James Stevenson

James Stevenson FRSE (1786–1866) was a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who fathered two Scottish heroines, Flora Stevenson and Louisa Stevenson, the industrialist, James Cochran Stevenson and architect John James Stevenson. Life He was born in Paisley on 28 April 1786 the son of James Stevenson (1736–1806) a silk gauze manufacturer, and his wife, Margaret Cochran. He was educated at Paisley Grammar School. He set up a cotton spinning mill with his older brother, Nathaniel Stevenson (1785-1867), and first Calton then Barrowfield, before going into partnership with the Oswald brothers creating Oswald Stevenson & Co with James Oswald.