George Heriot born in East Lothian
George Heriot was born on 4th June 1563 in Gladsmuir, East Lothian.
Jeweller & Goldsmith
George Heriot becomes jeweller and goldsmith to James VI with a right to all the profits of that office.
Bequeathed to the City of Edinburgh
George Heriot dies and is buried in St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. He bequeaths his estate to the city of Edinburgh for a hospital for the upbringing and education of “puire fatherless bairns, friemenes sones of that Toune of Edinburgh”.
The Foundation stone
The Foundation stone of George Heriot’s School (hospital) is laid and building begins.
Oliver Cromwell’s military
The school is commandeered by Oliver Cromwell’s military government and converted into an army hospital.
The Foundation and bursaries are established
The first boys, 30 in total, are admitted to Heriot’s. The Foundation and bursaries were established.
Planting of the gardens began
Planting of the gardens began with ‘all sorts of Phisical, Medicinal, and all sorts of other herbs, such as the country can afford’. It became the first public botanical garden in Edinburgh.
School roll increased
School roll increased to 130 – all Foundation and bursarial students.
The most magnificent of its kind...
Daniel Defoe writes of Heriot’s that it is ‘a large and stately building, the most magnificent of its kind in the world’.
Benefactors show generosity
It became increasingly common in this period for benefactors to show generosity to Heriot’s Hospital.
The 'aerial traveller'
Vicenzo Lunardi, renowned ‘aerial traveller’ launches a hot air balloon from Heriot’s grounds. A crowd of 80,000 people gathered to watch.
The Heriot ‘Loving Cup’
The Heriot ‘Loving Cup’ was returned to the Governors. It was thought to have belonged to George Heriot and is used when celebrating his health.
The south side
The entrance to the School changed to the south side.
Heriot’s ‘out-school’
The first Heriot’s ‘out-school’ was erected at Heriot Bridge to ‘promote the cause of education and diffuse its benefits more extensively over the community’. Other out-schools followed in High School Yards, at Cowgate Port and at Old Assembly Close. These were free schools and no fees were charged, even for books and stationery. This was unlike all other schools in Edinburgh at that time.
Hans Christian Anderson
Hans Christian Anderson visits Heriot’s and was greatly impressed by the reverence shown towards him by a porter.
The Dux medal
The Dux medal was introduced.
Non-boarding boys
First cohort of non-boarding boys joined Heriot’s.
Governors link up with the Watt Institution
Heriot Watt College Founded
From hospital to school
Heriot’s changes from a hospital to a school on 1 January 1886.
The origins of Goldenacre
Eleven acre site at Bangholm (Goldenacre) purchased. The ground opened 2 years later.
The first School Captain and prefects
School Captain and 12 prefects appointed for the first time. The House System introduced with our 4 houses – Greyfriars, Lauriston, Castle and Raeburn
The first female teacher
The first female teacher appointed at Heriot’s because so many of the male staff were fighting in WWI.
‘Serbian Boys'
The ‘Serbian Boys’ arrived at Heriot’s
Goldenacre and the war effort
Part of Goldenacre ploughed up for food production to help the war effort
Heriot's girls
Girls join Heriot’s
Heriot's nursery
Purpose built Nursery is opened
Greyfriars Building
The Princess Royal opens the Greyfrairs Building
Grassmarket Campus
School buys Grassmarket Campus from Edinburgh College of Art
Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise
Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise opened
The new Refectory
New Refectory opened
