Stevenson Macadam (27 April 1829 – 24 January 1901) was a Scottish scientist, analytical chemist, lecturer, and academic author.
He was a founding member of the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain (now the Royal Society of Chemistry) and a founding member of the Society of Chemical Industry. He was also a President of the Royal Scottish Society of the Arts. He was a prominent lecturer in chemistry at institutions in Edinburgh, including Edinburgh University and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh veterinary colleges. He also had a large analytical chemical consulting practise.
He was part of a small dynasty of Scottish chemical scientists including his elder half-brother William Macadam, brother Dr. John Macadam and two sons, William Ivison Macadam and Stevenson J. C. G. Macadam and granddaughter Elison A. Macadam.
Early life
Stevenson Macadam was born at North Bank in Glasgow on 27 April 1829, one of four sons and four daughters (the eldest being a half brother). He married Jessie Andrew Ivison on 23 April 1855 in Neilston, Renfrew, Scotland.Born 16 December 1834 – Died 3 February 1912: Edwin Macadam:http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm
His father William Macadam (1783–1853) was a BurgessOriginally burgesses were inhabitants of the city who held land there and contributed to Town and taxation and other burdens. It was later restricted to Merchants and Craftsmen. Only burgesses could enjoy the privileges of trading or practising a craft in the city (in his case he belonged to the Weaver's Guild) or could vote in Municipal or Parliamentary elections. Their political privileges were removed by the Reform Act in 1832 and their ancient exclusive trading rights were abolished in 1846. Thereafter admission as a burgess became a social and charitable function. Archives The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow. and a Bailie [magistrate] of Glasgow.
He was a third generation BurgessWilliam's Weaver's Burgess ticket is dated 25 August 1815. His brother-in-law William Stevenson who had married his sister Ann, daughter of John McAdam, was also Burgess (merchant, ticket 26, May 1808) Register of The Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow, Craig R. Bryce, Trades House archivist, The Trades House of Glasgow. http://www.tradeshousemuseum.org William's father John McAdam is given as 'deceased' on his son William's Burgess ticket at the time of his induction: copy John Macadam, Earthwords, Bodmin, Cornwall supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton. of a family of at least ten Burgesses and Guild brothers of Glasgow. William was the eldest son of John McAdam,John's Weaver's Burgess ticket dated 19 October 1789 (he was installed as a Weaver Burgess that day contemporaneously with his three younger brothers, James, Thomas and Walter McAdam and brother-in-law John Smellie, who married their sister Elizabeth).. There are two further Burgesses in the family through John McAdam's wife, Margaret, who was the daughter of William Findlay (Wright Burgess ticket 28 August 1754), who was the eldest son of John Findlay, Burgess, a Maltman : The Trades House of Glasgow. John in turn was the eldest son of Alexander McAdam.Alexander's Weaver's Burgess ticket dated 5 September 1755 : The Trades House of Glasgow, Alexander was in turn the eldest son of an earlier John McAdam, Tanner, of Glasgow.The Trades House of Glasgow.
William was a Glasgow businessman who owned a mill and textile printing works at Greenholme, Kilmarnock.It appears to have been a large enterprise and occupied some ten acres.: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history3.htmBelfast News, 30 January 1901 He and his fellow industrialists in the craft around Glasgow had developed the expertise in chemistry processes for the large scale industrial printing of fabrics for which these plants in the area became well known, both for domestic and foreign supply.
William MacadamHe was the last in the family to spell his name as both MacAdam and Macadam before the latter spelling was settled on. John Macadam: Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall (copies also supplied Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk and his family lived at 169 East George Street, Glasgow, Scotland.His house is now the site of The Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre George Square across from where the University of Strathclyde is now situated. The house backed onto St. David's "Ramshorn", Kirkyard or churchyard. Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton Old Hall, Norfolk, UK and Stevenson's mother was his father's second wife Helen Stevenson (1803–1857). Helen Stevenson was born 24 August 1803.Baptised 31 August 1803, in the Parish Church at Cumbernauld. Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm The wedding took place on 3 January 1825 at Clackmannan.marriage certificate a copy from John Macadam: Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall (copies supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton Old Hall, Norfolk) She was the second child of William StevensonBorn 25 August 1765 at Dunlop in Ayrshire. Died 27 July 1839 at his home, Park Farm, Clackmannan and buried in the Churchyard at Clackmannan on 2 August 1839 and Helen Grindlay.born 27 May 1781 probably at Seabegs; died 8 November 1844 at Blindwells Cottage, Tranent and buried in the Churchyard at Clackmannan with her husband. http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm She died on 20 January 1857 at 6 Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow, and was buried with her husband in Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's) Old Burial Ground in the Macadam tomb.key to the tomb and letter sent by John St.Clair Boyd September 1955 to D.L.D. Macadam referencing this. Copy from John Macadam – Earthwords – in Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton Old Hall, Norfolk
Father's wives and their children
William's first wife was Rachel GentleWilliam and Rachel were married 1 June 1813: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm with whom he had one son:
William Macadam',William born about 1814, died sometime after September 1877, when his letters to his nephew Charlie (C T Macadam) cease, he having written about his illness at that time:source John Macadam: Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall (copies supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk) quoted by Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm the eldest child, was the first chemical scientist in the family, and a half brother to Stevenson.
