314 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
5. Obituary Notice of the Eev. Professor Stevenson, D.IX 
By John Small, M.A., Librarian to the University of 
Edinburgh. 
Professor William Stevenson was born at Barfod, in the parish 
of Lochwinnoch, on the 26th October 1805. His father was the 
proprietor of a small estate called Broadfield, and William was 
his second son. He entered the University of Glasgow in 1821, 
and pursued his studies at that University during the usual 
curriculum in the Faculty of Arts, with the exception of one 
session (1824-25) which he spent at St Andrews, attracted by the 
popularity of Dr Chalmers, who was at that time Professor of 
Moral Philosophy there. While at the University of Glasgow 
he attended diligently to his studies, and worked particularly 
for the classes of mathematics and natural philosophy. During 
the summer months he acted as tutor in the family of the late 
Mr Cochran of Ladyland, and thus began a friendship which lasted 
uninterruptedly till the time of his death. It was the arranging 
and cataloguing the old library at Ladyland that developed the 
love of books for which he was afterwards so remarkable, and the 
catalogue he then made is still carefully preserved. He pursued 
his theological studies at the University of Glasgow, but was in 
session 1828-29 at the University of Edinburgh. In theology he 
was a distinguished student, in some sessions carrying off the 
highest honours. After finishing his university course, he was 
licensed by the Presbytery of Paisley on the 5th of May 1831. 
He officiated for six months in the Presbyterian Church in 
Limerick in 1832, and in July 1833 was appointed by the Crown 
assistant and successor to the Eev. George Gleig, minister of 
Arbroath, on whose death two years afterwards he succeeded to the 
charge. 
While at Arbroath Mr Stevenson enjoyed the friendship of the 
Eev. Dr Thomas Guthrie, then minister of Arbirlot, and an amusing 
account is given in the autobiography of that eminent divine, of a 
public discussion with the Eev. Dr Eitchie, “ the Goliath of 
Voluntaryism,” held at Arbroath, in which Mr Stevenson took a 
prominent part (vol. i. p. 167). The account of the discussion 
on this occasion was published in the form of a pamphlet, with the 
