George Watson (accountant)

George Watson (23 November 1654 – 3 April 1723) was a Scottish accountant and philanthropist. He was the Bank of Scotland's first Chief Accountant. He bequeathed money that was used to establish the George Watson College and fund George Heriot's School.[1]

Watson's memorial shown in situ with – inset – a close-up to allow the wording to be read. (Click the image to load large version.)

Life

Watson was born in Edinburgh on the 12 November 1654 in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Marion Ewing (d.1697) and John Watson, a merchant. After the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother Watson and his brother James were brought up by their aunt Elizabeth Davidson.[1] In 1672 he went to Rotterdam to be educated in book-keeping. He returned to Edinburgh to become, in 1676, the private secretary to Sir James Dick. Based partly on this experience he became one of Scotland's most famed accountants of his time, and was appointed chief accountant to the Bank of Scotland when it was founded in 1695.

George Watson is buried in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard, and although the precise location of his remains is unknown, there is a memorial plaque in a wall in the north-west of the graveyard.

Educational benefactions

Having been an early benefactor of Edinburgh's Merchant Maiden Hospital, Watson subsequently bequeathed in his will a generous sum for the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, with specific sums being set aside for educating pupils at the Merchant Maiden Hospital, the Trades Maiden Hospital and Heriot's Hospital, now George Heriot's School. He stipulated that all his beneficiaries were to bear the name Watson or Davidson - this was not an unusual style of stipulation at the time; another example being Edinburgh's Donaldson's Hospital where bursaries were made available to children bearing the name of Donaldson.

A further £144,000 Pound Scots was left for the foundation of a new charitable school, "hospital" as they were then known, for "entertaining and educating the male children and grandchildren of decayed merchants in Edinburgh". This was to become George Watson's College. The school remains in service to this day, as does George Heriot's, and "Watson's", as it is known, continues to celebrate an annual "Founder’s Day".

References
  1. "Watson, George (1654–1723), accountant and benefactor", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/94983, retrieved 23 June 2018
  1. Undiscovered Scotland


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