35 Facts About Thomas Chalmers

Thomas Chalmers, was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland.

Thomas Chalmers served as Vice-president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1835 to 1842.

The New Zealand town of Port Chalmers was named after Chalmers.

Thomas Chalmers was born at Anstruther in Fife, the son of Elizabeth Hall and John Chalmers, a merchant.

Age 11 Thomas Chalmers attended the University of St Andrews studying mathematics.

Thomas Chalmers made an issue within the University of St Andrews of the quality of mathematics teaching.

Thomas Chalmers then opened mathematical classes on his own account which attracted many students; at the same time he delivered a course of lectures on chemistry, and ministered to his parish at Kilmany.

In November 1817 Thomas Chalmers used a memorial sermon for Princess Charlotte of Wales to appeal for a Christian effort to deal with the social condition of Glasgow.

Thomas Chalmers's parish contained about 11,000 persons, and of these about one-third were not connected with any church.

Thomas Chalmers considered that parochial organizations had not kept pace in the city with the growing population.

Thomas Chalmers declared that twenty new churches, with parishes, should be erected in Glasgow; and he set to work to revive the old parochial economy of Scotland.

Thomas Chalmers first addressed himself to providing schools for the children.

Thomas Chalmers was the centre of the whole system, visiting families and holding evening meetings.

In 1823 Thomas Chalmers accepted the chair of moral philosophy at the University of St Andrews, the seventh academic offer made to him during his eight years in Glasgow.

Thomas Chalmers's lectures led some students to devote themselves to missionary effort.

In November 1828 Thomas Chalmers was transferred to the chair of theology at the University of Edinburgh.

Thomas Chalmers then introduced the practice of following the lecture with a examination on what had been delivered.

In 1834 Thomas Chalmers was elected fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in the same year he became corresponding member of the Institute of France; in 1835 Oxford conferred on him the degree of DCL.

Thomas Chalmers was appointed chairman of a committee for church extension, and in that capacity made a tour through a large part of Scotland, addressing presbyteries and holding public meetings.

In 1840 Thomas Chalmers was unsuccessful in applying for the chair of divinity at the University of Glasgow.

Thomas Chalmers found himself at the head of the party in the Church of Scotland which stood for "non-intrusionism": the principle that no minister should be intruded into any parish contrary to the will of the congregation.

In political manoeuvres with Westminster politicians, Thomas Chalmers was opposed by John Hope.

Thomas Chalmers had prepared a sustentation fund scheme for the support of the seceding ministers.

In 1844, Thomas Chalmers announced a church extension campaign, for new building.

On 28 May 1847 Thomas Chalmers returned to his house at Church Hill in Morningside, near Edinburgh, from a journey to London on the subject of national education.

Thomas Chalmers's grave is on the north wall, near the north-west access.

In 1808 Thomas Chalmers published an Inquiry into the Extent and Stability of National Resources, a contribution to the discussion created by Bonaparte's commercial policy.

Thomas Chalmers argued for a taxation of " the excess of income above that which is laid out in purchasing the necessaries of existence ", and argued that there should be a personal allowance in income taxation.

Thomas Chalmers was a Malthusian in his belief that the cause of pauperism was the poor having too many children.

Thomas Chalmers thought that poor-relief officials should be tenured and business-like; and voluntary taxation was the correct way to support poor relief.

Thomas Chalmers opposed compulsory assessment as counter-productive, and believed that relief should instead be raised and administered by voluntary means.

William Pulteney Alison engaged in controversy with him; Thomas Chalmers countered with moral arguments.

Thomas Chalmers's writings are a source for argument and illustration on the question of Establishment.

In 1814 Thomas Chalmers lectured on the concept of gap creationism, known as the "gap theory", and subsequently spread its popularity of this idea which he credited to Episcopius.

Thomas Chalmers himself did not mention the work, but indirectly attacked its view of development in writing for the North British Review.