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Scotland. Born in 1759, he was regarded as thoughtful and studious. He pursued an Arts course at the University of Edinburgh, then entered the study of theology. He was ordained in 1786.37

Rev. MacGregor became a master student of the Gaelic language in order to preach the gospel to Gaelic-speaking Scots. In Scotland, he was hired to revise the Gaelic version of the scriptures. He was also well known for the Gaelic lyrics he wrote.

The Truro Presbytery, organized in 1786, was the first Presbyterian Presbytery in Canada.38 The Presbytery requested Rev. MacGregor serve the Scottish Highlanders settling in the extensive Maritime region; the 27-year-old Scottish minister answered the call. After travelling on foot and horseback from Halifax to Pictou, the headquarters of Presbytery, Rev. MacGregor gladly would have returned to Scotland had he the money for the travel arrangements. Fortunately for the Presbyterian people of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, Rev. James MacGregor stayed to fulfil his obligation begin- ning his missionary works under adverse conditions.

Rev. MacGregor travelled to the Island in 1791 where he made three stops. At that time, the only road on the Island ran from Charlottetown to Covehead —— a distance of fifteen miles. Rev. MacGregor preached for two Sundays at St. Peter’s and two Sundays at Covehead. It was on the last Sunday at Covehead that a man approached Rev. Mac— Gregor with a petition to visit the people of the Princetown district who had not seen a minister since their arrival on the Island.39 Rev. MacGregor was not eager to make the journey as he feared a long wait to get passage back to Pictou. How— ever, he did agree to go and travelled the thirty miles from Covehead to Princetown on foot, horseback, and by canoe. He spent three weeks in the Princetown area preaching, baptizing, counseling and visiting homes. For many of the settlers, these were their first sermons.

“During his first sermon, which was delivered in the Gaelic language, many of the people refused to sit down, but stood in groups talking and laughing as though at a picnic

ORIGINS OF OUR FAITH