Rev. James MacGregor was born on July 11, 1832, in Brownhill, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland.

He was a Scottish minister and philanthropist. He was educated at Scone Parish School and Perth Academy. He studied divinity at St. Andrews University (1848-1855) and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Perth in 1855. He spent his life serving in several churches: Paisley High Church (1855-1862); Monimail Church in Fife (1862-1864), Tron Church in Glasgow (1864-1868); Tron Kirk in Edinburgh (1868-1873); and finally, St. Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh (1873-1910). St. Andrews University awarded him an honorary degree of D.D. in 1870. In 1876, he was made the official chaplain to the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1886, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1891. In 1877, he was elected chaplain to the Royal Scottish Academy. He was also made chaplain-in-ordinary to Queen Victoria (1886), chaplain to King Edward VII (1901), and King George V (1910). In 1881, he accompanied marquis Lorne, governor-general of Canada, on a trip to Canada to inspect the progress of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1889, he represented Scotland in Australia's jubilee celebration of the Presbyterian Church. He contributed articles about his travels to Scotsman. The town of MacGregor, Manitoba, was named after him during his Canadian visit.

In 1864, he married Helen King Robertson (1848–1875), and in 1892, he married Helen Murray (–1930). He died on November 25, 1910, in Edinburgh, Scotland.