This untitled cartoon dates from around 1843. It was possibly drawn by an Edinburgh artist and caricaturist, Benjamin Crombie and is one of a series of cartoons on the disputes between the Church of Scotland and the government.
The cartoon shows Reverend Dr Thomas Chalmers sinking in a bog. Chalmers was a central figure in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland and became the new church's first Moderator.
The greatest in a succession of splits to affect the Church of Scotland came on 18 May 1843, when around 470 ministers walked out of the General Assembly over the question of who should appoint ministers and the respective rights of Church and State.
To search on related items, click any underlined text below.