Thomas Chalmers (2)

Thomas Chalmers became Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. He lived in this house on Church Hill.

In 1843 an event took place in Scotland that was to shake the whole nation. At the Great Disruption, 470 ministers of the Church of Scotland walked out of the General Assembly to form a new church - the Free Church of Scotland. The argument was over who had the right to appoint a minister to a parish - the congregation or a patron.

And Thomas Chalmers was elected as the first Moderator.

Here's the point though. Up and down the country hundreds of congregations had to leave their buildings, and hundreds of ministers had to leave their homes. The energy, enthusiasm and grit that was needed to create a new church out of nothing - new buildings up and down the length of the country, houses for the ministers, colleges - an enormous undertaking.

This was where Chalmers lived in Church Hill. With no church available to begin with he preached on the mid-landing with crowds of people up the stairs, down the stairs and out into the garden. The new congregation here asked to use the local schoolhouse. But the governors were Old Kirk, and they were refused. Then they erected a large marquee (close to J K Rowling's Merchiston home). One Sunday morning a boy came along and cut the guy ropes. But very soon they had built their own church on Morningside Road.

All of Chalmers' energy and charisma was needed to lead this new national church into being. But it took its toll! (More tomorrow)

This afternoon a lovely stroll round Hailes Castle. Mainly from the 14th century it belonged for a long time to the Hepburn family - but they lost it when James - the Earl of Bothwell and Mary Queen of Scots third husband - got into a spot of bother. Hailes Castle