Walking along the front in Burntisland I saw this plaque. Thomas Chalmers lived in Burntisland and was intrumental in founding the Free Church of Scotland.
At this time the local landowners rather than the congregation could choose the minister. In 1843 470 clergy left the Church of Scotland and formed the Free Church with Thomas Chalmers as Moderator. This was called the ‘Great Disruption’. As the Church of Scotland owned the churches and manses the Free Church, led by Thomas Chalmers, had to raise money to support the ministers and build new churches and manses.
Thomas Chalmers was born in Anstruther, became a lecturer in Mathematics & Chemistry at the University of St Andrews, he was also a minister at Kilmany – both his lectures and sermons were received with great enthusiasm.
In 1815 he became minister at Tron church in Glasgow and saw the poverty and break down of the parish system first hand. He saw about building new churches and setting up schools.
Later he became professor in Moral Philosophy at the University of St Andrews then professor in Theology at (New College), Edinburgh. He there introduced the practice of following the lecture with a viva voce examination on what had been delivered and introduced text-books.
The Wikipedia article an be viewed here.
It is interesting that someone who lived locally had such an effect on the church in Scotland.