Welcome to my site for the genealogy and family history of my paternal family, the Jamisons of North Antrim, Northern Ireland.
2021 update
The areas where our Jamison family lived include, but are not limited to:
- Bushmills, Giants Causeway and nearby coastal North Antrim
- Belfast and neighboring towns
- County Down, especially around the Comber area of Ards
The Jamisons were a large family and have spread across Great Britain (particularly Scotland and the north of England) and beyond to Canada and the United States.
The Jamisons were probably part of the Protestant Scottish lowland migration to Northern Ireland during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. More recently, the Jamisons were based throughout Belfast for much of the mid-20th century, so if you are an Ulster or Scottish Jamison and think we are related, please get in touch.
This website is my passion project to map our genealogy, capture family stories and pictures, and locate all known surviving members of our Jamison family. As of 2021, I’ve traced the family back to the late 1700s.
Jamisons of Giant’s Causeway – North Antrim Local Interest List Blog
Have a look at this interesting blog entry from NALIL on the Jamisons of Giant’s Causeway – this is the story that led us to a picture of my generation of Jamison’s great grandfather, William McDowell Jamison.
Is your name on our list or shown on a family tree on this site?
If so, we need your help. However insignificant you think your information might be, it may be vital in completing our quest. So if you’re a Jamison, Jameson or Jamieson from the areas mentioned above, or descended from one, we need your help. Please get in touch with how and where you think you fit into our family tree.
Jamison, Jameson, Jamieson? Although our family name is spelt Jamison, it’s possible that you are related to us, as spellings have been somewhat arbitrary in the past, even in our own family. Please take a look at our lists of family member names, and our family tree, to check whether we may be related.
Associated Surnames
New for 2021 is a listing of associated surnames connected with my direct paternal family line by marriage, namely my parents, grandparents, great grandparents and great-great grandparents. These associations have been proven through a confirmed genealogical (family tree) relationship, or by confirmed shared familial DNA.
Finding Out More
I’ve used information from the census records for England and Ireland. A census was carried out in England in 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891, and 1901, and in Ireland in 1901 and 1911.
DNA Relationships
Also new for 2021 is an article where I describe the various DNA testing and comparison tools I’m now using to expand my search, and I provide details of where you can compare our DNA – see this article for more information!
Still have questions or suggestions? I love to hear from potential relatives, so please get in touch!
Thanks for a great site! I descend from Jamisons in County Down. Elizabeth (aka Betsy) Jamison was born about 1810 and married Joseph Martin around 1830 when their first child was born in Dromore, Down. Elizabeth died between 1834 and 1836, as Joseph married Mary Adair in 1836 in Dromara, Down. Elizabeth’s parents may have been George and Elizabeth (Kinnier) Jamison. Joseph, Mary and the children from both marriages went to the US in 1856. I’m glad to send you more specifics if it will help and would love to connect Elizabeth to the right Jamison family of County Down and back to Scotland.
all the best
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In all the years I often wondered by the parish records never got copied and placed on the Internet. However, just the other day while reading another blog I discovered that a site called “Findmypast” just recently placed all the parish records up on their site. So I am passing this on to you in hopes it will help you in your research.
Scott
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Thanks Scott! Unfortunately, even with the new additions to Findmypast, I’ve not been able to locate my Jamison ancestors before the 1830’s. I won’t give up 🙂
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Interestingly Beth that’s the same period I’ve got back to: I’m planning a trip to NI I. May and will be visiting the parish churches of my earliest known relatives (in Billy, Bushmills (to check birth, and death records …
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Hello Margaret, I am definitely into Ulster Jamesons! Thank you for developing this site so hundreds and thousands of others might have a chance at discovering their own family histories. I’ve been at it since ’74 and still going strong. I, too, have only in the past week posted a blog on WordPress and the amount of comments and mail is overwhelming, but it’s my opportunity to help others, support the community, and build my own database in the process. Thanks again. If you come across others who are researching their Jameson branches you can send them to me at my blog or or course to John’s TNG site, The Ulster Jamesons.
Scott
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Hi Scott, thanks very much for the heads up, I will definitely check that out, and of course, if we Jami/esons pool our knowledge we’ll discovers much more! 🙂
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Scott, would you mind given the URLs for your blog and John’s TNG site? Thanks!
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Margaret, how wonderful that you’ll be going to NI! Wishing you great success and looking forward to reading all about it.
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Is there a link to the family tree anywhere?
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Hi William, what I have is listed here: https://jamisonsofbushmills.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/family-tree-william-mcdowell-jamison.xls
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My father’s name was Robert Houston Jamison. He was the son of William Jamison.
My father had relatives Bushmills Giants Causeway and also in Dromore
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Hi Heather, do you have any rough dates/ages for your Jamisons please?
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My great grandfather was William Jamison.
Born in Belfast in 1878.
Was a solider in WW1 and served as RSM 12th Battalion with the Royal Irish Rifles.
Married in 1906 at Frederick St Methodist Church I think is in Belfast but not definite.
Moved to Toronto, Ontario Canada in 1924
Died in 1958.
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Hello My paternal gg grandfather Patrick Jamieson, n Ireland 1800 m Jane Whiteford d/o John Whiteford. They lived for a while in the Big House at Crossland near Ballycastle, on a farm on Cape Fair Head. I visited the farm last summer. My grandmother, Sophia Jamieson b 1834 was born there. Patrick, Jane at several children (William, Alexander, Bridget, John, and more came to Ontario Canada in the mid 1840’s and settled near Lucan, just north of London, Ontario. I haven’t been able to place them in Antrim yet.
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Just found your most interesting comments on the Jamison family of Antrim.
