160:
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175:. The role of a goldsmith in the early modern period extended beyond simply the making and trading of jewellery and precious metals; in effect, he had now become her banker. Over the following years, he lent her significant amounts of money, often secured on jewellery he himself had sold her. Anne's love of jewellery was "legendary", and by the late 1590s both she and the king were taking out significant loans to support their spending. This ensured Heriot's position would remain lucrative; it had been estimated that between 1593 and 1603 he may have done as much as £50,000 of business with the Queen.
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natural daughters
Elizabeth Band (born 1613) then aged ten and Margaret Scott (born 1619) then aged four. There were additional bequests to his stepmother and his half-siblings, as well as his nieces and nephews. However, the residue of the estate, some £23,625, was left to the county of city of Edinburgh, to establish a hospital for the free education of the "puir, faitherless bairns" of deceased Edinburgh burgesses.
357:. The hospital opened in due course in 1659, with thirty pupils; its finances grew, and it took in other pupils in addition to the orphans for whom it was intended. In the 1880s, it began to charge fees; however, to this day it serves its charitable object, providing free education to a sizeable number of children of widows or widowers.
248:, and a pair of earrings fashioned with the enamelled face of an African man, in a private collection. The earrings were itemised by Heriot in 1609 as "two pendants made as more's heads and all sett with diamonds price £70." They may reflect her fascination with the representation of African people in the theatre, as in her
933:
entry, but the two differ on several minor points. Where they conflict, the newer article is assumed to be accurate. The older article contains a number of details (e.g., a presumed death date for Heriot's first wife) omitted in the newer article; it is unclear if this is for reasons of space, or if
326:
Heriot is believed to have had at least four children by his first wife, including two sons who may have been drowned at sea, although the exact details of their death are unknown. He had no other legitimate children – his second marriage was childless – but in his will left money to provide for two
181:
owed Heriot £6,720 for jewelry and precious stones in March 1599 and gave him a jewel as a pledge for payment, which included 74 diamonds and a larger diamond set in gold. In June 1599 James instructed his exchequer officers to repay from his tax receipts a loan advanced on the security of some of
205:
James VI inherited the
English and Irish thrones, and ruled these kingdoms as King James I. He moved to London. Heriot, along with much of his court, followed suit. In November he was appointed a jeweller to the king, with an annual salary of £150. The English goldsmiths
257:
After his wife
Christian Marjoribanks died, George Heriot returned to Edinburgh in 1609 to marry Alison Primrose, the daughter of James Primrose of Carington, the clerk to the Scottish Privy Council. The marriage was short-lived, as Alison died in 1612, and childless.
66:, and remained in London until he died in 1624. He had married twice but had no recognised children surviving at the time of his death, and he left the bulk of his estate to found a hospital to care for "faitherless bairns" (orphaned children) in his home city.
193:
Heriot's financial involvement with the court grew stronger over the years; he was appointed jeweller to James VI in 1601, and became involved in a governmental plan to replace the circulating currency of
Scotland. By 1603, he held the right to
62:, as well as to the king himself; he became very wealthy from this position, and wealthier still as a result of lending this money back to the king and the rest of his court. He moved to London along with the court in 1603, at the time of the
214:
were given similar appointments. The salary was a small amount in comparison to Heriot's sales and loans, and by 1609 Queen Anne's debt to him was £18,000, from which he drew a sizeable interest.
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records as the "daughter of an
Edinburgh merchant"; this tallies closely with the background of Heriot's first wife Christian, and it is plausible that the two may have been sisters.
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495:
Handley notes that they drowned at sea at an unknown date, perhaps when travelling to
England with their father in 1603. The two sons are not mentioned at all by Espinasse.
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in 1619. Heriot swore an oath that he had delivered jewels worth £63,000 to the Queen which were not found among her possessions. He had kept the "models" or designs.
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655:
Lyndsay McGill, 'Scottish
Renaissance Jewels in the National Collection: making and makers', Anna Groundwater, Decoding the Jewels (Sidestone, 2024), p. 109.
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Surviving pieces made for Anne of
Denmark which can be attrbuted to Heriot include a gold miniature case set with her initials in diamonds, now held by the
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873:
1080:
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the King's Master Mason. It bears a Latin inscription which translates as: "This statue shows my body, this building shows my soul".
433:
414:. The life of George Heriot is the subject of Jean Findlay’s 2022 novel ‘The Queen’s Lender’ published by Scotland Street Press.
