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St John Ogilvie
Return to Homeland
Part One
Accompanied
by
fellow
Jesuit
Father
James
Moffat
and
Friar
John
Campbell,
a
Capuchin,
Father
John
Ogilvie
set
off
in
1613
for
Scotland
travelling
under
an
assumed
name,
of
John
Watson.
The
Government
had
spies
scattered
overthe
Continent
whose
business
it
was
to
pick
up
in
Rome,
Valladolid
and
other
places,
information
about
priests
and
seminarians
destined
for
home
missions.
The
information
was
forwarded
to
those
who
would
search
ships
hailing
from
foreign
ports,
and
suspects
were
apprehended on landing in Scotland or England.
As
Watson
(the
Scottish
surname
meaning
son
of
Walter),
in
the
guise
of
a
soldier
returning
from
European
wars
looking
to
turn
to
horse
dealing,
he
split
up
from
his
companions
on
landing
and
headed
for
his
native
North-east,
where
the
Catholic
faith
was
still
flickering
under
the
protection
of
the
powerful
Gordon,
Earl
of
Huntly.
His
superiors
may
have
felt
he
would
be
safest
here.
He
was
close
to
home
but
there
is
no
record
of
him
having
any
contact with his family.
Father
John
is
thought
to
have
spent
Christmas
at
Strathbogie,
and
may
even
have
visited
Grant
of
Ballindalloch,
who
was
fined
around
this
time
for
harbouring
a
priest.
Most
noblemen
wanted
little
to
do
with
the
visitor.
Going
against
the
King
would
cost
them
their
position
and
land
holdings;
they
pretended
to
be
faithful
to
the
new
religion
to
retain
their
wealth.
However,
others of professional or lower classes responded.