Mary Erskine
Encyclopedia
Mary Erskine was a Scottish
businesswoman and philanthropist
, who donated money to set up the girls' school which is now known as The Mary Erskine School
.
in Edinburgh
, to the east of St Giles Cathedral, and close to the Cowgate
, then a fashionable suburb. Little is known of her early life, but in 1661 she married Robert Kennedie, a writer. He died in 1671 leaving her with considerable debts, although she managed to pay these off through careful management. On 23 September 1675, Mary Erskine married her second husband, James Hair, in North Leith. James Hair was a chemist, and owned a chemist's shop on the High Street. He was considerably younger than Mary Erskine, but he too died in 1683. By the contract of marriage, Mary Erskine inherited most of what belonged to her husband. It seems that this was not a large sum of money, but she used the money to set up a private bank, and built up a considerable fortune.
for the maintenance of daughter's of burgesses in the city of Edinburgh. The money was used to establish the Merchant Maiden Hospital, a girls' school, on the Cowgate. In 1706 Mrs Hair gave a further donation with which to buy a house and garden outside the city wall at Bristo. In 1707 she donated a further 4,000 merks to the Hospital, retaining the right to appoint two members of the Erskine family as governors. The Merchant Maiden Hospital was renamed and relocated several times, but in 1944 it was named the Mary Eskine School in honour of its founding benefactor. The school is now located in the Ravelston
area of Edinburgh.
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
businesswoman and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, who donated money to set up the girls' school which is now known as The Mary Erskine School
The Mary Erskine School
The Mary Erskine School, popularly known simply as "Mary Erskine's" or "MES" for short, paired with the all boys school Stewart's Melville College is an all girls independent secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland...
.
Biography
Mary Erskine lived on a close off the High StreetRoyal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, to the east of St Giles Cathedral, and close to the Cowgate
Cowgate
The Cowgate is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, located about 5 minutes' walk from Edinburgh Castle, within the city's World Heritage Site. The street's name is derived from the fact that cows were herded down it for Edinburgh's market days in previous centuries .The street is part of the lower...
, then a fashionable suburb. Little is known of her early life, but in 1661 she married Robert Kennedie, a writer. He died in 1671 leaving her with considerable debts, although she managed to pay these off through careful management. On 23 September 1675, Mary Erskine married her second husband, James Hair, in North Leith. James Hair was a chemist, and owned a chemist's shop on the High Street. He was considerably younger than Mary Erskine, but he too died in 1683. By the contract of marriage, Mary Erskine inherited most of what belonged to her husband. It seems that this was not a large sum of money, but she used the money to set up a private bank, and built up a considerable fortune.
Mary Erskine's School
In 1694, Mary Erskine, now known as Mrs Hair, donated 10,000 merks to the Merchant Company of EdinburghMerchant Company of Edinburgh
The Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, also known as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh or just the Merchant Company, is a livery company of the City of Edinburgh, originally founded in order to protect trading rights in the City of Edinburgh, which also carries out a significant amount...
for the maintenance of daughter's of burgesses in the city of Edinburgh. The money was used to establish the Merchant Maiden Hospital, a girls' school, on the Cowgate. In 1706 Mrs Hair gave a further donation with which to buy a house and garden outside the city wall at Bristo. In 1707 she donated a further 4,000 merks to the Hospital, retaining the right to appoint two members of the Erskine family as governors. The Merchant Maiden Hospital was renamed and relocated several times, but in 1944 it was named the Mary Eskine School in honour of its founding benefactor. The school is now located in the Ravelston
Ravelston
Ravelston is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, to the south of Queensferry Road .The area is primarily made up of detached and semi-detached housing, as well as modern apartments and many bungalows...
area of Edinburgh.
External links
- Mary Erskine feature page on Undiscovered Scotland.
- "Lofty ceilings but down-to-earth ideals" Times Educational Supplement
- Testament of Mary Erskine, Scotland's People