Alexander Chalmers

Alexander Chalmers (; 1645 – 9 March 1703; Polish: Aleksander Czamer, ) was a Scottish-born Polish merchant, jurist, and politician. He was the mayor of the town of Old Warsaw (now part of Warsaw, Poland) from 1691 to 1692, from 1694, 1696, and from 1702 to 1703, and a member of the Old Warsaw Town Council from 1688 to 1690, from 1692 to 1694, and from 1697 to 1701.

Biography Alexander Chalmers was born in 1645, in Dyce, Kingdom of Scotland (now part of the United Kingdom). At some point he converted to Catholicism.

Chalmers emigrated to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1659, at the age of 14. He eventually settled in the town of Old Warsaw (now part of Warsaw, Poland). There, Chalmers married Krystyne Legowna (also listed in some sources as Christina Lang) and they both engaged in the textile trade. They both became citizens of the town in 1672. He also began using Polonised version of his name, which was Aleksander Czamer. In 1676, king John III Sobieski confirmed the rights of the eight Scottish merchants who served his court, including Chalmers. Chalmers was also a leader of the Scottish community in Old Warsaw. While deputy mayor, Chalmers entered into a conflict with the Dominican Order, which organised congregation in the town without paying fees. It led to a riot in November 1767, near the St. Hyacinth Church. One person died during the riot, and the aftermath led to long-lasting disagreement between the town and the Catholic Church. Afterwards, the town court ruled in favour of the Dominican Order, and removed Chalmers from his position, and barred him from holding a public office for three years.

Chalmers owned the Falkiewicz Tenement at 28 Old Town Market Square, and the Shoemakers Tenement at 10 Wąski Dunaj Street. In 1690, the town authorities decided to grant Chalmers and his wife, a piece of land in perpetuity for an annual fee of 20 florins.

Legacy A plaque commemorating Alexander Chalmers, installed on the elevation of the Shoemakers Tenement, located at 10 Wąski Dunaj Street in Warsaw. A plaque commemorating Alexander Chalmers is placed on the elevation of the Shoemakers Tenement, located at 10 Wąski Dunaj Street in Warsaw, at the corner with Szeroki Dunaj Street. The building used to be owned by him. The plaque was unveiled on 16 November 2008, by Linda Fabiani, the Minister for Europe, External Affairs, and Culture of the Scottish Parliament. The unveiling ceremony was attended by around thirty people.