John Heriott was the second son of Dr Charles Heriott and Mary Nicoll, born in London on 25 March 1703 and baptised 28 March 1703 at St Benet Paul's Wharf.  He settled at South Wootton with his parents and appears to have been unmarried.  He wrote his will at South Wootton on 10 June 1731, and died there on 17 June 1738.  According to his mother's will, and the inscription on the gravestone, he is buried in the Heriott vault at South Wootton church.

The handwriting in his will is very unclear and uncertain words are noted in square brackets.  James mentions his brother James' son James but no other nephews or nieces, suggesting that James' other sons Charles and William were not yet born when this will was written.  Charles and William were mentioned in their great-uncle William Heriott's will of 1736 as the eldest and youngest sons of James, so it would appear their elder brother died between 1731 and 1736.

In The Name of God Amen

And in the first Yeare of ye reigne of ye Soveraigne George the Second by the Grace of God over Great Brittaine France & Ireland King Defender of ye faith &c. I Mr. Jno. Heriot of South Wootton in the County of Norfk. Gent being weak in body but of fort menn [?] & remembrance thanks be to God for the Same do make & ordaine this my last Will & Testamt. in manner and forme following that is to say first & for initially I comend my Soul unto the hands of Allmighty God my maker hoping thru ye Death & meritts of my Blessed Saviour do obtain [remission?] of all my Sins & as for my body to be decently Interr'd & deposited in the Earth at ye [Desiere?] of my Exetrix after named All the rest of my temporals goods which God hath blessed me with & dispose of all In this my mind & Will and direct my Stock and Goods be [Jointly?] and to [duly?] [Estimed?] or appraised and my debts & funeral charges to be there out of first pd. & discharged and then [any?] Residue thereof to be equally divided between my two bros. and two Sisters Viz. James Wm. Mary and Elizth. only I Desier that [to?] pd [may? any?] [botelign?] out of the [Sume?] which I Give & bequeath to my [bro?] James Son James & I appoint Mrs Mary Heriot my [?] [honrd?] Mother Ex. of this my last Will and [Testament?] & [affirming?] that this is my last Will & Testament I hereto set my hand & Seal this 10th Day of June in the Year of our Lord 1731 John Heriot

The Heriott tomb at South Wootton Church

The right-hand picture shows the erosion around the lower entrance, exposing the vault beneath.

The inscription on the top reads:

Within this vault lies the body of Charles Heriott, Doctor of Laws who departed this life June XX in the year of Our Lord 1726 aged 57 years. Also here lieth the body of John Heriot, second son of Doctor Charles Heriott who departed this life June 17th in the year of Our Lord 1738.
[a verse which is undecipherable]
Francis Hardyman Coe late of Kings Lynn who departed this life February 8, 1841 aged 67 years also of Mary Maria wife of Francis Hardyman Coe who departed this life March 15 aged 75. Herriot Firth Coe died July 12th aged 68 years.

Francis Hardyman Coe was the great-grandson of Charles Heriott and Mary Nicoll.  His grandparents were Elizabeth Heriott and John Thompson, and his parents were Mary Thompson and Francis Coe.  Although the inscription for his daughter reads clearly Herriot Firth Coe, she used the name Harriett.

This page was last updated 22/04/2007 12:58:22