Chalmers, George (1742-1825) antiquary and public servantMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator
George Chalmers was born at Fochabers, Moray, Scotland, in 1742. He received his education from the parish school at Fochabers and from King's College Aberdeen. He went on to study law in Edinburgh and then in 1773 put these skills into practice as a lawyer in Baltimore, USA in 1773. He returned in 1775 to settle in London, where he devoted his life to writing books about Ireland, affairs of America and the British monarchy. In 1786 he was appointed chief clerk of the committee of the Privy Council for trade and foreign plantations. Chalmers wrote numerous biographies and in 1807 his first volume of Caledonia, a work intended to record the history and antiquities of Scotland was published. Volumes 2 and 3 of Caledonia were published in 1820 and 1824 but Chalmers died, on 31 May 1825, before he could finish the series although he left a manuscript collection intended for its completion. Chalmers was a prolific writer on history throughout his life as well as a collector of books and manuscripts. His library was sold in three parts between September 1841 and November 1842, yielding £6189 in total.
Publications: An Answer from the Electors of Bristol to the Letter of Edmund Burke, Esq. on the affairs of America (T. Cadell, London, 1777); An Appeal to the Generosity of the British Nation, in a statement of facts on behalf of the afflicted widow and unoffending offspring of the unfortunate Mr. Bellingham (M. Jones, London, 1812); An Estimate of the Comparative Strength of Britain during the Present and Four Preceding Reigns; and of the losses of her trade from every war since the Revolution (C. Dilly & J. Bowen, London, 1782); An Introduction to the History of the Revolt of the Colonies (Baker & Galabin, London, 1782); Another Account of the Incidents, from which the title, and a part of the story of Shakspeare's Tempest, were derived; and the true era of it ascertained (R. & A. Taylor, London, 1815); Caledonia: or, an Account, historical and topographic, of North Britain; from the most ancient to the present times: with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological (T. Cadell, London, 1807-24); Comparative Views of the State of Great Britain and Ireland; as it was, before the war; as it is, since the peace (T. Egerton, London, 1817); Considerations on Commerce, Bullion and Coin, Circulation and Exchanges; with a view to our present circumstances (J. J. Stockdale, London, 1811); Opinions of Eminent Lawyers, on various points of English Jurisprudence, chiefly concerning the Colonies, Fisheries, and Commerce, of Great Britain (Reed & Hunter, London, 1814); Opinions on Interesting Subjects of Public Law and Commercial Policy; arising from American independence (J. Debrett, London, 1784); Political Annals of the Present United Colonies, from their Settlement to the Peace of 1763 (J. Bowen, London, 1780); Proofs and Demonstrations, how much the projected Registry of Colonial Negroes is unfounded and uncalled for (Thomas Egerton: London, 1816); The Life of Daniel De Foe (John Stockdale, London, 1790); The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots; drawn from the State Papers (John Murray, London, 1818); The Life of Thomas Ruddiman (John Stockdale, London, 1794); Churchyard's Chips concerning Scotland: being a collection of his pieces relative to that country, with historical notices, and a life of the author (Longman & Co, London, 1817); A Collection of Treaties between Great Britain and other Powers (John Stockdale, London, 1790); Parliamentary Portraits (T. Bellamy, London, 1795); Facts and Observations relative to the coinage and circulation of counterfeit or base money; with suggestions for remedying the evil (London, 1795); The Arrangements with Ireland considered (John Stockdale, London, 1785); editor of The Poetical Works of Sir David Lyndsay (Longman, London, 1806); An Apology for the believers in the Shakspeare Papers [forged by W. H. Ireland], which were exhibited in Norfolk Street (T. Egerton, London, 1797); A short view of the proposals lately made for the final adjustment of the commercial system between Great-Britain and Ireland (John Stockdale, London, 1785); A Vindication of the privilege of the people, in respect to the constitutional right of free discussion, with a retrospect to various proceedings relative to the violations of that right (London, 1796); Thoughts on the present Crisis of our Domestic Affairs (London, 1807).
Scope and ContentA manuscript volume containing a transcript by George Chalmers of a discourse, [1558], by John Yonge recommending the establishment of a bank of money for the relief of the poor. The proposal is for this bank to be formed by the payment of a death duty by all members of society, consisting of the best garment of the deceased. The manuscript also contains a proposal for the reformation of the coinage and a dedicatory epistle to Queen Elizabeth I.
Conditions governing accessOpen for research. At least 24 hours notice is required for research visits.
Extent1 volume
Physical descriptionMS 13 is a small manuscript quarto bound in calf.
System of Arrangement1 volume
Finding aidsCollection level description.
An autograph letter (University of London AL 20) from George Chalmers to T Cadell, publisher, referring to Chalmers' work Caledonia (T Cadell, London, 1807-24) and dated 17 Feb 1821, was found inserted into University of London MS 3.
The National Library of Scotland holds correspondence and papers (Ref: Adv MSS), notes on Scottish parliaments and British topography (Ref: MSS 2097, 2713), correspondence with Archibald Constable, 1795-1825 (Ref: MSS 669-70, 790-91), correspondence with George Paton, 1790-1800 (Ref: Adv MSS 29 3 8, 29 5 5-8), letters to Edward Ellice, 1799-1815 (Ref: MS 15176), and letters to Charles Steuart, 1777-1798 (Ref: MSS 5030-41); the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Washington, USA, has correspondence and papers, 1641-1824; the New York Public Library, USA, contains papers relating to American colonies (Ref: NUC MS 69-811); the British Library, London, holds correspondence, 1787-1824 (Ref: Add MSS 22900-03), statistics relating to Church of Scotland stipends and a manuscript collection relating to the monastic history of Scotland (Ref: Add MSS 15744-47), letters to Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, 1792-1818 (Ref: Add MSS 22900-02), and correspondence with Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool, 1786-1807 (Ref: Add MSS 38218-473); the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, has papers relating to Shakespeare, 1790-1820 (Ref: MS Eng poet d13); the Beinecke Library, Yale University, Connecticut, USA, contains a chronology of Scottish kings (Ref: fd 39); the Angus Archives, Montrose, Scotland, hold letters and notes for Caledonia, [1789-1803] (Ref: NRA(S)2185); Edinburgh University Library has correspondence, notes and papers, 1791-1822 (Ref: La), and letters to David Laing, 1813-1825 (Ref: La iv 6); Glasgow University Library contains letters received relating to Caledonia (Ref: MS Gen 1521); the Brynmor Jones Library, Hull University, holds correspondence and papers, 1792-1810 (Ref: DDEV/72); the National Art Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, has miscellaneous papers; Edinburgh Central Library contains collections made for Chalmers by James Chalmers (Ref: NRA(S)3563); the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, holds letters, including poems from John Dunlop and Ebenezer Picken, 1805-1815 (Ref: Baillies 37529); letters to Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet, are privately held (Ref: NRA(S)0189).
Level of descriptionfonds
Loading
Page
1
AIS uses strictly necessary cookies to improve the user experience.