James Chalmers (inventor): Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 16:44, 31 January 2006

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{{expansion}}'''James Chalmers''' was a native of [[Arbroath]] in [[Scotland]] who moved to [[Dundee]] and established himself there as a bookseller, printer and publisher, eventually serving as a Town Councillor and becoming Convener of the [[Nine Incorporated Trades]]. Like many mild-looking people, he seems to have been a slayer of the "dragons which retard progress", battling repeatedly in the cause of Burgh Reform, and fighting for the repeal of taxes on newspapers and newspaper advertisements, and the removal of the excise duty on paper.

'''James Chalmers''' (1782 [[Arbroath]], [[Angus]] - 1853) was the [[Scotland|Scottish]] inventor of the adhesive postage stamp and the uniform postage rate.

Initially a weaver, he moved to [[Dundee]] in 1809 and established himself there as a bookseller, printer and newspaper publisher, eventually serving as a Town Councillor and becoming [[Convener]] of the [[Nine Incorporated Trades]].

{{expansion}}'''James Chalmers''' was a native of [[Arbroath]] in [[Scotland]] who moved to [[Dundee]] and established himself there as a bookseller, printer and publisher, eventually serving as a Town Councillor and becoming Convener of the [[Nine Incorporated Trades]]. Like many mild-looking people, he seems to have been a slayer of the "dragons which retard progress", battling repeatedly in the cause of Burgh Reform, and fighting for the repeal of taxes on newspapers and newspaper advertisements, and the removal of the excise duty on paper.

His most burning enthusiasm, however, was [[postal]] [[reform]], and to the delight of his fellow businessmen, he managed to induce the authorities to speed up the mail between [[Dundee]] and [[London]] by a day each way, convincing them that this could be done without extra cost.

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That he was far advanced in his scheme for an [[adhesive]] [[postage stamp]] in [[1834]], six years before the [[Penny Post]] was introduced, was later borne out not only by Dundee and Arbroath men of standing, but by employees in his printing-works. These afterwards recalled their work in applying gum to the slips and clipping the sample stamps apart, for the perforation was a subsequent refinement and came from another source.

==External links==

*[http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst112.html Gazeteer for Scotland]

*[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/images/famousscots/fstranscript6.htm Testament of James Chalmers]

[[Category:Natives of Angus|Chalmers, James]]

[[Category:Scottish inventors|Chalmers, James]]

[[Category:Scottish business people|Chalmers, James]]

[[Category:Publishers (people)|Chalmers, James]]

[[Category:Printers|Chalmers, James]]

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{{inventor-stub}}

[[de:James Chalmers]]