The Chalmers Collection
Dates
- Creation: 1762 - 1980
Creator
Language of Materials
English
English shorthand
Conditions Governing Access
Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers at Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh Main Library, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LJ. Contact repository in advance: is-crc@ed.ac.uk
Biographical / Historical
This large collection of papers relating to Rev Dr Thomas Chalmers (1780-1846), the first Principal and Professor of Divinity at New College, was donated to New College Liibrary in two stages. In 1939, William Gemmill Chalmers Hanna (1879-1945), grandson of Rev Dr William Hanna (1808-1882) and Anne Hanna née Chalmers (1813-1891) (the eldest daughter of Thomas Chalmers) handed over 34 bound volumes of letters addressed to Thomas Chalmers, a quantity of his own letters, and his journals and working papers. In 1963, Hanna's niece Marjorie Penney (Anne Marjorie Crosthwait née Penney, 1924-2012) added a large quantity of family papers, including letters and documents concerning Chalmers' ancestors, parents, brothers and sisters at Anstruther, and correspondence between his wife and six daughters and their families. In time the collection ranges from 1762 to the 1980s, and the work which has been done on it between 1971 and 1993 has produced well over 20,000 catalogue entries.
Extent
153 boxes
65 Volumes
Arrangement
The collection has been arranged as follows:
MS CHA 1 Chalmers Family Documents
MS CHA 2 Thomas Chalmers’ family letters
MS CHA 3 Thomas Chalmers’ letters
MS CHA 4 Correspondence
MS CHA 5 Special Collections eg Church Extension papers
MS CHA 6 Manuscript writings and papers
MS CHA 7 Photocopies of letters in the possession of Mrs Barbara Campbell
MS CHA Appendix Boxes 1 to 11
Physical Facet
Access to records in a fragile condition may be restricted.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 1 (7 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 2 (16 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 3 (29 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 1-49 covering 1792-1825 (49 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 50-99 covering 1825-1828 (51 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 100-149 covering 1828-1830 (51 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 150-199 covering 1830-1833 ( pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 200-249 covering 1833-1836 (52 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 250-299 covering 1836-1841 (51 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 4 300-336 covering 1841-1858 (39 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 5 (24 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 6 (24 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA 7 (2 pages):
- Interim handlist, MS CHA Appendix Boxes 1 to 11 (4 pages):
Repository Details
Part of the New College Library Special Collections Repository
New College
Mound Place
Edinburgh EH1 2LU. Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk