Stevens was born at Little Bell Alley, just off
Coleman Street in London, and was apprenticed to
William Savage, Master of the Boys at
St Paul's Cathedral until his voice broke in 1773. He took up various organ and technig jobs until his first official appointment, as organist of
St Michael's Cornhill in May 1781. In 1786 he succeeded John Stanley as organist at
Temple Church, and in 1796 succeeded John Jones as organist of
Charterhouse. Many of these positions were held simultaneously. In 1808 he received yet another appointment, as music master at
Christ's Hospital. Besides being valuable in themselves, these appointments helped him to attract the wealthy pupils on whom his living substantially depended. In 1810 Stevens married Anna Jeffery, after a long courtship; in 1811 they had a son, Richard George, who entered
Gray's Inn in 1834. He embarked on the life of a gentleman of leisure, made possible by a substantial bequest from one of his father’s friends in 1817. He died, aged 80, at his wife's old home at Peckham, and was buried in the cloisters at London Charterhouse. {{s-ttl|title=
Organist of
St Michael, Cornhill {{s-ttl|title=
Organist of
Temple Church {{s-ttl|title=
Organist of
Charterhouse London {{s-ttl|title=
Gresham Professor of Music {{s-ttl|title=
Organist of
Christ's Hospital ==See also==