The Reformation in Moray and Mr Robert Pont

Abstract

The province of Moray, in the north of Scotland and on the fringe of the Gaelic highlands, is not noted for any early support for Protestantism though, after 1560 Moray's churches were staffed, in so far as they were staffed, with a conforming ministry. The General Assembly's commissioner in the province, 1563–74, was Mr Robert Pont, one of the ‘most eminent’ ministers of the early reformed church. His role in ‘planting kirks’, however, has not previously been assessed by studies of the Reformation in his province. This article reviews what can be gathered of the development of a reformed ministry in the burghs and parishes of Moray during Pont's time in the region.