John Hindmarsh [q. v.], the first governor. He was present at the proclamation of the new colony on 28 Dec. 1836. He was first clerk of the legislative council, and one of the first coroners and magistrates in the colony.
Before leaving England Stevenson had arranged with one Thomas Robinson for the issue of the first colonial newspaper, to be called the ‘South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register.’ In 1838, resigning his office under the crown, he devoted himself to the paper, which then became the ‘South Australian Register.’ But in 1840 he lost the government contract for printing, and in 1842, in consequence partly of the general financial crisis in the colony, partly of the actions brought against the paper by Sir George Stephens, he relinquished his work, and gave himself to the study of viticulture. In 1845 the discovery of the Burra Burra mines made a new demand for journalism, and he started his paper again as the ‘South Australian Gazette and Mining Journal.’ In 1851 he went to the diggings in Victoria, with the view of running a mining journal; but his success was not great, and in 1853 he returned to Adelaide, and for a short time acted on the staff of the ‘Adelaide Times.’ After this he only occasionally contributed articles to the press, and those chiefly non-political.
As a horticulturist Stevenson seems to have been most in his element. His vineyard was one of the first in South Australia, and the colony owes him much for the practical impetus given to its vineyards by his personal example in planting, writing, and lecturing. On agricultural experiment generally he spent large sums of money.
Stevenson was coroner of Adelaide and a J.P. at the time of his death, which took place on 19 Oct. 1856 at his residence in North Adelaide. He married, in 1836, Margaret, daughter of John Gorton (of the ‘Globe’), who, with three children, survived him.
Stevenson aided Sir William Henry Lytton Earle Bulwer (Lord Dalling) [q. v.] in his ‘France, Social, Literary, Political’ (1834, 12mo, 2 vols.).
[Logan's Representative Men of South Australia, Adelaide, 1883; Adelaide Times, 20 Oct. 1856.]
STEVENSON, GEORGE JOHN (1818–1888), author and hymnologist, born at Chesterfield on 7 July 1818, was the son of John George Stevenson (1792–1866) of Chesterfield, by his wife Jane, daughter of John Aldred. George was educated at Duttoris grammar school, Chesterfield. From an early age until 1844 he was employed in the printing and bookselling business. In 1844 he entered St. John's College, Battersea, to be trained for an organising mastership under the National Society. In 1846 a reformatory school was established in the Philanthropic Institute, Southwark, for the benefit of the better conducted criminals from the convict prisons, and Stevenson was appointed first headmaster. In 1848 he became headmaster of the endowed parochial school at Lambeth Green, but in 1855 he resigned his post and established himself in Paternoster Row as a bookseller and publisher, a business which he continued until a few years before his death. From 1861 to 1867 he was editor and proprietor of the ‘Wesleyan Times,’ and in 1882 he edited the ‘Union Review.’ He died on 16 Aug. 1888.
After joining the methodists in 1831, Stevenson took the keenest interest in their history and literature, and brought out several publications embodying the results of his researches. One of the most important of these is the ‘Methodist Hymn Book and its Associations,’ 1869, which was published in an enlarged form in 1883 as ‘The Methodist Hymn Book, illustrated with Biography, Incident, and Anecdote.’ According to the Rev. John Julian, this is ‘the most complete account of methodist hymnody extant.’ Besides the works mentioned, Stevenson wrote:
- ‘The Origin of Alphabetical Characters,’ London, 1853, 8vo.
- ‘Sketch of the Life of C. H. Spurgeon,’ London, 1857, 12mo; new edit. 1887.
- ‘The American Evangelist,’ London, 1860, 12mo.
- ‘The Prince of Preachers, C. H. Spurgeon,’ London, 1867, 8vo.
- ‘City Road Chapel, London, and its Associations,’ Edinburgh, 1872, 8vo.
- ‘Memorials of the Wesley Family,’ London, 1876, 8vo; new edit. 1883.
- ‘Sir Charles Reed: a Life Sketch,’ London, 1884, 4to.
- ‘Historical Records of the Young Men's Christian Association,’ London, 1884, 8vo.
- ‘Methodist Worthies,’ London, 1884, &c., 8vo.
- ‘Memorial Sketch of May Stevenson,’ London, 1886, 8vo.
He also edited ‘A Historical Sketch of the Christian Community, 1818–1826,’ London, 1868. 8vo, and ‘Samuel Wesley's Memorials of Elizabeth Ann Wesley,’ London, 1887, 8vo.
[Julian's Dict. of Hymnology, p. 1093; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. ii. 689.]
STEVENSON, JOHN (1778–1846?), surgeon, son of Joseph and Deborah Stevenson, was baptised at Kegworth on the borders of Leicestershire and Derbyshire, on 13 March 1778. He was educated privately, and was
