted all of his teeth and replaced them with artificial wooden substitutes.

22. When did Robert Louis Stevenson get married?

Robert Louis Stevenson was eventually rewarded for all his lovesick suffering. Fanny Osbourne finally secured a divorce from her husband and on May 19, 1880, she married Robert Louis Stevenson. They remained married up until Robert Louis Stevenson’s death.

23. The Stevensons picked a unique honeymoon destination

Following their marriage, the Robert Louis Stevenson and his family went on a two-month vacation to an abandoned silver mine in Napa Valley, California in 1880. He wrote of this journey in his travel memoir, The Silverado Squatters. The place where the Stevensons resided is now named Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in his honor. You can visit and go hiking there!

24. The Stevensons settled down in Samoa

After touring a number of islands on lengthy vacations, the Stevensons arrived in Samoa for a six-week trip in 1889. After a brief stay in Sydney, Australia, Robert Louis Stevenson went to Samoa and settled at the Vailima mansion in Western Samoa. This is now home to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum — another place you can visit today!

25. Robert Louis Stevenson felt at home in Samoa

Robert Louis Stevenson was given the name Tusitala — which means “Teller of Tales” — by the natives and penned an amazing total of 700,000 words in the time he spent in Samoa. Nellie Van de Grift Sanchez, Fanny’s sister, stated that “it was in Samoa that the word ‘home’ first began to have a real meaning for these gypsy wanderers.”

26. Robert Louis Stevenson engaged in Samoan politics

Robert Louis Stevenson became a reporter in Samoa, firing off letters to The Times and immersing himself in the politics of the Samoan islands. He was particularly concerned about Britain, Germany, and the United States whose warships were particularly abundant in Samoan docks, and even argued that the indigenous Samoan clan structure was totally unprepared for the outsiders who eventually exploited existing rivalries and tensions for their own gain.

27. He once gave his birthday to a little girl

While in the South Seas, Robert Louis Stevenson found that the 12-year-old daughter of Henry Clay Ide, the U.S. Commissioner to Samoa and former Governor-General of the Philippines, had her birthday on Christmas Day, which he thought was totally uncool because she received the same present for both occasions. Stevenson graciously gave the rights to his birthday to this little girl and even went to the extent of writing a letter that stated she had the right “to have, hold, exercise and enjoy the same in the customary manner, by the sporting of fine raiment, eating of rich meats and receipt of gifts, compliments and copies of verse, according to the manner of our ancestors.” Cool dude!

What books did Robert Louis Stevenson write?

28. When did Robert Louis Stevenson publish his first book?

Almost every trip Robert Louis Stevenson made inspired him to write a travel memoir. An Inland Voyage, which was Stevenson’s debut work, was published in 1878. The book was an account of Robert Louis Stevenson’s journey by canoe through the Oise River from Antwerp, Belguim to northern France.

Click to buy Robert Louis Stevenson’s An Inland Voyage!

29. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote of his hiking trip with a donkey

Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes (1879), a companion to An Inland Voyage that tells the story of his solitary hiking journey across the sparsely inhabited and underdeveloped portions of south-central France’s Cévennes mountains in 1878. Modestine, the other main character of his work, is a difficult, manipulative donkey whom he could never entirely tame.

Click to buy Travels with a Donkey in Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson!

30. Half of Robert Louis Stevenson’s original manuscripts are sadly lost  

The manuscripts are said to have been sold by the descendants of Robert Louis Stevenson around World War I when the his works had fallen out of public favor. Among these still-missing manuscripts include the original copies of The Black Arrow, The Master of Ballantrae, and Treasure Island.

Click to buy The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson!

31. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his best work in his worst health

During the 1880s Robert Louis Stevenson’s health deteriorated even further. He was bedridden due to hemorrhage in his lungs and writing was one of the few things he could actually physically do. While bedridden in this state, he produced some of his most popular works. In 1883, he wrote Treasure Island and three years later, he wrote Kidnapped. Then The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published in 1886, and two years later, so was The Black Arrow.

Click to buy Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson!

32. Treasure Island was inspired by a map that Robert Louis Stevenson drew for his stepson

A map Robert Louis Stevenson had created for his 12-year-old stepson sparked the idea for Treasure Island. Stevenson had dreamed up a pirate adventure narrative to match the map’s design, and this tale was eventually published in a boys’ magazine of the day called Young Folks.

Click to buy Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson!

33. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island under a pseudonym

Robert Louis Stevenson was anxious about the work’s reception and published it under the pen name Captain George North, and the manuscript was formally published as a book in 1883. Stevenson never stated why the book was released under a pen name, but some believe that his already-strained relationship with his parents would have deteriorated in the presence of being a public literary failure.

34. The idea for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came from a dream

Fanny revealed to Robert Louis Stevenson’s biographer that the plot came to her husband in the form of a nightmare while spending the summer with his family in Bournemouth, England. She’d jolted him awake as he screamed in terror before he irately yelled, “Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale!”

Click to buy The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson!

35. Some believe that Robert Louis Stevenson burned his first draft of the story…

In just three short days, Robert Louis Stevenson completed the first version of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. He burnt it and rewrote it in three to six days after receiving feedback from Fanny, who said that it was “a quire full of utter nonsense.”

