Peter MacGregor Chalmers LLD (14 March 1859 – 15 March 1922) was a Scottish architect specialising in country churches, and also being involved in several important restoration schemes.

Life

The grave of Peter MacGregor Chalmers, Glasgow Necropolis

Chalmers was born on 14 March 1859, the son of George, a mechanical engineer, and his wife, Jane (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

MacGregor). He was educated at Glasgow Secular School, then articled to the architect

John Honeyman John Honeyman (1729August 18, 1822) was an American spy and British informant for George Washington, primarily responsible for spreading disinformation and gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton. ...

. He set up in private practice from 1887. From around 1900 many of his churches adopt a very distinctive circular tower. In 1904 he was living at 6 Minard Road (now Turnberry Road) in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

.Glasgow Post Office Directory 1910–11 The property is a substantial four-bedroom tenement flat, in Glasgow's west end. His offices were in a more prestigious property at 95 Bath Street. He travelled very widely, and

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1920 for his writings. He died of a heart attack while visiting his cousin, Rev. R. H. Fisher, in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

on 15 March 1922. He is buried in the lower southern section of the

Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

alongside the north-east path that leads to the main, upper section.

Family

In 1905 he was married to Barbara Greig Steel (1860–1939) of Partick.

Principal works

War memorials

Chalmers designed several war memorials from 1919, these include:

Cambuslang Cambuslang ( sco, Cammuslang, from gd, Camas Lang) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a ...

Parish Church;

Morebattle Morebattle is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B6401, seven miles south of Kelso, Scottish Borders, beside the Kale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot. The St. Cuthbert's Way long distance footpath passes through the ...

Parish Church;

Burntisland Burntisland ( , sco, also Bruntisland) is a former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 6,269. It was previously known as Wester Kingho ...

Parish Church;

Kelvinside Kelvinside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Broomhill, Dowanhill and Hyndland to the south with Kelvindale and the River Kelvin to the north. It is an affluent area of Gl ...

Free Church; Memorial Chapel in

St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Probably founded in the 7th century, the church once covered an extensive parish around the burgh of Edinburgh. The church's current building was ...

;

West Linton West Linton ( gd, Liontan Ruairidh) is a village and civil parish in southern Scotland, on the A702. It was formerly in the county of Peeblesshire, but since local government re-organisation in the mid-1990s it is now part of Scottish Borders. M ...

Parish Church; Abbey Parish Church in

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Pa ...

; Barony Church,

; Memorial arch in

Dyke, Moray Dyke ( gd, Dìg) is a small village situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 4 miles west of Forres. The origin of the name of the parish of Dyke is supposed to be the Gaelic word ''dìg'', signifying a water drain or ...

;

Rosneath Rosneath (''Ros Neimhidh'' in Gaelic) is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the western shore of the Gare Loch, northwest of the tip of the Rosneath Peninsula. It is about by road from the village of Kilcreggan, which is sited ...

Church;

St Salvator's College, St Andrews St Salvator's College was a college of the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Founded in 1450, it is the oldest of the university's colleges. In 1747 it merged with St Leonard's College, St Andrews, St Leonard's College to form Un ...

;

Crieff Crieff (; gd, Craoibh, meaning "tree") is a Scottish market town in Perth and Kinross on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich, and the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins the A823 to Dunfermline. Crieff has become ...

; Memorial window

Uphall Uphall ( sco, Uphauch, gd, Ubhalaidh) is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a swiftly growing village in a conurbation with Broxburn to the east, Dechmont to the west and the major town of Livingston to the south west. Uphall is 30 mile ...

Gallery

File:St Leonard's Church, Dunfermline.jpg, St Leonard's Church, Dunfermline (1903) File:Kirn Church - geograph.org.uk - 46311.jpg,

Kirn & Sandbank Parish Church Kirn & Sandbank Parish Church is a Church of Scotland church building in Kirn, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It also serves the population of nearby Sandbank. The church is located on Kirn Brae at its junction with Marine Parade, which leads to and ...

File:Kilchoman Parish Church - geograph.org.uk - 1490183.jpg, Kilchoman Parish Church File:Glen Luce Abbey Galloway.JPG, Glenluce Abbey ruins. File:St Ninian's Priory, Whithorn - geograph.org.uk - 381807.jpg, St Ninian's Priory Chapel, Whithorn File:Church at Dervaig.jpg, Kimore Church at Dervaig File:Ardwell Church - geograph.org.uk - 215711.jpg, Ardwell Church File:Bowden, Scottish Borders.jpg, Bowden Church File:St Columba's Church, Strone.jpg,

St Columba's Church, Strone St Columba's Church (also known as Strone Church) is a Church of Scotland church building in Strone, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The church is located on Shore Road at the mouth of the Holy Loch on its northern banks and near its merging with Loch ...

File:Colvend Parish Church - geograph.org.uk - 152038.jpg, Colvend Parish Church File:Culross Abbey (Parish Church), Fife.JPG, Culross Abbey Church File:St. Monans Parish Church, Fife.JPG, St Monans Parish Church, Fife File:St Serf's Church at Tullibody (geograph 5555856).jpg, St Serf's Church at Tullibody

Publications

*''

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...

'' *''John Morro, A Scots Medieval Architect'' *''St Ninians Candid Casa'' *''The Govan Sarcophagus'' *''Dalmeny Kirk'' *''The Shrine of St Constantine'' *''The Shrines of St Margaret and St Kentigern''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalmers, Peter MacGregor 1859 births 1922 deaths Scottish ecclesiastical architects Scottish non-fiction writers Architects from Glasgow