Correspondence and literary manuscripts relating to Robert Louis Stevenson

This material is held atUniversity of Leeds Special Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS 19c Stevenson
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1898-1923
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 3 vols, 1 box, and 1 envelope, manuscript and typescript Item (2) is finely bound in dark blue half leather on boards with gilt lettering embossed on the spine as follows: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SIDNEY COLVIN AND LLOYD OSBOURNE ETC. 1898-1899; (3) is similarly bound and embossed as follows: THE HANGING JUDGE - ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ORIGINAL TYPESCRIPT GOSSE'S INTRODUCTION HOLOGRAPH MS.

Scope and Content

Comprises: (1) 1 box containing 2 vols and 1 other separate volume of copies of letters by Katharine D. Osborne concerning Robert Louis Stevenson, 1922-1923; (2) Correspondence between Sidney Colvin, Lloyd Osborne (Osbourne), Mrs Stevenson, etc., with reference to the writing of The life of Robert Louis Stevenson, 1898-1899, holograph manuscripts and typescripts, 1 vol.; (3) The hanging judge, by Robert Louis Stevenson, original typescript from which the book was published with holograph manuscript of Edmund Gosse's introduction, 1914, 1 vol.; (4) Copy of 5 unpublished poems by Robert Louis Stevenson in Sir E.W. Gosse's hand, made in 1903, held in 1 envelope

Administrative / Biographical History

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), author and traveller, was the son of Thomas Stevenson of Edinburgh and entered Edinburgh University in 1867 as the pupil of Fleeming Jenkin. After abandoning the study of engineering and law he began to travel widely. Though very ill he wrote stories and essays and in 1880 married Mrs Osbourne. He established his position as an author with The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Kidnapped in 1886. After further travels in the Pacific he died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage and was buried on Mount Vaea. For a full assessment of his life and work see the Dictionary of National Biography

Access Information

Access is unrestricted with the exception noted below

Acquisition Information

Mainly from the library of Lord Brotherton, but with additional material relating to Edmund Gosse purchased from Ifan Kyrle Fletcher on 11 February 1960

Note

In English

Other Finding Aids

Described in the Library's Letters database http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/letters/letlink.htm#stevenson

Conditions Governing Use

The letters by Katharine D. Osborne concerning Robert Louis Stevenson may only be consulted at the discretion of the Keeper of the Brotherton Collection