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Robert Heron (November 6, 1764 — April 13, 1807) was a Scottish writer, born in New Galloway, Scotland. His father, John Heron, was a weaver. He attended the University of Edinburgh, where he supported himself as a teacher and a translator from the French. He lived beyond his means, and was imprisoned for debt in 1791.

While in debtor's prison, he started a History of Scotland. As a singular coincidence, John Pinkerton published a similar book under the same name using the pseudonym of Robert Heron. He was released in 1793 and finished the work in six volumes. At the same time, he toured western Scotland, and wrote two volumes of A Journey through the Western Parts of Scotland. In 1796, he wrote a five volume Universal Geography for R. Morison & Son, Booksellers, Perth.

The same year, he wrote a play, St Kilda in Edinburgh; or, News from Camperdown, but the only performance was so poorly received that it was stopped before it reached the second act.

After the death of his sister, Mary, in 1798, he left Scotland for London. At first, he was an industrious and successful writer, but he fell into bad habits and sank into debt. He spent the last years of his life imprisoned for debt in Newgate Prison. His life there was described in Isaac D'Israeli's Calamities of Authors.

In 1806, he wrote a pamphlet addressed to William Wilberforce on The Justice and Expediency of the Slave Trade. He also wrote about chemistry and shortly before his death he published The Comforts of Life, which proved popular.

He died in poverty on April 13, 1807.

Robert Heron

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