William Jamieson
1816-1888


"The huge limestone home situated on the 4th Concession Line,
near the Bruce Avenue exit to Renfrew,
overlooks the original property settled by William JAMIESON in 1835.
Little did he think, when the Opeongo Line ran through his property
to cross the Bonnechere River on a plank bridge,
that one day a branch of Trans Canada Highway 417,
would cross his property and span the river on a bridge of steel and cement.


William was born May 1816 in Stonehoue Lanark Scotland / chr Jun 16 1816,
the son of James JAMIESON and Isabell GRAY.

William emigrated to Canada at about 17 years of age abt 1833.
He worked for a time in Drummond Township near Perth,
then spent some time in Utica and Rochester New York
before arriving in Horton Township when barely 18 years old.

William finally settled in Horton on the east half of Lot 13, Concession 3 in 1835
where he built a log house about 75 metres SE of the present house,
on the crown of a hill, directly above 'the spring'.

A family story says that William was acquainted in Scotland,
with Marion Park AIRTH, who was born in 1824 in Rutherglen.
Her father, Sgt Henry AIRTH refused to let this farmer marry his daughter,
or ever set foot on Airth property again!

Having crossed the ocean to Canada, the two met again and fell in love,
but her father forbade them to see each other.
This was probably because they were very young at the time
and this may also have been why William left the township for a time.

William settled on 200 acres,
but took on the job of assessor for the first census in the township in 1842.

This is his sworn oath:

William was elder brother to Alexander JAMIESON chr Jan 11th 1822 in Stonehouse.
After the death of Alexander's 1st wife, Isabella GRAY,
William pursuaded him to emigrate to Ontario with his little family.

In 1846, Alexander married Catherine AIRTH,
sister to William's wife Marion Park AIRTH.

William JAMIESON's property was registered on a Crown deed in 1844.

The log house became home for William & Marion's expanding family:

1) James Harvey b May 20 1841,
married 1st to Emma Frances MARVIN on Mar 31 1868 (5 children)
(She was the daughter of Guy Hastings MARVIN & Margaret KENNEDY)
They moved to Drayton Twp Pembina North Dakota.

married 2nd to Elizabeth REID on Feb 10 1892 in Ferguslea Admaston Renfrew

2) *Henry b Oct 24 1843,
married Marion AIRTH, his 1st cousin
(daughter of David AIRTH & Margaret McLaren BEAUCHAMP)

3) William b May 17 1847,
married to Sarah MELLEY abt 1868 (5 children)
(daughter of John MELLEY & Sarah DINSMORE)

4) Robert Airth b Dec 15 1847,
married 1st to Elizabeth ROBERTS on May 19 1871 in Horton (4 children)
Elizabeth died Oct 27 1879, only 7 months after their last child's birth.

2nd to Rebecca ROBERTS abt 1884 (4 children)
(both daughters of James ROBERTS & Elizabeth GEORGE)

5) Marion Park b Sep 17 1850,
married to Francis Edwards on May 18 1869 (11 children)
(son of Francis EDWARDS & Margaret CAMPBELL)
They also moved to Drayton Twp Pembina North Dakota.

6) John Alexander b Aug 26 1852 (see below)

7) David b Aug 22 1856,
married to Euphemia (Effie) R MEAD abt 1882 (4 children)

8) Isabella Agnes b Jul 1st 1861 / died May 30 1903

* * *

William had become Justice of the Peace in the 1860s
and needed office space as well as additional living quarters.
Over a 2 year period, a new stone house, a 2 storey 40'x40' structure,
built of quarried limestone, with walls nearly a metre thick, was constructed.

Further generations of Jamiesons would dominate the business of
limestone quarrying, lime, brick and tile manufacturing.
Most of the limestone buildings in the Renfrew area, including the Post Office,
came from the Jamieson quarries.

Some time later, the house was enlarged by an extended wing,
another storey and a full-sized attic which contained a large cistern.
Rain water was run off the flat roof into the attic cistern,
whereby establishing a pressure system for the entire house.
The exterior of the house was given a coat of cement,
and drawn off in blocks to represent cement blocks,
presumably a fashion trend at the time.
The large house served the busy family well.


As Justice of the Peace, William allowed court proceedings to take place in his office.
The house served as a social centre for many community activities.
Seven square dance sets could 'tamarack-er-down' at one time in the huge attic.
Then everyone could sit down to lunch in the large basement.
Strawberry socials were held in early summer.

He also served on the Horton Township Council and completed several terms as Reeve.

He was confined to his bed as a result of paralysis for the last 3-4 years of his life.
William JAMIESON died Oct 8 1884.

* * *

*My ancestor was William & Marion's 2nd child, Henry JAMIESON,
who was born October 24 1843 in Horton Township.
He married his cousin, Marion AIRTH, on June 28 1867 in Renfrew Township.
(Marion was the daughter of David AIRTH and Margaret McLaren BEAUCHAMP)

Henry & Marion had 8 children which I've covered somewhat in my page on
Henry JAMIESON: Pioneer of Central Alberta
Henry, Marion and their family moved to Alberta in 1900.

John Alexander JAMIESON, Henry's younger brother,
married Elizabeth McNAB and inherited his father's property, in 1884.

Their family were:
1) *David b 1876 (see below)
2) John Alexander (Lime Kiln Alex) b 1878
3) Charles W (an avid hunter and curler) b 1880, married Isabel McINTYRE
4) Robert Campbell who died at age 1 year
5) Janet Elizabeth b 1883, married James Carswell FERGUSON

*John Alexander's son, David, married Margaret Alice McDERMID,
and they raised their family on the family homestead.
(She was the daughter of Malcolm McDERMID & Margaret AIRTH
and the niece of William & Marion Park Airth JAMIESON)

David & Margaret Alice's children were:

1) David Allan, a prison of war in Hong Kong during WWII;
2) (John) Willard, a paratrooper, was killed in action in Italy in 1943;
3) (Margaret) Marion married Jack;
4) Dugald McNab married Isobel (of Goshen);
5) Doris Isabel who died young.

Dugald obtained the property from the Jamieson estate in 1953.

(Info taken from FOUNDING FAMILIES of ADMASTON, HORTON and RENFREW
by Carol Bennett
as well as other shared research by various descendants)

~ William JAMIESON was my GR GR grandfather ~



Return to JAMIESON Direct Ancestor Line
AIRTH Direct Ancestor Line

Obituary for William
James JAMIESON ~ Father of William
Henry JAMIESON ~ Son of William
Alexander JAMIESON ~ Brother of William

ROOTSWEB