Educated at
Marlborough College, Stephenson was
commissioned into the
56th Regiment of Foot in 1874. He served in the
Second Boer War and commanded a column in the attack on Plessis Poort. In his final
despatch from South Africa in June 1902,
Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief of the forces during the latter part of the war, described Stephenson as "an excellent Officer, who has displayed good sense wherever he has been employed". Following the end of the war in June 1902, he stayed on in South Africa for several months with a staff appointment and the local rank of
major-general. Stephenson also served in the
Zulu Rebellion of 1905 and became
General Officer Commanding 6th Division in November 1906, General Officer Commanding
2nd Division in 1907, and commander of the
Troops in the Straits Settlements in 1910. He served in the
First World War as General Officer Commanding
65th (2nd Lowland) Division before retiring in 1918. ==Family==