Robert Jameson (died 1608) was a Scottish shipowner from Ayr. Jameson was a burgess of Ayr, and owner of ships including the ''James Royall''. He is described as Master of his ships, and also as "Captain Robert Jameson". His brother George (d. 1603) was also a burgess of Ayr.

Career

In August 1584 James VI gave Jameson a ship called the ''Pheasant'' which had been confiscated from William Gytonis for piracy on the West Seas. In 1585 the former royal favourite

James Stewart, Earl of Arran Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran (died 1595) was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. He rose to become Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was eventually murdered in 1 ...

embarked on Robert Jameson's boat carrying royal jewellery including 'Kingis Eitche', the

Great H of Scotland The Great 'H' of Scotland was a jewel belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots comprising a large diamond, a ruby, and a gold chain. Also known as the Great Harry, it was broken up in 1604 and made into the Mirror of Great Britain for James VI and I. I ...

, but he was forced to give his treasure up to

William Stewart of Caverston William Stewart of Caverston and Traquair (died 1605), was a Scottish landowner and Captain of Dumbarton Castle. Career He was a brother of Sir John Stewart of Traquair. His lands were at Caverston, or Caberston, sometimes given as "Taberstoun". ...

, Governor of

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...

, aboard ship in the coastal water known as the Fairlie Road. In 1588

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

hired a ship from Ayr, which may have belonged to Robert Jameson, to be fitted out for Sir William Stewart of

Carstairs Carstairs (, Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Tarrais'') is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Carstairs is located east of the county town of Lanark and the West Coast Main Line runs through the village. The village is served by Carstairs r ...

to pursue the rebel

Lord Maxwell Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...

with 120 musketeers or "hagbutters". On 22 October 1589 James VI decided to sail to Norway to meet his bride

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

, after receiving her letters sent from

Flekkerøy Flekkerøy or Flekkerøya is an island and residential district in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The district is located within the borough of Vågsbygd, and it consists of 4 main neighborhoods: Berge/Andås, Kjære, Lindeb� ...

in Norway. His courtiers, led by the

Chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally titled Lord High Chancellor, was an Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. The Lord Chancellor was the principal Great Officer of State, the presiding officer of the Parliament of Scotland, the K ...

John Maitland of

Thirlestane Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Wat ...

equipped a fleet of six ships. Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch hired the ''Falcon of Leith'' from John Gibson, described as a little ship. Maitland's accounts of the English subsidy money detail the preparation of the ''James Royall'', apparently of 126 tons, again hired from Jameson. The ''James'' was now equipped with cannon by the Comptroller of Ordinance John Chisholm for the use of the royal gunner James Rocknow. The guns were probably intended for firing salutes. The sails of the ''James'' were decorated with red taffeta. An order, brought from the king by

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Masters of Work to the Crown of Scotland, Master of Works to James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Free ...

, was made on 13 March 1590 for several towns including Ayr to equip "six ships of the greatest berth" to bring James VI and Anna of Denmark from Denmark. These ships would have "streamers of war of red taffeta". As a substitute for a ship at Ayr, Colonel William Stewart would hire a ship available on the east coast. Edinburgh town council hired the ''Angel of Kirkcaldy'' from David Hucheson, and the ship was painted by James Workman. Jameson complained to the Privy Council in June 1590 that he worried he would not be paid for the charter of the ''James'', because of changes in the gathering and administration of a tax raised to fund the king's voyage. The council ordered that Jameson should be paid. The payment for the hire of the ship in Maitland's account is for two months in the king's "passing and returning", which suggests that the ''James Royall'', presumably with Jameson as Captain, sailed with the king, returned from Norway in November 1590, and made the voyage again in April. One ship returned from

shortly before James met Anna at Oslo, bringing home some people who were no longer required. There had been an accident when its gunner fired a fully loaded cannon as a salute for

Steen Bille Steen Bille (1565–1629) was a Danish councillor and diplomat. He was the son of Jens Bille and Karen Rønnow, and is sometimes called "Steen Jensen Bille". His father compiled a manuscript of ballads, Jens Billes visebog. As a young man Bille ...

, injuring a boy. In January 1593 Mr George Kerr, brother of Mark Kerr of

Newbattle Newbattle (from Old Scots ''Neubothle'', "new building") is a village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland. The village lies south of Dalkeith, about seven miles from Edinburgh. It is notable for containing Newbattle Abbey, a stately hom ...

, gave 236 gold crowns to John Campbell, a servant of Robert Jameson. The Privy Council asked Jameson to pay the money to the courtier James Sandilands of Slamannan. In August 1598 James VI and the council again chose Robert Jameson's ship to carry the king to

Kintyre Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...

. Robert was instructed to hire sailors in Ayr and borrow suitable weapons and cannon in the town. This expedition was cancelled. It was thought King James had planned to dispossess the landholders and install a colony of settlers from Fife. In 1607 two of his children, John and Margaret, were declared legitimate by royal charter. When Captain Robert Jameson died in January 1608 the ''James'' was at Ayr, unrigged and stripped of its furniture.National Records of Scotland, Jamesone, Robert, Wills and testaments Reference CC8/8/44, pp. 250-1.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jameson, Robert 1608 deaths People from Ayr Scottish businesspeople in shipping Ship owners Year of birth unknown 16th-century Scottish businesspeople 17th-century Scottish businesspeople Royal Scots Navy