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A pub in
Edinburgh's Old Town preserves Heriot's nickname "Jinglin' Geordie" (from the sound of coins clinking in his purse).
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Balcanquhall was a
Scottish clergyman, who became Dean of Rochester the following year, and who served as one of Heriot's
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Heriot supplied a chain with 60 pieces each set with three small diamonds worth £250 to the king's favourite, the
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and a local merchant; the couple had two sons, who died in their youth. To mark the marriage, and the end of his
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in January 1588, at the age of twenty-four, and in May that year was admitted to membership of the Edinburgh
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was begun in 1628, and duly constructed outside the city walls of Edinburgh, immediately to the south of
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On 14 January 1586 he was engaged to marry Christian Marjoribanks, the daughter of Simon Marjoribanks a
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Handley, 2008. Per Espinasse, 1891, this may have been James Primrose (d. 1641), the father of
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747:. He may have been a nephew of Heriot's; his mother was one Margaret Marjoribanks, whom the
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384:. His figure, which stands on the lower tier of the south-west buttress, was carved by
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and Elizabeth Balderstone, and one of ten children. His father was a well-established
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This article is about the Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. For other uses, see
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by his father to establish his own business, which he did in a small booth near
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often dealt with him on her behalf. She often wore a miniature portrait of
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47:, a large independent school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to
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Monuments and Statues of Edinburgh, Michael T.R.B.Turnbull (Chambers) p.63
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the queen's jewels. In August 1599 Heriot was paid £400 Sterling from the
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A statue of Heriot stands within the quadrangle of the school, above the
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and Heriot mended its locket case twice. Heriot also supplied jewels to
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16:
16th and 17th-century Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist (1563–1624)
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mostly date from 1605 to 1615, totalling around £40,000. Her servants
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Anna of Denmark: The Material and Visual Culture of the Stuart Courts
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75:
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and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as the founder of
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Statue of George Heriot in the quadrangle of the school he founded.
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Anna of Denmark: Material and Visual Culture of the Stuart Courts
265:, which was returned to him in 1615 when the Earl was disgraced.
917:. Vol. 26. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 244–246.
664:
Daniel Packer, 'Jewels of 'Blacknesse' at the Jacobean Court',
141:
971:
Jinglin'Geordie's Legacy: A History of George Heriot's School
114:
570:, vol. 2 (London, 1846), pp. 96-7, Heriot's Hospital papers.
942:
Meikle, Maureen; Payne, Helen (2008) . "Anne (1574–1619)".
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sent to Scotland, for jewels delivered to Anna of Denmark.
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From early in the 1590s, Heriot had been selling items to
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Heriot died in London in February 1624 and was buried at
244:, which the queen may have gifted to her lady-in-waiting
871:
Handley, Stuart (2008) . "Heriot, George (1523–1624)".
32:
George Heriot (1563–1624), founder of Heriot's Hospital
555:
Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1599-1604
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Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1592-1599
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of Goldsmiths. By October 1593, he had been elected
396:George Heriot features as one of the two ghosts in
376:George Heriot is one of the carved figures on the
349:. It was completed just in time to be occupied by
582:, part 2 (London, 1884), p. 196: William Fraser,
147:Heriot owned a house on Fishmarket Close off the
39:(15 June 1563 – 12 February 1624) was a Scottish
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388:. He is depicted holding a model of the school.
668:, vol. 75 (2012), pp. 201-222 at p. 201-2, 221.
666:Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes
404:(1773). He appears as a character in the novel
1056:People associated with Heriot-Watt University
987:
948:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
877:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
426:, another Edinburgh businessman, after whom
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512:
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299:, and considerable property in Edinburgh.
1081:Founders of Scottish schools and colleges
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882:
154:
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799:"The Archives of George Heriot's School"
721:Thomas Birch & Folkestone Williams,
557:, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1884), pp. 128-129.
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369:on the north entrance tower. This is by
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945:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
927:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
874:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
870:
749:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
553:, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1882), pp. 542-3:
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434:List of universities named after people
334:Front (north) view of Heriot's Hospital
268:Heriot, with the other royal jewellers
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94:family, who served as a Member of the
82:), on 15 June 1563, the eldest son of
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282:funeral procession of Anna of Denmark
219:jewellery supplied to Anna of Denmark
121:, on the site of the entrance of the
1101:17th-century Scottish businesspeople
1096:16th-century Scottish businesspeople
934:those details were found inaccurate.
