CHALMERS, THE FAMILY OF. - John Chalmers of Pitmedden, near Auchtermuchty, lived at the close of the seventeenth century. His family were said to be a branch of the Chalmerses of Gaelgirth, in Ayrshire. He had three sons; Robert, who succeeded him in Pitmedden; James, and Alexander.

The last of these was a merchant in Elie, and married in 1714 Margaret, second daughter of Robert Nairne, skipper there. Three daughters by this marriage, Susanna, Catharine, and Margaret, died unmarried; and two sons, John and Robert, were drowned at sea. Mary, the only remaining child married in 1742 James Wood. Merchant in Elie, and had issue.

James, the second son of John Chalmers of Pitmedden, was ordained minister of Elie in 1701, and in 1702 married Agnes Merchiston or Muchieson, daughter of the Episcopal clergyman of Kirkpatrick-Juxta. His children were Helen, who married Nathan Patullo; John, James and Patrick, to each of whom we shall return. Margaret married a skipper; Agnes married one Borthwick in Edinburgh; Katharine married the Rev. Thomas Kay, minister of Kilmany, and had issue, Marion, Christian, and Alexander a sailor, who all died unmarried, and Robert, drowned in the same vessel as his two cousins.

John Chalmers, the eldest son of James, was ordained minister of Elie in 1738, and was translated to Kilconquhar in 1760. He married in 1760, Helen, daughter of Sir Alexander Anstruther of Newark, commonly called Lord Newark. His children were Jeanie, who married David Walker of Fawfield, and had issue; and William, W.S., born 1744, married first, Margaret Bethune of Blebo, and second, Isabella Morrison of Naughton, by whom he had one daughter, who died unmarried.

James, merchant of Anstruther, the second son of Rev. James Chalmers, was born in 1713, and married in 1736 Barbara Anderson of East Anstruther. His children were John; Elizabeth, who married Thomas Ballerdie, sailing master in a man-of-war; and James, William, Jane and Helen, who all died unmarried.

John Chalmers, merchant in Anstruther, the eldest son of James, married Elizabeth Hall. His children were James, a merchant in London (who Married Miss Beard, had one daughter, Mary, who married Captian Weakner); Lucy, Barbara, George, William, Isabella, David and John, who all died without issue; the Rev. Thomas Chalmers, D.D. who is mentioned in a separate article; Helen, who married Rev. John McClellan, minister of Kelton; Jean, who married John Morton, factor of Lord Ducie, and had issue; Patrick, who married Harriet Carriage, and had issue; John in the Indian army; Eliza, married to Mr. MacKenzie, and Helen, married to Mr. Bruce, papermaker; Charles, who married Isabella Rodger, and had issue, John, David, Thomas, Mary, married to the Rev. Charles Watson, and deceased, leaving issue, Elizabeth also deceased, and Isabella, unmarried, and Alexander, M.D., who married Helen Pratt, and died in 1829, leaving issue. Anne, married to Robert Young of Colinswell; Betsy, unmarried; and Grace, married to the Rev. Charles Jamieson.

Patrick, third son of the Rev. James Chalmers, was a brewer in Elie. He married Anna Scrymgeour, and his children were Anna, who married WIlliam Wood, merchant, Elie; James, Agnes, Helen, Janet, John and Christian, who all died unmarried; Rothesia, who married in 1792 Charles Hutchison, merchant, Glasgow, and had issue, Barbara, who married one Smith, a surgeon in Anstruther, but had no issue.

The Pitmedden branch of the family is understood to have terminated in the founder of Chalmers's Hospital for convalescents in Edinburgh.