Scottish Blog

1780-1847

Thomas Chalmers was a Scottish mathematician and leader of the Free Church of Scotland.

Thomas Chalmers was born in Anstruther, Fife, Scotalnd. He began attending the University of St. Andrews at the age of eleven, from the onset he was dedicated to the study of mathematics. By the age of 20 he was already licensed as a preacher. By the age of twenty three he had become a lecturer at the University of St Andrews. In 1832 this turned into the position of chair of Natural Philosophy, although he resigned from this position in 1838 when he was awarded a position as a professor of theology at the University of Edinburgh.

While being a renowned professor (reputedly having some of his mathematics lectures cancelled as the university council deemed that they caused too much commotion on campus), Thomas Chalmers was also a prominent church figure. The same year as he became the chair of Natural Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, he also became Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In later years he led almost a third of the ministers of the Church of Scotland to split from the church and establish the Free Church of Scotland.