missionary visit. It may be interesting to state here that the former able, genial and

devoted minister of Alberton, Prince Edward Island, the Rev. George Millar, of Brookfield, was a great-grandson of Doctor McGregor.””

2. THE REV. JAMES MacGREGOR NATIVE OF PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND

“In 1786, the Presbytery of Truro organized, the first in all Canada. At its for— mation there were present five ministers and two elders. Travelling in those days was slow and difficult, and the population widely scattered. A large portion of Nova Scotia, the eastern section, had at that time been but rarely reached by the ministra- tions of any pastor or evangelist. The counties of Pictou, Guysboro, Antigonish, the whole Island of Cape Breton, the whole of Prince Edward Island and portions of Cumberland and northern New Brunswick were in much the same conditions.

Many of the people were from the Highlands and islands of Scotland, and desired greatly the services of Gaelic-speaking ministers, but some were well-content to live and die without the ministrations of the Gospel in any form. It was at this crisis when the Presbytery of Truro had been formed and when the necessities of the eastern districts were being fully realized that the Rev. James MacGregor appeared upon the scene. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of his coming, for it was a time of sore need over an extensive area of country.

Rev. D. MacGregor was a native of Perthshire, Scotland. His father had been brought to an experimental knowledge of the Saviour under the preaching of Ebenezer Erskine. His son, James, was a thoughtful, studious, active boy. He passed through an Arts course in the University of Edinburgh, The Theology he studies under William Moncrief, who was Divinity Professor of the “Anti-Burgher” branch of the Secession Church. Young James believed it to be his duty to preach the Gospel to his Gaelic—speaking fellow-countrymen, and he accordingly studied Gaelic with conscientious care and diligence, so that he became a master in that language. Before leaving Scotland, and while still a young man, he was employed to revise the Gaelic version of the Scriptures. He wrote excellent Gaelic lyrics of the most orthodox flavor, lyrics often sung in the fields and by the fireside by devout and faithful Highlanders.”"‘

3. THE REV. JAMES MacGREGOR COPES WITH THE CULTURAL SHOCK OF NOVA SCOTIA

“When appointed to come to Pictou he had but a dim realization of the character of his mission. He was certain on one point, that he was to preach the Gospel where the need was very great. He set sail from Glasgow June 3rd, 1786, and

73 Rev. T.F. Fullerton, “Precis of the History of the Presbyterian Church in Prince Edward Island,” in Past and Present of Prince Edward Island, ed. by DA. MacKinnon and AB. Warburton (Charlot- tetown, B.F. Bowen and Company. 1906) pp. 305A-306A.

74 Dr. R. Murray, “A Nova Scotian Pioneer — Rev. James MacGregor“, in Missionary Pathfinders, Presbyterian Laborers at Home and Abroad, ed. by Rev. W.S. MacTavish, (Toronto, The Musson Book Company, Ltd., 1907) pp. ll«l2.

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