HERIOT, heri-ot, George, Scottish phi lanthropist: b. Edinburgh, 1563; d. London, 12 Feb. 1624. His father was a goldsmith in Edinburgh, and the son followed his father's profession, and was admitted a member of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths in May 1588. In 1597 he was appointed goldsmith to the queen by a charter from James VI and on the acces sion of the latter to the English crown followed the court to England. From the period of Heriot's settlement in London little is known of his history. He died on 12 Feb. 1624, and was buried at Saint Martin's-in-the-Fields. By his will he left nearly the whole of his fortune toward the founding and erecting of a school for poor boys in Edinburgh, styled in the bequest a "hospital?' The foundation of the present structure, known as Heriot's Hospital, was laid in July 1628; and the expense of the erection exceeded i30,000 sterling. From the
rise in value of property the yearly revenue of the hospital has very greatly increased; and the governors were empowered in the reign of William IV to establish elementary schools within the city for the gratuitous education of poor children, 16 day schools being ultimately established, besides evening schools. In 1885, however, an entirely new scheme was introduced and a great part of the funds are now devoted to the support of Heriot's Hospital School and the Heriot-Watt College. The former is a day school for boys of 10 and upward, and the Heriot-Watt College is a college giving a thor ough technical, commercial and literary edu cation chiefly by evening classes, though there are also day classes. 'The annual revenue is now about $150,000.