Highland Shepherd: James MacGregor, Father of the Scottish Enlightenment in Nova Scotia
© 2015
In 1786, the Reverend James MacGregor (1759–1830) was dispatched across the North Atlantic to establish a dissenting Presbyterian church in Pictou, Nova Scotia. The decision dismayed MacGregor, who had hoped for a post in the Scottish Highlands. Yet it led to a remarkable career in what was still the backwoods of colonial North America. Industrious and erudite, MacGregor established the progressive Pictou Academy, opposed slavery, and promoted scientific education, agriculture, and industry. Poet and translator, fluent in nine languages, he encouraged the preservation of the Gaelic language and promoted Scottish culture in Nova Scotia.
Highland Shepherd finally bestows on MacGregor the recognition that he so richly deserves. Alan Wilson brings MacGregor and his surroundings to life, detailing his numerous achievements and establishing his importance to the social, religious, and intellectual history of the Maritimes.
Product Details
- World Rights
- Page Count: 280 pages
- Illustrations: 6
- Dimensions: 6.3in x 0.9in x 9.3in
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Reviews
‘Dr. Wilson is to be congratulated on a readable, informative, and fascinating treatment of a great and neglected Canadian original, giving James MacGregor his rightful place in the galaxy of Canadian pioneers.’
Donald MacLeod
Haddington House Journal vol 19:2017‘Wilson has done a fine job of demonstrating MacGregor’s importance as a pioneer and organizer of Presbyterianism in Nova Scotia… The book excels at sketching the hard life of a frontier preacher.’
Andrew R. Holmes
Canadian Historical Review vol 98:03:2017
In Wilson’s hands, MacGregor, long heroized as Pictou’s Presbyterian patriarch, proves to be a compelling and charismatic figure, bold and brilliant, who involved himself in all facets of community life and mellowed under the influences of family and frontier. The fact that Wilson is able to navigate the dense forest of Maritime Canada’s early Presbyterian history without losing his readers in the underbrush of detail is a testament to his skill as a writer and storyteller.
Laurie Stanley-Blackwell, Department of History, Saint Francis Xavier University
Highland Shepherd is a fine portrait of the struggles and triumphs of an important minister in colonial Nova Scotia. It is an evocative and sensitive re-creation of MacGregor’s character and circumstance and an important contribution to the literature on the influence of Scottish thought, institutions, and culture within early Canadian society.
David Marshall, Department of History, University of Calgary -
Author Information
Alan Wilson is Professor Emeritus of History and Canadian Studies at Trent University.
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Table of contents
Preface and Acknowledgements
Historiographical Introduction – by Barry Cahill
Presbyterian Organization Relating to Macgregor’s Life
Part 1: Getting There
Chapter 1: Awaiting the Verdict
Chapter 2: Honour Thy Father
Chapter 3: New Beginnings for Father and Son
Chapter 4: Glasgow and Alloa
Chapter 5: In Passage
Part 2: Adjusting
Chapter 6: Orienting
Chapter 7: Settling In and Broadening Out
Chapter 8: Letter to a Minister
Part 3: Missions
Chapter 9: On the Road
Chapter 10: Years of Trial
Part 4: Partnering
Chapter 11: A Threefold Cord and a Wedding
Chapter 12: East Side, West Side
Chapter 13: New Places, New Faces
Part 5: Community & Union
Chapter 14: Pictou & Progress
Chapter 15: Onward Christian Soldiers
Chapter 16: Last Calls
Chapter 17: Erring Shepherds
Chapter 18: The Dissenter as Moderator
Chapter 19: An Enduring Spirit
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