John Munro of Tain

Biographical Summary

"John Munro, born about 1569, third son of Hugh M. of Assynt and nephew of Robert Mor Munro, first Protestant baron of Fowlis : educated at Univ. of St Andrews; M.A, (1590); adm. early in 1599 ; was a member of Assembly in March that year. As sub-dean of Ross he was one of nineteen ministers who constituted a General Assembly at Aberdeen in 1605, contrary to the King's wish, and was on a leet of three for the Moderatorship. When summoned before the Privy Council he (with six others) maintained that the said Assembly was a "very lawful" one. He was accordingly sentenced to banishment and was imprisoned within Doune Castle, Perthshire, his ultimate destination being a remote part of Kintyre. From Doune he escaped with the connivance of the constable of the Castle, and finding his way back to his parish resumed his ministry, his stipend, paid through the Crown authorities, being withheld. A Privy Council letter, 24th May 1610, ordered the magistrates to "keep him prisoner in some chalmer of your toune quhil he purge himself of his rebellion." What followed does not appear, no burgh records of the period being extant. He died shortly after 1st June 1630. He marr. Helen, eighth daugh. of Andrew Monro of Milntown, but had no issue."

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. VII, page 70