John   was   born   into   a   well-connected   family   in   1579;   the   son   of Sir    Walter    Ogilvie,    baron    of    Drum-na-Keith,    whose    father, James,   had   been   Treasurer   to   Mary   Queen   of   Scots.   His   mother was   Lady   Agnes   Elphinstone,   who   died   in   1582,   when   John   was only   3   years   old.   The   family   tree   is   said   to   have   stretched   back to   William,   King   of   Scotland,   and   Queen   Margaret,   herself   later to be made a Saint. Like   many,   the   Ogilvies   were   once   staunch   Catholics   but   the Reformation   of   1560   had   changed   the   face   of   Scotland.   Just   20 years   before   John   Ogilvie’s   birth,   John   Knox   had   succeeded   in switching     Scotland’s     state     religion     from     Catholicism     to Calvanism,   later   known   as   Presbyterianism,   and   there   were fierce purges to stamp out the Catholic faith. The   saying   of   Mass   was   outlawed,   priests   were   banished,   and anyone    suspected    of    being    a    Papist    could    be    thrown    into prison.   Even   being   found   with   a   rosary   or   crucifix   would   lead to   punishment.   And,   yet,   brave   souls   were   still   prepared   to   risk danger,    imprisonment    and    death    to    practise    their    faith    in secret. Although   some   of   the   nobility,   particularly   in   the   northern   part of   the   country,   may   have   retained   Catholic   leanings   few   were willing   to   show   them   for   fear   of   losing   their   lands,   their   wealth, and their status. So, young Ogilvie was brought up a Calvinist. Such   was   the   fear   of   the   influence   from   still   Catholic   Europe that   permits   had   to   be   granted   for   travelling   abroad,   and   Sir Walter   Ogilvie   obtained   one   for   his   son,   who   set   off   from   home in   1592,   aged   13,   to   further   his   education,   his   experience   of life,   so   he   would   be   better   equipped   to   play   what   his   father hoped   would   be   a   prominent   role   in   Scottish   affairs   for   his   first born.   He   travelled   with   his   Uncle   George   Elphinstone.   But   the path   of   life   that   John   was   to   take   was   not   the   one   that   his family had planned. He   travelled   widely   and   studied,   in   France,   Germany   and   Italy, and   listened   to   scholars   both   Calvinist   and   Catholic   discussing religion.   That   proved   a   source   of   inspiration,   and   at   the   age   of 17   he   converted   to   Catholicism.   It   was   the   first   of   many   brave moves. We   can   only   imagine   the   torment   this   must   have   caused.   How had   he   broken   the   news   to   his   family?   It   must   have   caused   him great   anguish   and   led   to   all   financial   support   to   him   being   cut off. It is not thought he ever saw them again.