Justice for All

Although he came from a family of engineers, the young Stevenson found the study of law more appealing than the building of lighthouses. His fondness for women and wine did not prevent him writing and many of his books have achieved exceptional levels of fame, particularly Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. His unfinished masterpiece, Weir of Hermiston, has, as one of its principal characters, the hanging judge, Lord Weir, who may have been based on the real Lord Braxfield. Stevenson’s ability to create memorable characters, such as Long John Silver and Alan Breck, and his ability to tell fabulous stories, make him one of the greatest novelist of the second half of the nineteenth century.