Hall marks on gold & silver plate

ENGLISH GOLDSMITHS. 29
numerous bequests to his relatives and friends, and gifts to the pool.
one of the numerous fables
The story of his dying in poverty is only
which have been related of his history (Smiles). He died in 163 1,
and was buried in the churchyard of St. Matthew, Friday Street.
The Welsh silver mines in Cardiganshire were discovered, in the
reign of James I, by Sir Hugh Myddelton,
been worked with success.
which have ever since
Sir Hugh bequeathed to the Goldsmiths' Company, in trust for
the poor, a share in the New River Company, which they modestly
valued to the Commissioners at about ;^200 per annum on an
average.
1600. George Heriot, jeweller to King James VI of Scotland,
and subsequently to James I of England. He was born June, 1563,
eldest son of George Heriot, goldsmith, of Edinburgh; the elder
Heriot died in 1610. The goldsmiths of Edinburgh were formerly
classed with the "hammermen," or common smiths. They were
separated by an Act of the Town Council on August 29, 1581, which
conferred on the goldsmiths a monopoly of their trade, confirmed
by a charter of incorporation from James VI in i 586, investing the
goldsmiths with the power of searching, inspecting, and trying all
jewels set in gold, as well as plate, in every part of the kingdom,
and power to punish aggressors by imprisonment or fine, and to
seize the working tools of all unfrec goldsmiths within the city.
George Heriot was evidently instrumental in obtaining the
charter of incorporation in 1586, as well as the Act in favour of the
Goldsmiths' Company in 1591, irom which we quote the preamble:
"The samin day the Provost, baillies, and counsell, and A dame
Newtoune, haxter; Cudbert Cranstoun, furrour\ William Blythman,
flescheour; Thomas Weir, niasoun; Robert Meid, wohster\ William
Cowts, walker-, Thomas Brown, bonetmaker, of the remanent deykins
of crafts being convenit in counsall anent the supplicatioun
gevin in before thame be George Heriott, deykin of the goldsmythis,
for himselff and in name and on behalff of the remanent brether of
the said craft."
Heriot became a member of the Goldsmiths' Company, and in
1597 he was employed by the Court; and Anne of Denmark, the
reigning Queen, made him her goldsmith, and
he was so declared "at the crosse, be opin proclamatione
and sound of trumpet." Shortly
afterwards he was appointed goldsmith to the
King. He soon rose to opulence, and on the
accession of James to the throne of England he
followed the Court to London. He died on
February 12, 1624, aetatis sixty, and was buried
Seal of George Heriot. at St. Martin's in the Fields. He obtained
In Heriot s .
Hospital. .
,
, i i r t r
("Laing'8 Ancient Seals."/ eminence and wealth, and left upwards or
50,000.