Edward Jamisone (1624-1704)

Edward Jamisone was born July 31 1624, in Inveresk and Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland,[1] the first child and eldest son of George and Marione (Thompson) Jamesone. We know very little about his parents, although theirs was a large family of ten children, six male and four females. Edward's grandfather was Edward Jameson, Burgess of Musselburg, who died in 1624.

Edward lived in very difficult times for Scotland, especially considering his chosen vocation, that of a minister. Not only was this a time of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and defeat in the Anglo-Scots War of (1649-1651), after which they were incorporated into the English Commonwealth, but this was also the time of the reformation in the Kirk and National Covenant[2] and significant fractions and persecutions within the Scottish Church itself and eventually a reconciliation. This was not a peaceful evolution either. Violence, retributions and expulsions, say nothing of the effect it had on the entire world as a result of both forced and chosen emigrations. Edward was at the center of all of this. 

Edward was educated at Edinburgh University, where he received his M.A. Degree in 1643. We do not know exactly when or where he received his D.D. Degree, or for that matter where or when exactly he was ordained a minister. However, we do know that by 1647 he was officially the minister of a church in Swinton, Scotland, an area southeast of greater Edinburgh, in Berwickshire, Scotland, [3] [4] [10] not to far from where he was born and grew up.

There was considerable turmoil during this time, which came to a boiling point in 1651 when the the "Act of Classes'[5] was rescinded, creating a serious breach in the ranks of the Scottish clergy. Edward himself joined with the "Protesters,"[4] a group of rigid adherents to the strictest interpretation of the Covenant.[2] The period of the Commonwealth (1649-1660) was filled with the strife between these two parties.[5]

Despite his association with the 'protesters,' Edward was appointed in 1654, as a Commissioner by the Privy Council of England, as one of those for authorizing admissions to the ministry in the provinces of Lothian, Merse and Teviotadle.[4]

Bishops were reimposed on the kirk following the 1660 Restoration but many of the clergy refused to accept this and began holding conventicles (services) and other church functions and duties, outside the established church.

On January 1, 1661, Edward Jamison was officially deprived and disposed from his church for not conforming to the prelacy of the presbyterian church and for his "opposition to the Government."[4] This began a significant, nearly decade long period of time where we not much is known about what he was doing or where he was. It is quite possible he was in hiding during much of this time.

It is also possible that this Edward married during this time. There is a official November 22, 1660 marriage record, in South Leith, for an Edward Jamisone, of South Leith and Magdalen Keir, of North Leith. Thereafter followed the births of six children born, all in South Leith, between the years 1661 and 1668. This marriage however, is not without considerable question as to if it was this exact same Edward Jamisone, or perhaps a different Edward Jamiesone having nothing to do with the Edward Jamisone of this study. See analysis here.

Covenanter risings in 1666 and 1679 led to a more intense phase of persecution known as "the Killing Time"[6] which did not really end until the deposition of the Catholic James VII in late 1688. In March 1689, his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange were accepted as monarchs and the 1690 Settlement permanently removed bishops from the kirk.[7]

There is a second marriage for an Edward Jamisone, on June 8, 1672, in Haddington, in East Lothian, with a Katherine Coneltoune/Congilton, to which there were three children born. We know the second marriage (1673) was with the Edward Jamisone born 1624 and died 1704 in Fife, because of several separate official and contemporaneous records which corroborate that.

There are records of decreets against Edward and others, one on July 19,1671[4] and then again in 1674, when Edward was one of those summoned to present himself at Mercat Cross, Edinburgh, for preaching at conventicles, or be denounced and delated.[8] Needless to say Edward and the others so ordered, never complied, for they would have been certainly severely punishment, probably imprisoned and possibly executed. On August 3, 1676, Edward was officially outlawed, apparently for not having ceased with any of the previous infractions and or his failure to comply with the edicts to answer the above directives.[4]

In 1679, when many Presbyterians were confined, at Grayfriars, for the Rising at Bothwell and the Murder of Archbishop Sharp,[9] Edward reasoned with them and got several of them liberated, on their signing a bond not to take up arms against His Majesty in future.[10]

A new Decreet issued in 1684, again for many, including Edward, for having preformed ministers duties, or for protecting and/or supporting others who did, contrary to the law. This time he was declared as treasonous and a fugitive, with a price on his head. By now he was likely either in hiding or quickly subsequently so.[11]

With the the deposition and replacement of James II and VII as ruler of England, Scotland and Ireland by his daughter Mary II and his Dutch nephew and Mary's husband, William III of Orange and the Convention of Estates in the late 1680s, that brought about a change in Scotland allowing peace in the church and a return of more freedom and normalcy among the clergy, including that of Edward.[12]

He returned as minister in Swinton[4] [13] in 1687 and on the 6th of July attended the first meeting of Presbyterian Ministers (after liberty had been granted). He was found transportable at their meeting 16th August and was restored by the Act of Parliament 25th Apr 1690. He demitted 12th January, and his demission was accepted, 9 April 1691, (he having been previously admitted at Monimail).[13]

In 1690, he became the minister in Monimial, Fife, where he remained until his death in 1704,[13] having transferred from Swinton. He was again part of the church administration in 1690 and a member of the General Assembly in 1692. Edward died 1704, most likely in Monimial, in his 80th year and 57th year in the ministry, "a most learned and pious minister."[14] Although we do knot know where he is buried, it is probably in the Old Monilaim Churchyard cemetery.