Scottish Blog

1563-1624

George Heriot was a famous Scottish jewelrymaker and goldsmith) and renowned philanthropist.

In his lifetime George Heriot came to amass a large fortune, be married twice, become the jeweler to the King of Scotland and at the end of it donate a significant portion of his money, via his will, to the building of a orphanage in Edinburgh.

Both the success and generosity of George Heriot have led to his name being immortalized on a number of sites throughout Scotland. Probably some of the best known of thee are the Heriot-Watt University and the George Heriot School, which he funded.

George Heriot was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. As the eldest child in a group of ten he was entrusted with entering the families business of goldsmithing. His skills combined with a loan from his father saw the career of George Heriot rise quickly. By 1597 he was already the jeweler to Anne of Denmark. In 1601, this position rose to that of jeweler to the King. Yet even before this, in 1599, he had amassed enough wealth to become a money lender to the royal crown.

By 1603 George Heriot was sent to London to work as the jeweler to the King of England, James I. His fortune continued to grow. In 1609 he married for the second time, only to see his wife pass away a few short years later. In 1624, George Heriot himself passed away with no legitimate children as heirs. Although he did have two sons by his first marriage, who are thought to have perished in a sea accident on route to London.

It is thought that this situation is what drove George Heriot to donate roughly half his estate into building an orphanage. The rest of it was spent on his family and donations to his two illegitimate daughters.