Robert Chambers (publisher, born 1802)

Robert Chambers

Chambers, c. 1863
Born10 July 1802
Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland
Died17 March 1871(1871-03-17) (aged 68)
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Resting placeSt Regulus Chapel, St Andrews
OccupationCo-founder and partner, W. & R. Chambers Publishers, Edinburgh
EducationThe High School, Edinburgh
Notable works
  • Traditions of Edinburgh (1824)
  • The Picture of Scotland (1827)
  • Histories of the Rebellions in Scotland
  • Vestiges of Creation (1844)
  • Ancient Sea-margins (1848)
Spouse
  • Anne Kirkwood (m. 1829–1863)
  • (unknown wife) (m. 1867–1879)
Childrenson: Robert Chambers Jr. (1832–1888)
Relatives

Robert Chambers FRSE FGS (/ˈmbərz/; 10 July 1802 – 17 March 1871) was a Scottish publisher, geologist, evolutionary thinker, author and journal editor who, like his elder brother and business partner William Chambers, was highly influential in mid-19th-century scientific and political circles.

Chambers was an early phrenologist in the Edinburgh Phrenological Society. He was also the anonymous author of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation, which was so controversial that his authorship was not acknowledged until after his death.