36. …. others believe it was Fanny who did it, but with good intentions

When it came to her husband’s work, Fanny was not one to hold back. They would have long discussions and intense conversations over her criticisms and the quality of his work. Fanny believed Dr. Jekyll, which was partially based on a dream, was unworthy of him. “Fortunately, he has forgotten all about it now, and I shall burn it after I show it to you,” she wrote in a recently-discovered message to W.E. Henley in 1885.

37. Robert Louis Stevenson might have written Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde under drugs

In the novel, Dr. Jekyll obtains medicine from a chemist that transforms him into someone else until he loses control over it. Robert Louis Stevenson might have been referring to personal experience. It’s been thought that he was prescribed medical cocaine and that the dream inspiring his book happened while he was asleep under the influence. Bonus fun fact: a long time ago your doctor could actually legally prescribe you cocaine and/or heroin!

38. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was an immediate success

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sold 40,000 copies in half a year — as well as 25,000 pirated copies in the United States. Within a year it was adapted for the stage, which was shortly followed by stage productions in the United States as well.

39. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde might have been a commentary on the Victorian society

The Victorian age isn’t without its double standards and a certain level of scrutiny, which is precisely what the novel seems to be about. Mr. Hyde is arguably used by Robert Louis Stevenson to demonstrate that Victorian members of society are flawed and possess dualities that Victorian principles reject — ultimately leading to the destruction of the repressed person or society.

40. A Child’s Garden of Verses is considered to be one of the most influential works of the 19th century

Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses contains some of his most famous poems, including “My Shadow” and “Pirate Story.” Dedicated to his nurse Alison Cunningham, this collection of 64 poems was published in 1885 and since then been reprinted many times, often illustrated.

41. The Body Snatcher might have been based on a true story

Robert Louis Stevenson’s short tale from 1884 covers the procedure of stealing bodies for use by doctors and anatomists in Edinburgh in the early 1820s. The plot was partially based on the story of a real surgeon named Robert Knox, who paid two criminals for cadavers but never investigated as to where the bodies came from. The narrative was later adapted into a film in 1945 directed by Robert Wise and starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

Click to buy The Body Snatcher on Blu-ray!

Robert Louis Stevenson: Death & Legacy

42. How did Robert Louis Stevenson die?

It might have been wine or mayonnaise that killed Robert Louis Stevenson. He died in Samoa in 1894, when he was 44 years old. According to reports at the time, he passed of apoplexy caused by the heat. It was also reported as a stroke and a brain hemorrhage caused by straining to open a jar of mayonnaise or, in other stories, a bottle of wine.

43. Robert Louis Stevenson’s last words were a question his wife never got to answer

Robert Louis Stevenson had spent the morning working on an unfinished novel called Hermiston, and writing long letters to friends before accompanying his wife to help make supper. Despite his wife’s concerns about his health, Stevenson rejected them, spoke of his plans to embark on a lecture tour to America “as he was now so well.” Unexpectedly he put both hands to his head, and cried out, “What’s that?” Then, just before collapsing, he asked hastily, “Do I look strange?”

44. Stevenson requested that his poem “Requiem” be inscribed on his gravestone

The Samoans insisted on looking after Robert Louis Stevenson’s body with a watch guard at night and carrying him on their shoulders up to the neighboring Mount Vaea, where he was buried on a cliff overlooking the sea. Stevenson had always wanted his poem “Requiem” engraved on his tomb.

45. There is a Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in California

The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in St. Helena, California opened in December 1969 before moving to his current location in 1979. They have a one of the finest known libraries of Robert Louis Stevenson books, letters, articles, and original manuscripts of his works and is sure to impress any bibliophile.

46. We can thank Robert Louis Stevenson for The Incredible Hulk

Someone familiar with both The Incredible Hulk and The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would argue that the parallels between these two works are quite obvious. The Incredible Hulk’s similarities to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are not a coincidence. Stan Lee explicitly acknowledged in 1974 that he was influenced by Jekyll and Hyde, as well as other literary icons such as Frankenstein’s monster.

47. Robert Louis Stevenson’s work has been often adapted to film and TV

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been adapted over 100 times in stage and films productions. Treasure Island also has had its fair share of adaptations, with over 50 film and TV shows based on its plot.

Final Thoughts on Robert Louis Stevenson

The vivid worlds Robert Louis Stevenson created in his writing only mirror the vibrancy of his own existence, as well as the adventurous soul that he possessed in his short but well-lived life. Stevenson did not allow his chronic illness to keep him in bed forever, traveling farther and wider than many man in perfectly good health would. Robert Louis Stevenson was fortunate enough to be a well-known author during his lifetime and to have his novels be popular bestsellers that were well-received. After his passing, his works only soared in popularity, especially The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. Today, Robert Louis Stevenson’s books are a staple of classic American literature, as well as part of our shared cultural zeitgeist.

Are some of the words in this blog post to hard for you? Then you should check out our guide What Kind of Dictionary Should I Buy? And/or better yet, our guide to buying the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary!

Want to read more interesting and fun facts about literary superstars at Content Bash? Check out our pages on Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, Philip K. Dick, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and others!

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