The Chalmers Church was one of three United Free congregations in Langholm. Prior to 1900, when some of the Free Church merged with the United Presbyterian Church to form the United Free denomination, it had been the Langholm Free Church.
The Free Church was founded by a schism (‘the Disruption‘) in 1843 in objection to a system of patronage whereby many Church of Scotland ministers’ appointments were made by major landowners, sometimes against the wishes of congregations. About a third of the participants of the annual meeting of the General Assembly (the Church of Scotland’s highest entity) walked out, led by David Welsh and Thomas Chalmers, giving up their Church of Scotland careers, incomes and homes.
Chalmers became the first moderator of the newly formed Free Church, and it was after him that the Chalmers Church in Langholm was renamed in 1900 when it became a United Free Church. It met in a building in Charles Street (Old), completed in 1846.
One of the founders of Langholm’s Free Church congregation was Robert Smellie, a draper and grocer in the High Street. In retirement, he was secretary and treasurer of the Thomas Hope Hospital.
The Free Church of Scotland placed much emphasis on education and founded many primary schools and several theological colleges, including New College in Edinburgh.
In Langholm, the congregation founded a school which was initially based in the Buccleuch Hotel until moving into part of the church’s new building in 1846. It ran until 1874 when the institution was merged into the newly-created Langholm School Board. The school became Chalmers Hall, used for Sunday School and other church and community activities.
The minister in 1915 was Rev David Inglis, appointed in 1905. He had studied theology at New College and was a keen sportsman, playing cricket, golf and curling.
The church organised a ladies’ work party early in the war to raise funds for soldiers’ comforts and in March 1915 provided two free concerts as thanks for contributions (see 16th and 17th March in the Diary).
In 1916, Rev Inglis became an army chaplain for two years, and the Chalmers congregation was temporarily added to the care of Rev James Macdonald of the South UF Church. Usually the Sunday morning service was held at the South UF and the evening service at Chalmers.
Eleven young men associated with the church were killed in the Great War, including James MacKnight on the first day of the Battle of Loos (see 25th September 1915 in the Diary).
Rev Inglis served as minister until 1931, by which time much of the United Free denomination had joined the Church of Scotland, including the Chalmers Church and Rev Inglis transferred to a congregation in Perthshire. Chalmers Church was converted into a cinema and its hall was sold to a joiner.