725:, 2 (London: Colburn, 1849), p. 167.
1006:Contemporary image of George Heriot
991:History of George Heriot's Hospital
857:, Polygon, Edinburgh, pp. 135 - 140
679:Archibald Primrose, Lord Carrington
586:, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1897), p. 140.
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723:Court and Times of James the First
54:Heriot was the court goldsmith to
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999:
929:article is based on the original
644:Extracts from the Revels Accounts
402:The Ghaists: A Kirk-Yard Ecologue
1111:Material culture of royal courts
931:Dictionary of National Biography
915:Dictionary of National Biography
891:
796:
603:, vol. 16 (London, 1715), p. 502
580:HMC 9th Report: Lord Elphinstone
391:
319:, where the sermon was given by
988:Steven (D.D.), William (1872).
855:Robert Fergusson:Selected Poems
853:Robertson, James (Ed.) (2017),
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804:. Scottish Records Association
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21:George Heriot (disambiguation)
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1106:17th-century Scottish artists
1091:16th-century Scottish artists
1046:Businesspeople from Edinburgh
973:. Edinburgh: Tuckwell Press.
969:Lockhart, Brian R.W. (2004).
864:
526:Grant's Old and New Edinburgh
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1041:17th-century Scottish people
1036:16th-century Scottish people
962:UK public library membership
360:
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712:(Manchester, 2020), p. 206.
633:(Manchester, 2020), p. 141.
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134:county of city of Edinburgh
107:county of city of Edinburgh
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698:(London, 1836), pp. 411–12
620:(Edinburgh, 1822), p. 219.
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1071:Scottish company founders
1010:National Portrait Gallery
566:James Orchard Halliwell,
537:Meikle & Payne, 2008.
1076:Scottish philanthropists
760:Lochart, 2004, pp. 9–10.
618:Memoirs of George Heriot
439:
317:St. Martin-in-the-Fields
295:and a country estate at
113:, Heriot was given 1500
1086:Court of James VI and I
833:"The Character Statues"
584:Elphinstone Family Book
186:, a sum of money which
994:. Bell & Bradfute.
884:10.1093/ref:odnb/13078
769:Steven 1872, pp. 46–47
646:(London, 1842), p. xi.
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231:Isabella Clara Eugenia
164:
155:Goldsmith to the Crown
96:Parliament of Scotland
49:Heriot-Watt University
45:George Heriot's School
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734:Lochart, 2004, p. 12.
407:The Fortunes of Nigel
353:'s forces during the
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310:
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954:10.1093/ref:odnb/559
516:Lochart, 2004, p. 6.
504:Around £80 sterling.
217:Surviving bills for
119:St. Giles' Cathedral
60:James VI of Scotland
1051:Scottish goldsmiths
835:. Sites.scran.ac.uk
696:Loseley Manuscripts
614:Archibald Constable
321:Walter Balcanquhall
251:Masque of Blackness
203:Union of the Crowns
74:Heriot was born in
58:, the wife of King
1066:Scottish jewellers
899:Espinasse, Francis
787:Steven 1872, p. 74
778:Steven 1872, p. 67
642:Peter Cunningham,
336:
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242:Fitzwilliam Museum
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980:978-1-86232-257-8
960:(Subscription or
691:Alfred John Kempe
355:English Civil War
339:Heriot's Hospital
223:Margaret Hartsyde
128:He was elected a
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303:Death and legacy
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263:Earl of Somerset
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201:In 1603, at the
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184:English annuity
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173:Jacob Kroger
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90:from an old
80:East Lothian
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36:
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1031:1624 deaths
1026:1563 births
911:Lee, Sidney
1020:Categories
964:required.)
865:References
297:Roehampton
293:the Strand
289:town house
149:Royal Mile
70:Early life
901:(1891). "
745:executors
430:is named.
361:Memorials
88:goldsmith
76:Gladsmuir
41:goldsmith
913:(eds.).
418:See also
400:'s poem
179:James VI
1008:at the
839:14 June
601:Foedera
132:of the
130:burgess
105:of the
103:burgess
977:
958:
905:". In
896:
808:18 May
142:Deacon
802:(PDF)
440:Notes
115:merks
975:ISBN
841:2016
810:2019
367:pend
276:and
225:and
210:and
950:doi
879:doi
410:by
380:on
291:in
254:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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