The court jeweller of James VI of Scotland and of this monarch after
his accession to the English throne, as James I, was George Heriot
(ca. 1563-1624), born in Edinburgh, the son of a member of the company
of goldsmiths in that city. As the Scotch goldsmiths cumulated the
profession of money-lending with that of goldsmithing, they were
usually persons of considerable account among the citizens. Heriot
became a member of the company in 1588, the year of the Spanish
Armada. Despite the rather straitened circumstances of the Scottish
court, considerable amounts were expended for jewels, especially as
the queen, Anne of Denmark, was very fond of display. The nobility
also, such of them at least as possessed the means, were inclined to
deck themselves out with brilliant jewels and splendid ornaments of
massive gold. Heriot's appointment as goldsmith to the queen dates
from 1597; soon after this he was made jeweller and goldsmith to the
king. He followed the court to London in 1603, when King James
succeeded to Elizabeth, and at the time of his death, February 12,
1624, had amassed the sum of L50,000 by his profitable connection
with the court, and had also acquired lands and houses at Rochampton,
in Surrey, and St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London. His residuary
estate, which amounted to L23,625 ($118,125), he entrusted to the
provosts, bailiffs, ministers, and ordinary town-council of Edinburgh
for the erection of an institution to be called Heriot's Hospital,
where a number of poor freemen's sons of the town should be
educated.
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