I have an ancestor William Jamison who married Eliza Dempster in the Millrow Presbyterian Church in Antrim we believe between 1724 – 1730. He died at Christmas in 1817 and is buried in Donegore Churchyard, in the village of Parkgate, three miles west of Antrim town. William and Eliza had 7 children including Mary born 1768-1785, who is my great, great, great grandmother.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.
Cherrill
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Hi. So nice to find this blog. My husband’s mother was Doris Bertha Jamison born in Holywood, Ireland to William Jamison & Margaret Eliza Jane (Prenter). This William was born Sept 30, 1878 the only child of William Jamison (probably born in Scotland) and Isabelle (Hamilton). Isabelle died in 1884 when young William was 6 years old and his father left him to be raised by family and was never heard from again. I’ve had very little success tracing this family and would appreciate any information you might have. We made the trip to Ireland 3 years ago (from Canada) and were able to walk the streets of Holywood and Belfast. It was an amazing trip.
Susan
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I can’t seem to log on to your new web address, I very much like what your doing on the site I come from the CAR and my mother was in the DAR since the 1960’s . The love of the Chase I think it is called Ancestor Addiction. I believe that a few of my ancestors did take the scenic route and got lost in time or wolf’s got them , never the less they were Christians and I believe that one day I will meet this great treasure of a clan in heaven! David William Jamison.
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My Jamison family past through Ireland in the the late 16s and early 1700s. William Jamison and four sons William,Henry,Robert,and John . As you can see the first names are fairly common Henry lost his wife Jane in death by area Dublin. I never found William seniors grave either. The boys moved to bucks county pennsylvainia
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My grandmother was May Jamieson born in 1880 but I don’t know where and cannot locate her birth registration. She first lived in London and later Lancashire. Whilst I cannot yet trace her parents, my DNA research show that her great grandparents were most likely Robert Jamieson and Esther Jane Ferguson of Slaght, near Ballymena.
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Hi Chris, I have uploaded my DNA to Gedmatch, is your data on there, I can check for a familial match? Margaret
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Hello Margaret and yes, my DNA profile is on Gedmatch – kit No. A168287. Chris
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Hi Chris, I checked against my kit – JF5061351 – and we don’t seem to have any family matches, but please do check!
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I too am a descendent of the Jamiesons of Ballycastle & environs NI. My gg grandfather Patrick Jamieson (b 1800 NI, d 1879 Lucan/Clandeboye, Ontario Canada) m Jane Whiteford (b 1801 NI d 1883),d/o John Whiteford (b 1774 NI d 1824 Lucan/Clandeboye, Ontario, Canada) and unk Boyd. They lived for a while in the “Big House’ at Cross Townland near Ballycastle and then moved to Cape Fair Head where Patrick managed a farm for his father-in-law. I visited the farm 2 summers ago. Some /all of their known children were born there. Mary Jane b 1832; Sophia b 1834 (my ggrandmother m James Magee); Alexander, b1836; Bridget 1839; Ann b 1841; John b 1842; William; John ?. Patrick & Jane migrated to Canada abt 1844 with ????. A few of their children (Sophia was one..who claimed she was 10.) came later in the care of the captain of a ship. They settled in a village called Lucan not far from a village in an adjacent township called Mooresville where Jane’s brother James had settled with his family.
Patrick was a staunch Orangemen and represented his church-St Patrick’s of the Sainstbury Line at the Huron Diocese of the Anglican Church in London, Ontario. His obituary states that he attended the commemoration ceremony for the monument to Robbie Burns in Ayrshire on the banks of the Doon. His father-in-law John Whiteford may have had some connection to Burns ?? He is listed in the Orange Lodge in NI . When he came to what was known as the Huron Tract he was one of the founding members of the Orange Lodge in Exeter ON along with John Diamond & John Collingwood and others. he was the Treasurer. His daughter m Diamond and one of their daughters m Rev James Endicott, one of the first Moderators of the United Church of Canada. John Whiteford d in 1824 but not sure where but both he and his wife (an unk Boyd) died in Ireland. I have had my DNA tested by Ancestry and have matched some Jamiesons from NI………Looking for connections to Patrick’s and Jane’s families. Donna Magee Toronto Ontario Canada donnajmagee@gmail.com
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Hi Donna, I will send you an email, thanks so much for your message!
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Look forward to hearing from you!
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Magee Connections?
Elizabeth JAMISON Martin, 26 years old, a spinster, and daughter of Joseph Martin, a weaver, living in Lisnacurran, County Down, Northern Ireland and Elizabeth Jamison Martin, married David Little, 22 years old, a blacksmith, and son of Andrew Little, also a blacksmith, living in Dromore, County Down in the Banbridge Road Presbyterian Church. Witnesses were JANE MAGEE and Robert Morrison. Only a month later, David and Elizabeth came to the US along with Elizabeth’s family. Departing from Liverpool, England on the DeWitt Clinton, they arrived 17 November 1856 at Castle Garden, New York, NY. The Martins spent a little time in New York before settling in Oakland, MD, being among the first settlers of this town. The Littles spent several years traveling through New York state where several of their children were born before joining their family in Oakland in 1863.
I wonder if Donna or anyone who has the MAGEE family has the above Jane in their ancestry? Robert Morrison m. Jane Magee with son, Henry b. 17 Apr 1869 (source: Ros Davies’ site). They also lived in Dromore.
Often, marriage witnesses were family members so I am searching the connection between Magee, Morrison, Jam*son and Martin. (did not find any possibles at Ros Davies’s site for a Little connection, so not pursuing that right now)
Thanks so much!
Beth
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My Jamison family past through Ireland in the the late 16s and early 1700s. William Jamison and four sons William,Henry,Robert,and John . As you can see the first names are fairly common Henry lost his wife Jane in death by area Dublin. I never found William seniors grave either. The boys moved to bucks county pennsylvainia
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