William's second wife was Helen Stevenson (1803–1857) with whom he had a further seven children:
Helen Grindlay MacadamBorn. 29 Aug 1825, Glasgow and believed to have died aged 14: Edwin Macadam http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm
John Macadam (Stevenson's eldest full brother) who later emigrated to Australia.Edwin Macadam http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history3.htm
Stevenson Macadam, the subject of this entry, was the third son.
Margaret MacadamBorn: 11 January 1831 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Died: 1 August 1865 at Innerleithen, Peebles-shire, having been ill with cancer for the last 16 months.: Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm
Charles Thomas MacadamBorn: 5 November 1832, at 169 East George Street, Glasgow. Died 22 April 1906. [Christchurch, 2b p.407]: Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm#Charles%20Thomas%20Macadam a younger brother became senior partner in Odams, a fertiliser company,Odams was later acquired by Fisons (and then by ICI, and subsequently Akko Nobel): John Macadam: Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall (copies supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk) and was to hold the Royal Warrant as Purveyor of Chemical Manures [fertiliser] to Queen Victoria.John Macadam: Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall (copies supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk)Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm#Charles%20Thomas%20Macadam
George Robert Macadam, his youngest brother, followed his older brother John and emigrated to Australia. George Robert Macadam (born 22 July 1837 – died 16 September 1918). After emigrating to Australia he became a teacher at Wickliffe, Gisborne and Flemington. He was appointed headmaster of schools at Avoca in 1866 and then at Malvern in 1884. He retired to "Clyde", 11 Irving Street, Malvern, Australia and died there on 16 September 1918 aged 81. He was buried in Avoca General Cemetery, Australia. The Argus (Melbourne), 17 September 1918. He had married Elizabeth Standen (1848–1919) at Amherst on 30 November 1866. The Age (Melbourne), Thursday 27 December 1866. They had five children: George S. Macadam (1867–1933), John Melnotte Macadam(1869–1874), Charles William Macadam (died in 1947), Robert Robertson Macadam (died in 1956) and Mary S. King (died May 1956). Avoca Mail, 24 Sept 1918 and research on children's dates by John Macadam – Earthwords – Bodmin, Cornwall from the Australian sources.
Mary Elison MacadamBorn: 9 September 1835 at 169 East George Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Died spinster: 21 July 1889, and buried at Farnham, Surrey.: Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm
Education
Stevenson studied at the Glasgow Mechanics Institution; College of Science and ArtsThe first Mechanics' Institution founded in Great Britain. Records of Glasgow Mechanics' Institution / College of Science and Arts (now the University of Strathclyde). He received his first tuition at the Mechanics Institution under his elder brother John Macadam after whom the Macadamia nut was later named.Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm#John%20Macadam,%20MD.
He received his doctorate (PhD) from Giessen University. Whilst in Germany he also spent some time working in the famous laboratory of Robert Bunsen.
John Macadam then became assistant to Dr. George Wilson, Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine from 1846 to 1847. The University of Edinburgh Medical School was then as now one of the world's preeminent medical centres of learning and from then on preeminent in the field of chemistry. Afterwards John Macadam returned to Glasgow for further medical studiesL.F.P.S., M.D., 1854; and F.F.P.S.G., 1855; K. F. Russell, 'Macadam, John (1827–1865)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macadam-john-4054/text6453, published first in hardcopy 1974, accessed online 21 May 2016.(before emigrating to Australia in 1855He was the first Professor of Chemistry University of Melbourne, member of the Legislature for Castlemaine and Postmaster-General: The Scotsman, 25 January 1901 where he died aged 38).
Stevenson then became Dr. George Wilson's assistant, in his brother's stead, at the University of Edinburgh and at the Royal College of Surgeons from 1847 to 1855.