Jameson was born blind, but, being educated at the university of Glasgow, he ‘atteaned to great learning, and became particularly well skilled in history both civill and ecclesiastick’ (Munimenta Univ.
On 30 May 1692 the senate, taking into consideration the blindness and great learning of Jameson, who had no estate to subsist by, allowed him two hundred merks Scots for two years, for which he was to give instruction ‘according to his capacity’ in civil and ecclesiastical history under the direction of the faculty (ib.
In 1696 the university increased his annuity to 400l., on the promise of a committee of visitation that the government would shortly relieve them of the burden.
Another William Jameson entered the university of Glasgow in 1720, and in 1727 he or a namesake, ‘historiæ studiosus,’ was placed on the roll of electors of the lord rector (Munim.)
His attack in this work upon the authority of the epistles of St. Ignatius drew a ‘Short Answer’ from Robert Calder in 1708.
Jameson's next book, ‘Roma Racoviana et Racovia Romana, id est Papistarum et Socinistarum in plurimis religionis suæ capitibus plena et exacta harmonia,’ appeared at Edinburgh in 1702.
In 1712 appeared also at Edinburgh ‘The Sum of the Episcopal Controversy.’ Jameson ‘doubted not that the Spirit of God had a peculiar view to Scotland, when he says by Isaiah, “I will make an everlasting Covenant with you,” &c.’ In a second edition of this diatribe (Glasgow, 1713) he seems to claim as his ‘A Sample of Jet-black Prelatick Calumny,’ Glasgow, 1713.
His last known book was ‘Spicilegia Antiquitatum Ægypti, atque ei vicinarum gentium,’ Glasgow, 1720, a premature attempt to harmonize sacred and profane history.