Chalmers, Thomas 1780-1847
Archival location guide — where this economist’s surviving papers are held, their notable correspondents, and key published sources.
Born 1780 · died 1847
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. He has been called "Scotland's greatest nineteenth-century churchman".
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Correspondence in 34 bound volumes, 1816-1847. Boxes of unbound correspondence on church, family and other matters. 15 volumes of copy letters. 20 volumes of journal, 1803-1844. 12 boxes of manuscripts of speeches, books, sermons and lectures, with notebooks.
Chalmers papers, New College, Edinburgh.
A bound volume of 439 letters to Chalmers, in alphabetical order of correspondents A-I, 1810-1825. Over 50 letters from Chalmers to various correspondents, 1813-1847. St Andrews UL
Papers connected with his administrative work in the university, including Political Economy class lists.
St Andrews University Archives.
Notes from his lectures on theology. Edinburgh UL
Notes on some of his sermons, taken by Charles Hutcheson. National Library of Scotland (NLS), MS. 2773.
Three volumes of notes from his lectures on theology. University College London (UCL)
11 letters to various correspondents, 1808-1838. Foxwell collection, Baker Library, Harvard University.
Four letters to various correspondents, 1832-1841. Houghton Library, Harvard University.
Correspondents
HENRY PETER BROUGHAM, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, seven letters, 1826-1846.
Brougham papers, UCL
JAMES BROWN, 27 letters, 1798-1836. Edinburgh UL
WILLIAM BUCHANAN, 43 letters, 1820-1847. Glasgow UL
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE, many letters, 1802-1818. NLS, MS. 669.
GEORGE HAMILTON GORDON, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, ten items, 1835-1842.
BL Add. MSS. 43237, 43240.
J. HOPE, four letters, 1835. BL Add. MS. 43202.
SIR JAMES PHILLIPS KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH, five letters, 1833-1834. Kay-Shuttleworth MSS., Manchester JR.UL
JOHN LEE, 24 letters, 1822-1843. NLS, Lee papers.
ROBERT LUNDIE, six letters, 1816-1840. NLS, MS. 1676.
SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH, two letters, 1829. BL Add. MS. 52453.
THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS, one letter, 1821.
NLS, MS. 3112.
MACVEY NAPIER, four letters, 1829-1837. BL Add. MSS. 34614-34618.
ROBERT PAUL, five letters, 1817-1845. NLS, MSS. 5139-5140.
SIR ROBERT PEEL, ten items, 1822-1843. BL Add. MSS. 40351-40598.
JAMES REDDIE, four letters, 1818-182G. NLS, MS. 3704.
SIR GEORGE SINCLAIR, circa. 20 letters, 1823-1846. Sinclair of Ulbster papers, National Register of Archives (NRA) 10552.
THOMAS SPRING-RICE, 1st Baron Monteagle, three letters, 1830-1837.
NLS, MS. 2225.
WILLIAM WHEWELL, four letters, 1834-1837. Whewell papers, Trinity College, Cambridge.
SIR ROBERT JOHN WILMOT-HORTON, five letters (and a 13-page MS. signed by Chalmers), 1826-1830.
Catton collection, Derby Borough Library.
Printed Material
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers , ed. William Hanna ( Edinburgh, 1853).
WILLIAM HANNA, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers, 4 vols. (Edinburgh, 1849-1852).
The Correspondence between Dr Chalmers and the Earl of Aberdeen in the Years 1839 and 1840 ( Edinburgh, 1893).
New Palgrave ; ODNB; ESS iii 321. Portrait: NPG (A); SNPG