D. Alan Stevenson
David Alan Stevenson (7 February 1891 – 22 December 1971) was a lighthouse engineer from the famous Stevenson lighthouse-builder family and noted amateur philatelist. In 1951, Stevenson was awarded the Crawford Medal by the Royal Philatelic Society London for his work The Triangular Stamps of Cape of Good Hope.
D. Alan Stevenson

Harmers · Scan of original · Public domain
- Name
- D.
- Born
- 7 February 1891
- Died
- 22 December 1971
- Place of death
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Education
- University of Edinburgh
- Occupation
- engineer, architect
- Spouse
- Jessie MacLaggan
- Nationality
- United Kingdom and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- Honours
- Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Crawford Medal.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
David Alan Stevenson (7 February 1891 – 22 December 1971) was a lighthouse engineer from the famous Stevenson lighthouse-builder family and noted amateur philatelist. In 1951, Stevenson was awarded the Crawford Medal by the Royal Philatelic Society London for his work The Triangular Stamps of Cape of Good Hope.
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — D. Alan Stevenson • Born — 7 February 1891 • Died — 22 December 1971 • Place of death — Edinburgh, Scotland • Education — University of Edinburgh • Occupation — engineer, architect • Employer — Northern Lighthouse Board • Spouse — Jessie MacLaggan • Parents — Charles Alexander Stevenson (father) Margaret Sherriff (mother) • Illustration — The grave of David Alan Stevenson, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh • Illustration — Stevenson's 1950 book The Triangular Stamps of Cape of Good Hope.
Life
Life
He was born at 9 Manor Place on 7 February 1891, the son of Margaret Sherriff and Charles Alexander Stevenson. He was the last of a long line of lighthouse engineers. He was named after his uncle, David Alan Stevenson but was generally called Alan. The family lived at 9 Manor Place in Edinburgh's West End. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy 1899 to 1903, then studied civil engineering at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a BSc in 1912. In 1911, he was living with his family at 28 Douglas Crescent. In World War I, he served as a captain in the Royal Marines as an engineer. His duties included setting guidance lights on the Dardanelles to aid shipping there. In 1919, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Charles Alexander Stevenson (his father), David Alan Stevenson (his uncle), William A. P. Tait, James Simpson Pirie, Sir Thomas Hudson Beare and Harry Rainy. Until 1938, he was an engineer of the Northern Lighthouse Board and thereafter spent his life working for the Clyde Lighthouse Trust. His work on the Clyde was pre-empted in 1934 by a commission to deepen the river in order to have capacity to launch the. He died on 22 December 1971 and was buried in the first northern extension to Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh. The grave lies immediately alongside his parents.
Family
Family
He was married to Jessie MacLaggan (1897–1973).
Family tree
Family tree
Alan's position in the family tree shows his long pedigree as an engineer. DAISY
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
His recorded language was English. He was the child of Charles A Stevenson and Margaret Sherriff. He married Jessie Laura Margaret MacLellan. Other recorded relations include David A Stevenson and D.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1891
D. Alan Stevenson was born in 1891 at Edinburgh.
1971
D. Alan Stevenson died in 1971 at Edinburgh.
Selected publications
• The Triangular Stamps of Cape of Good Hope (New York, London, Sydney: H.R. Harmer, 1950) • The World's Lighthouses before 1820 (1959)
Citations
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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