Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1903, Part 2 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland ... (Royal National Directory of Scotland.) With ... map, etc

EDINBURGH.
[slater's
was founded in 1 843, and removed to the present building
in 1850. It contains about 45,000 volumes, mainly theo-
logical.
The Theological College of the Scottish Episcopal Church,
Coates hall, Rosebery crescent, had its origin in the pious
benefaction of Catherine Panton, residing near Fraserburgh,
in the county of Aberdeen, which was entrusted in the year
1810 to the bishops of the Scottish Church, for the purpose
of "erecting and endowing a seminary of learning, or
theological institution, for the education of young men
desirous to serve in the sacred ministry of the Scottish
Episcopal Communion."
The Ediubursh Merchant Company Schools. — (i) The
Edinburgh Ladies' College, 70, 72 and 73 Queen street.
This institution was founded in 1695 by the Company of
Merchants aud Mary Erskine, widow of James Hair,
druggist in Edinburgh, as an hospital for girls, and was
known as the Merchant Maiden Hospital. The governors
were incorporated b^' an Act of I'arliaraent in 1707. The
original edifice was situated in Bristo street; but in 1818
the college was transferred to new premises in Lauriston,
designed by Mr. Burn, and completed at a cost of ^12,250.
In 1870, these were in turn sold to the governors of George
Watson's Hospital, and the existing premises in Queen street
acquired and opened in October, 1871. The institution
provides a high-class education, with drill, gymnastics,
needlework and cookery. The governors have the right of
presenting twenty foundationers to the hospital, and in
addition elect twenty-one foundationers by competitive
examination from among the girls attending the day schools
of the Merchant Maiden Hospital. Girls attending the insti-
tution may obtam, by competition (i) a presentation to the
foundation ; and (2) a bursary on leaving the institution of
^25 a year, tenable for four years ; a large number of school
bursaries is also awarded at the end of each session, and
other bursaries in connection with the Practical Training
School of Cookery. The foundationers are, under the
supervision of the governors, boarded with families in
Edinburgh. Girls are admitted under fixed conditions as
to age, and must also satisfy a number of varied qualifications
as to parentage, place of birth &c. except in the case of
privileged presentations. On leaving, foundationers, by
ordinary election and presentees, receive £g 6s. 8d. each, with
the exception of the Earl of Mar's presentees, who receive
;^i4 6s. 8d. each. The college is managed by a body of
governors, consisting of the master, treasurer and two as-
sistants of the Merchant Company ; nine former assistants
elected by the Company, live members of the Town Council,
three of the ministers of Edinburgh and suburbs, the Earl
of Mar and the hon. treasurer of the hospital.
(2) George Watson's College Schools for Boys, Lauriston. —
George Watson, b jru in Edinburgh about 1650, served an
apprenticeship to a merchant in the city, and after a
short residence in Holland, entered into the service of Sir
James Dicks, a wealthy trader in Edinburgh, and this
employment he relinquished in 1695, on being appointed
accountant to the Bank of Scotland. Hediedin April, 1723,
and by his ivi'l bequeathed jf 12,000 to endowan hospital for
the maintenance and instruction of the niale children and
grandchildren of decayed merchants in Edinburgh ; and by
the statutes of his trustees a preference was given to the
sons and grandsons of members of the Edinburgh Merchant
Company. Au hospital for the board and education of the
foundationers was founded in the year 1738, and opened in
June, 1741, but in 1S71 was sold to the Corporation of the
Royal Infirmary, and that formerly called the JUerchant
Maiden Hospital was acquired for and is now occupied as
George Watson's College for Boys. The object is to provide
boys with a libar.d education, qualifying them for com-
mercial or professional life, the civil service, the uni-
versities &c. The foundationers have been reduced to 60,
and under the amending order of iS38 at least one-fourth
of these are to be elected by competitive examination.
Boys attending the college may obtain, by competition,
the following benefits, viz. : (i) A presentation to one of
the foundations of this college ; and (2) a bursary on
leaving the schools of ^25 a year, and tenable for four
years; a large number of school bursaries are awarded at
the end of each session, and the governors also have power
to found three open fellowshi|)S of the value of ^100
yearly, tenable for any period not exceeding three years, to
aid students of promise and merit. The foundationers are,
under the supervision of the governors, boarded in families
in Edinburgh. On leaving, each foundationer, by fa\'our,
is allowed £7 tor clothes ; he may receive for five years of an
apprenticeship ;^io annually ; and on attaining the age of
twenty-five a further sum of £$0 to enable him to commence
business in Edinburgh.
