Heritage

Detail of wooden carved doors showing GWC and Merchant Hall crests

A Brief History of George Watson and the School

George Watson's Boys' College, George Watson's Ladies' College, George Watson's College

George Watson was born in Edinburgh on 23 November 1654. After a long career as an accountant, merchant, banker and investor, he died on 3 April 1723. Although the precise location of his grave is unknown, a memorial plaque to him can be found in Greyfriars’ Kirkyard.

George Watson’s Ladies’ College was founded in George Square in 1871 and made a remarkable contribution to the education of girls and young women for over a century before merging with the Boys’ College to form a single co-educational school at Colinton Road in the 1970s.

We are proud of the heritage of our predecessor schools which over the centuries prepared many thousands of young people for their lives in Edinburgh, throughout Scotland and around the world, and which have contributed so much to what we know at George Watson’s College today.

The 150th Anniversary of the foundation of GWLC was celebrated throughout 2021 and 2022. You can find out more about the story of 'George Square' on the GWLC 150th Anniversary website.

The Legacy of George Watson

Research undertaken since 2020 has established that George Watson invested in at least two ships which took part in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people at the end of the seventeenth century and in the early eighteenth century. This fact, along with other aspects of his business practices, raise important and troubling questions about George Watson and the way in which we have traditionally venerated his memory as our founder.

The evidence now available to us has informed an extensive process of debate, discussion and deliberation involving pupils, parents, former pupils, staff and academic specialists. The process has led to a fuller understanding of George Watson, what he means to all who are associated today with the institution that bears his name, and how we might acknowledge him and his legacy now and in the future.

Both the research and our deliberations continue. These documents and recordings of digital events give an insight into how we are moving forward in the acknowledgement of aspects of our heritage which have previously been ignored.

Discussion Papers

What Should We Do Next? A Discussion Paper, May 2021

The Next Phase, September 2021

Digital Events

George Watson and his Contexts (30 March 2021)

Watson's Against Racism (30 March 2021)

The George Watson's College War Memorial and War Records

In the edition of The Watsonian magazine dated July 1916, a letter was published from Arthur Hunter, a prominent Watsonian living in New York, suggesting the creation of a relief fund to aid orphans and dependents of Watsonians killed or wounded in the Great War.

A year later this had led to the establishment of the Watsonian War Memorial Fund which would not only provide financial assistance to those in need, but would also enable the construction of a permanent war memorial at the School and the creation of a properly researched register of Watsonians who had served and died in the War.

The war memorial itself was unveiled in front of George Watson’s Boys’ College in a solemn ceremony on 16 December 1921. When the School moved to Colinton Road in 1932, the war memorial was moved to a prominent position to the east of the main Senior School building where it stands today. Additional names are added as ongoing research identifies other Watsonians who have given their lives in the wars of the twentieth century. Since 2017, the names of three women Watsonians have been added to the memorial, reflecting the sacrifice of women in war and the joint heritage of our modern co-educational school.

The War Memorial was installed at Archibald Place. Note the Officer Training Corps, Pipe Band, and the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary building in the background.

Over one hundred years later, the Watsonian Benevolent Fund, the successor to the relief fund set up as a result of Arthur Hunter’s letter, still supports members of the Watsonian community who face financial hardship and other struggles in their lives.

Pupils and staff continue to undertake research on Watsonians who served in war to try to ensure that the Watsonian War Records are as comprehensive and accurate as possible.

It will probably never be possible to establish exactly how many Watsonian lives have been lost to war, but we estimate the figure to be at least 810. It was in their honour that our Project 810 with its commitment to making the world a fairer, kinder and more sustainable place was given its name.

Watson's War Records

Former Heads and Principals

George Watson's College

Principals

Melvyn Roffe BA, 2014–
Gareth Edwards MA, 2001–2014
Frank Gerstenberg MA, 1985–2001
Sir Roger Young MA STh LHD FRSE, 1974–1985

George Watson's Boys' College

Headmasters

Roger Young MA STh FRSE, 1958–1974
Ian McIntosh MA LLD, 1953–1958
I Graham Andrew MA, 1943–1953
George Robertson MA LLD, 1926–1943
John Alison MA LLD FRSE, 1904–1926
William L Carrie MA, 1899–1904
George Ogilvie MA LLD, 1870–1898

George Watson's Ladies' College

Headmaster/Headmistresses

Hilda Fleming BSc, 1957–1974
M Dorothy Nicolson MA, 1945–1957
Catherine C Robertson MA, 1926–1945
Charlotte E Ainslie OBE BA LLD, 1902–1926
Alexander Thomson, 1871–1902

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh

For over 300 years, the Merchant Company has a rich history interwoven with the fabric of Edinburgh life . In its early days, the Company concerned itself with such matters as the city water supply and expressed regret that too many trading premises were being turned into ‘brandy shops’ or ‘tippling places’. However, eventually the status and influence of Members was seen by public-spirited benefactors as an efficient and perpetual means of putting into effect their last wills and testaments and, as a result, charitable trusts were left to the Company to administer.

As a result the Company assumed many responsibilities relating to the young, the poor and the elderly. In 1694, Mary Erskine, possibly the widow of a Company Member, gave over 10,000 mercs for the “maintenance of burgess female children” which established the Mary Erskine School. Further legacies resulted in the opening of George Watson’s Hospital in 1741, Daniel Stewart’s College in 1855 and James Gillespie’s High School.

As time passed, the focus of the Company moved completely to education and charitable works and one of the Company’s major functions today is the Merchant Company Education Board (Scottish Charity No: SC009747) which has the ultimate legal responsibility for George Watson’s College and Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools.

The Company has been privileged to enjoy a close relationship with members of the Royal Family and both His Late Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal have served as Masters of the Company. In 2018, the Company was granted permission by Her Majesty The Queen to style itself the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh.

The Stewart Lockhart Collection: An International Treasure

The Stewart Lockhart Collection is one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese and Oriental art, artefacts and archival material. It was gifted to George Watson’s College by the daughter of Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart (1858–1937), a former pupil who amassed the Collection during his 40 years as a colonial administrator in Hong Kong and China.

The School is committed to working with partners in the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland to make the Collection available for scholarly and other educational uses.

Highlights from the Collection can be viewed on the National Museums Scotland website.

Watson's War Records