Mary Jamesone
Mary Jamesone was born abt 1637 in Aberdeen. She was the daughter of George Jamesone and Isabella Tosche. George and Isabella had more than the one child but only Mary survived to adulthood. The children who did not survive were
1. William, Christened: 27 July 1629, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
2. Pawll, Christened: 27 October 1630, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
3. George, Christened: 31 January 1633, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
4. Andro, Christened: 12 June 1635, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
5. Alexander, Christened: 18 August 1636, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
6. Elizabeth, Christened: 6 February 1639, Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
George Jamesone was a highly regarded portrait painter and had studios both in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. One can imagine he was hardly ever at home. However it is not unlikely that George and Isabella doted on their only surviving child. Sadly though George died in the winter of 1644 when Mary was only 7 years old.
The Jamesone house on the Schoolhill
Aberdeen was a dangerous place during Mary’s childhood, the religious wars were in full swing and Montrose was menacing the town, first at the head of a Covenanter army, then, leading a rabble of mercenaries in support of the king. On each occasion the townsfolk bore the brunt, but in the fortress-like Jamesone house on the Schoolhill, the women would have been safe at their needlework with the child looking on.
Mary was 17 when her mother died in 1654, but strangely in those days of early marriages, she stayed unwed for a further 10 years. During this time, it is assumed, she worked at her sewing.
Then on 12 April 1664, the diary of Revd. John Rowe tells us: “…today John Burnet Dean of Guild and Marie Jamesone were married.” John Burnet was a merchant adventurer, sailing with his goods to Virginia and shipping back tobacco, a vastly fashionable commodity at the time. Burnet had become rich and bought an estate, so was now Burnet of Elrick, and having been recently widowed, was in need of a wife to care for his three bairns. But the marriage was short-lived, for John died in 1666 leaving Mary to look after her own two babies and oversee the estate for her eldest stepson.
Mary’s Husbands
Marriage (1): BURNET, John of Elrick on 12 April 1664 in Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
Marriage (2): GREGORY, James F.R.S. in 1669
Marriage (3): AEDIE, George on 28 October 1677 in Saint Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland
Marriage (1) to John Burnet did not last long. John died two years after they married. He did however provide Mary with 2 sons,
1. George, born abt 10 June 1665. Died: before 1684
2. Robert, born circa 1666.
Mary was John Burnet’s second wife, the first was Marjorie Howesone. Marjorie provided John with several children before her death in 1662.
1. Androw, Christened: 29 May 1649, Aberdeen, Scotland
2. Rachel, Christened: 12 April 1653, Aberdeen, Scotland
3. Catherin, Christened: 4 May 1654, Aberdeen, Scotland. Married James Strachan 8 March 1676.
4. Alexander, Christened: 8 July 1655, Aberdeen, Scotland
5. John, Christened: 12 March 1657, Aberdeen, Scotland. Died before 1660.
6. Elspet, Christened: 10 June 1658, Aberdeen, Scotland
7. Isobell, Christened: 26 June 1659, Aberdeen, Scotland
8. John, Christened: 23 October 1660, Aberdeen, Scotland. This was the 2nd son called John.
9. Christen, Christened: 9 January 1662, Aberdeen, Scotland
Of the nine children born to Marjorie and John Burnet we are led to believe only 3 survived. Include those with the 2 born to Mary and John Burnet, then poor Mary was left to take care of 5 children after John died in 1666.
As mention before the accuracy of the research is questionable. Some say more then Mary survived and that Elizabeth went on to live a long life with children of her own.