(3) George Watson's College for Ladies. — The governors
have also, in virtue of power given them in the provisional
order of 1870, established a school for girls called George
Watson's College for Ladies. The school buildings were in
1876 largely added to and improved, and girls attending the
school have, under an amending order obtained in 1888,
benefits similar to those of the Edinburgh Ladies' College.
The schools are administered by a body of governors, con-
sisting of the master, treasurer and twelve assistants of the
Merchant Company, five members of the Town Council, the
minister or ministers of the Old Church, Edinburgh, and
the hon. treasurer of George Watson's Hospital.
(4) Daniel Stewart's College for Boys, Queensferry road,
Dean. — Daniel Stewart, of the Exchequer, who died in 1814,
left the residue of his property, amounting (after the erection
and endowment of a free school in his native parish of
Logierait) to upwards of ^^13,000, to accumulate for the
purpose of huildmg and endowing an hospital for the main-
tenance and education of deserving boys, the children of
honest and industrious parents, whose circumstances in life
do not enable them suitably to support and educate their
children at other schools. The hospital was opened as a day
school in Sept. 1870, and provides boys with a superior
education at moderate fees, qualifying them for commercial
or professional life, the civd service and the universities.
In 1894 a spacious and well equipped gymnasium was
provided. There are now forty foundationers, and at least
one-half are elected, by competitive examination, from the
day scholars. Boys attending have valuable benefits open
for their coiupetition. Candidates for admission must
satisfy certain conditions as to age, parentage and place of
residence. The master, treasurer and assistants of the
Merchant Comjiany of Edinburgh are the governors of the
college.
(5) James Gillespie's Schools for Boys and Girls, Gillespie
crescent, was founded by James Gillespie, of Spylaw, mer-
chant and tobacconist in Edinburgh, who, by his will, dated
in the year 1796, bequeathed the greater part of his property
for the endowment of a charitable school, and of an hospital
for aliment and maintenance of old men and women. The
buildings, designed by Mr, Burn, were erected in 1801-2, and
up to 1870 the hospital continued to be occupied by old
persons, of "^vhom about forty were maintained in it, but in
that year the hospital was converted mto elementary day
schools. The governors may grant forty school bursaries at
the end of each session, and establish twelve higher school
bursaries of a value not exceeding ^^ 10 each yearly,tenable for
a period not exceeding three years, so as to enable pupils to
attend at the higher class schools of the Company. Those
entitled to the benefits of the hospital as aged foundationers
are persons not under 55 years of age, first, of the name
of Gillespie, whatever part of Scotland they may come
from ; and, second, persons belonging to Edinburgh and its
suburbs ; failing these, persons from Leith, Newliaven, and
other parts of Midlothian ; whom failing, persons from any
other part of Scotland. By the provisional order of 1870
the governors have power, instead of maintaining the foun-
dationers in any building, to allow them a pension of not
less than ^10 and not exceeding £2^ a year, 'i'he governors
of the schools are the master, treasurer and assistants of
the Jlerchant Company, the ministers of St. Stephen's and
Tolbooth Churches, and five representatives of the Town
Council.
The Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, Clyde street, was
founded by the late Professor Dick in 1823, and is now
affiliated to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons incor-
porated in the year 1844. Professor Dick died in 1866.
The Veterinary College, in Leith walk, has been erected
specially for the education of veterinary students. It con-
tains lecture, reading and waiting rooms &c. and is pro-
vided with horse boxes and dog kennels.
George Heriot's Trust. — George Heriot, who came of an
old East Lothian family, the Heriots of Traboun, was born
at Edinburgh about the year 1563. He followed his father's
trade of a goldsmith, and in 1597 was appointed goldsmith
to Anne of Denmark, the queen of James VI. Shortly
afterwards he ^vas nominated jeweller and goldsmith to the
king ; and when the Court was removed to London, in 1603,
Heriot followed in its train. During his residence in London
he lost both his wives and all his children, and he himself
died there February 12, 1624, having, by a will dated in the
previous year, bequeathed the residue of his property,
amounting to ;^23,62S, for the erection of an hospital, " for
the mainetenanoe, releife, bringing upp, and education of
poore fatherlesse boyes, freemen's sonnes of the towne of
Edinburgh." The foundation stone of George Heriot's Hos-
pital, Lauriston, was laid July i, 162S, but, owing to the
civil war and other causes, the building was not opened till
April II, 1659, the expense of the erection exceeding
;^ 30,000. The fabric surrounds a quadrangle and is in com-
mingled styles of Gothic and Renaissance : with some