364 OLD .AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Heriot?s Hospital.
as being in the vicinity of St. Giles?s church. There
he acquired an extensive connection as a goldsmith
and money-lender, and soon recommended
himself to the notice of his sovereign, by whom
he was constituted, as Birrel records, on the 17th
of July, goldsmith to his consort the gay Queen
Anne, which ?was intimat at the crosse, be opin
proclamatione and sound of trumpet ; and ane Clic,
the Frenchman, dischargit, quha-was the Queen?s
Goldsmythe befor.?
Anne - was extravagant, fond of jewellery and
splendour, thus never had tradesman a better ~ustomer.
She ioved ornaments for the decoration of
her own person, and as presents to others, and when
desirous of procuring money, it was no uncommon
..
banker. On the 28th of May, 1588, he ,;as admitted
a member of the corporation of Goldsmiths.
The first material notice of George Heriot is
connected with his marriage, when his father furnished
him with the means of starting in business,
by ?ye setting up of ane buith to him.? In all he
received from his father, and the relations of his
wife-Christian, daughter of Sirnon Marjoribanks,
burgessof Edinburgh-asum ofabout Az 14 I IS. 8d.
sterling, and the buith we have noticed already
~50,000 sterling-an eaornous sxm for those
days.
Imitating the extravagance of the Court, the
nobles vied with each other in their adornment
with precious jewels, many of which found theh
way back again to ? Jingling Geordie;? and Anne?s
want of discretion and foresight is shown in one
of her letters found by Dr. Steven, when she
lacked money, on the occasion of having to pay
a humed visit to her son the Duke of Rothesay
and Crown Prince of Scotland, at Stirling :-
?GECJRDG HERIOTT, I ernestlie dissyr youe present tc
send me twa hundrethe pundis vithe ail expidition becaus.1
man hest me away presentlie.?
When James became king of England, Heriot
ANNA R.?
thing for her to pledge the most precious of her
jewels with Heriot, and James was often at his wits?
end to redeem the impledged articles, to enable the
queen to appear in public
On the 4th of April, 16or, Heriot was appointed
jeweller to the king, and it has been computed,
says Dr. Steven, that during the ten years which
immediately preceded the accession of James to the
Crown of Great Britain, Heriot?s bills for Queen
Anne?s jewels alone did not amount to less thao
