CHALMERS of Tartas - from Scottish Nation

 

"The Scottish Nation" - Chalmers of Tartas

The following extract was taken from "The Scottish Nation" (1874) by William Anderson and was kindly forwarded to me by Charles D. Chalmers. My thanks to Charles, for sending me the extract originally and for bringing the book to my attention.

 

"There was a family of the name of Chalmers settled in France, who were barons of Tartas in Normandy. They were said to have been descended from the ancient family of Chalmers in Scotland by means of Job Chalmers who, leaving that country, married in France Martha de Cuiglosse, heiress at Tartas, in the year 1440. The reason of his leaving Scotland was that seven brethern of the family of Chalmers, of which Job Chalmers was supposed to be one, had murdered the baron of Balgome, and in consequence were banished the Kingdom and their estates confiscated. In a letter written at Paris the 26 the October 1644, by the Abbe Chalmers, a Scotsman, nominated bishop of Vance in Provence, in answer to one from Mons. Chalmers, counsellor to the King and Lieutenant-General Tartas at Tartas, whom he styles his cousin he says that the decay of their ancient family in Scotland was "by reason of the unhappiness of the times, and chiefly by means of the heresy where of his greatgrandfather and grandfather were such furious protectors that they were known to have ransacked the churches at Aberdeen, whereof their ansestors were as perpetual governors for five hundred years,"as, he adds, "may be seen at this day by their magnificient tombs in the said city." He also says that the baron of Balgome was killed by the seven brethern "for ane abuse done to their father." A memorandum sent to Blaise Chalmers, Lieutenant-general of Tartas, by David Chalmers, lord of Darmont (Ormond), a judge of the court of sessions, (of whom a notice follows), about a hundred years before, states that the baron of Gadgirth was the chief of the name of Chalmers. The father of this David Chalmers, as we learn from that document, was Andrew Chalmers of Strequelin (Strichen), in the county of Aberdeen. Mention is also made of Peter Chalmers, councilor to the King (of France) and Lieutenant general of the jurisdiction of Tartas. Of all these parties the arms were stated to be the same as thsoe of Gadgith. Notwithstanding their thus connecting themselves with the Ayrshire family, we rather think that the branch in France belonged to the house of Chalmers of Aberdeenshire, which was altogether of distinct origin."

 

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