Merchant 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 company or society founded by Royal Charter in 1681 to protect trading rights of the merchants of the City of Edinburgh. It also carries out a significant amount of charitable and educational work.

Edinburgh has a long history as a trading city. Prior to the Reformation there was a Guild of Merchants in the city. However, there was a great rivalry between the Merchants and the craftsmen of the city, the latter forming the Incorporated Trades in the early 16th century. The Merchants - as many guilds in cities of the time - came to have a significant say in the running of the city. The Trades wanted to share in this power, and "constant bickering" ensued between them and the Merchants, who were unwilling to relinquish any.

In 1583, James IV issued a decree sharing places on the town council between the Merchants and the Trades, but giving one more seat to the Merchants. By the late 1670s, the Merchants wished to consolidate their position and petitioned Charles II. In 1681, the King responded by granting a charter creating the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, which was ratified by the Parliament of Scotland in 1693. A further Royal Charter in 1777 amended provisions for the regulation of the Company's affairs, and it was reincorporated by the Edinburgh Merchant Company Act of 1898.

The Merchant Company was founded in order to protect trading rights in the City of Edinburgh. In keeping with its Guild origins, as its members shared many common interests, it took an interest in the running of the city, covering such fields as taxation, postal services and the city's water supply.

The company was also involved in educational and charitable work. As it grew in importance and repute, charitable trusts were often left to the Company to be administered. In this way the Company came to operate several hospital schools: the Merchant Maiden Hospital (now the Mary Erskine School),George Watson's Hospital (now George Watson's College),Daniel Stewart's Hospital (now part of Stewart's Melville College) and James Gillespie’s Hospital and Free School (now James Gillespie's High School, handed over to management of Edinburgh School Board in 1908).

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