MEMOIRS OF THOMAS CHALMERS, D.D., LL.D. CHAPTER I. BIRTH-PLACE-GENEALOGY-CHILDHOOD-COLLEGE LIFE-LICENSE. Two hundred years ago, the small borough towns which stud the southeast coast of the county of Fife were flourishing seaports, their numerous dye-works, and malt-steeps, and salt-pans, giving token of a busy internal industry, while they carried on a large and profitable trade with Holland, France, and Spain. Anstruther, one of these towns, had not reached its highest point of prosperity when James Melville was its minister; and yet he tells us, that when, in 1588, a public collection was made for the French Refugee Protestants, 500 marks-one twentieth part of what the whole of Scotland contributed-was raised in Anstruther and the three small landward parishes which at that time were annexed to it.* The union, first of the two crowns, and afterward of the two kingdoms, opened up the intercourse with France to Scotland's wealthier neighbor, and * See Autobiography and Diary of James Melville, p. 265. cut off that coasting contraband trade, as well as that exporting of malt and salt to England, in which Anstruther and the other Fifeshire seaports were extensively engaged. Under the many depressing influences to which, during the course of last century, they were subjected, their commercial prosperity waned away almost to extinction. They were, however, destined, during that very period, to win a far higher distinction than they lost; for to three of them, and these lying within a few miles of each other along the coast, belongs the honor of having given birth to three of the most distinguished of Scotsmen: Kirkaldy having been the birthplace of Dr. Adam Smith, Largo of Sir John Leslie, and Anstruther of the subject of this Memoir. With the county of Fife Dr. Chalmers's family had for some generations been connected. His great-grandfather, Mr. James Chalmers, son of John Chalmers, laird of Pitmedden, was ordained as minister of the parish of Elie in the year 1701. In the following year he married Agnes Merchiston, daughter of the Episcopal clergyman of Kirkpatrick-Juxta, who had been ejected from his living at the period of the Revolution. Undistinguished by any superiority of talent, the simple kindliness of Mr. Chalmers's disposition endeared him to his parishioners, and there still lingers in the neighborhood a remembrance of the familiar and affectionate intercourse which was carried on between minister and people. What the minister himself wanted in energy was amply made up by the vigorous activity of his wife. Brought up in the school of adversity, she had learned the lesson of a most thrifty economy. The estate of Radernie, purchased by her savings out of a slender income, which had to bear the burden of twelve children's education, still remains in the possession of one of her descendants, while in the after history of more than one member of her family the care with which she had watched over their infancy and education brought forth its pleasant fruits. Her eldest daughter married Mr. Thomas Kay, minister of Kilrenny, a parish immediately adjoining to Anstruther. With the family at Kilrenny Manse, the family of Dr. Chalmers's father continued to maintain the closest intimacy. It was to Mrs. Kay's son-in-law, Dr. Adamson of St. Andrew's, that Dr. Chalmers was himself indebted for his presentation to the living of Kilmany. Mr. Chalmers's eldest son, the Rev. John Chalmers, D.D., succeeded his father as minister at Elie, but was afterward translated to the parish of Kilconquhar. He inherited his. mother's talent, and in his day was distinguished both as an eloquent preacher and an able and zealous advocate of that policy which then predominated within the Church of Scotland. Mr. Chalmers's second son, Mr. James Chalmers, having married Barbara Anderson, of Easter Anstruther, settled in that town as a dyer, ship-owner, and general merchant. He was succeeded in a prosperous business by his second son, Mr. John Chalmers, who, in 1771, married Elizabeth Hall, the daughter of a wine merchant at Crail. They had a very numerous family-nine sons and five daughters of whom one only died in childhood. The following table is extracted from Mr. Chalmers's family record : JOHN CHALMERS and ELIZABETH HALL were married on the 20th Children by said marriage : August, 1771. 1. JAMES, born June 11, 1772; baptized June 14. 2. Lucy, born November 9, 1773; baptized November 14. 3. BARBARA, born June 21, 1775; baptized June 25. 4. GEORGE, born April 1, 1777; baptized April 6. 5. WILLIAM, born August 31, 1778; baptized September 6. 6. THOMAS, born March 17, 1780; baptized March 19. 7. ISABEL, born December 13, 1781; baptized December 16. 9. JOHN, born May 19, 1785; baptized May 22. a Dr. Chalmers, the sixth child and fourth son in this crowded household, was born at Anstruther on Friday the 17th March, 1780. His father announced the birth to his brother-in-law, Mr. Hall, then resident in London, in the following terms: · DEAR BROTHER-I dare say this will await you in London, and I am happy that by it I can convey to you the agreeable intelligence of my dear Elizabeth being safely. delivered of a fine boy on the morning of Friday, the 17th. The little fellow is named Tom: I wish him as good a man as his name-father.* I can write with more spirit this day than I could have done for two days past. On Friday and Saturday my poor wife seemed very easy and doing well, but having got some cold, it was attended with a feverishness on Sabbath which alarmed us a good deal; but I desire to bless His great name in whose hand is the life of every creature, and of whose mercy we may sing every day, that the fever is quite gone, and though she did not sleep very well last night, I hope the Almighty will recover her to serve Him, and be helpful to bring up her own children to be His servants after we have served our generation according to His will; which will, may it be the rule of yours and mine, and all belonging to us to live agreeably thereunto. . . . I conclude with assuring you that I am, dear brother, yours affectionately, JOHN CHALMERS." When two years old Dr. Chalmers was committed to the care of a nurse, whose cruelty and deceitfulness haunted his memory through life. In his latest years, and with a feeling of indignation as fresh as if he were describing an event of yesterday, he used to tell how inhumanly she treated him, and how, when his roused spirit could bear no more, * Mr. Thomas Ballardie, married to Mr. John Chalmers's sister. |