In early times, clans were an essential way of life and sometimes the only form of rule. This was not just in the British Isles, but in the world over. There is however, no record or tradition of their ever having been a "Clan Jam?son." This is because that although the surname "Jam?son" is old, it is not that old, having really only existed in any significant way, since when surnames became widely used, beginning about the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to satisfy the needs of more formalized national governments, at least in the British Isles. By this time the long established clan structure and culture, so prevalent and important in especially the highlands of old Scotland, had for the most part declined.

Jam?son families were however, probably part of many, if not all of the larger and better known clans. They were important enough in at least two or three clans, Gunn and Stewart and Stuart of Bute, to be considered a "sept" of those clans. The Gunns were a true highland clan from the far north east around Sunderland and the Stewarts and Stuarts more in the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas as well as the western Islands, especially Bute. The Stewarts were the royal clan, and the Jam?sons associated with them are often thought to have been part of that group. This is especially relevant considering that the ruling Stewarts were often named James. All those King Jameses, both Scottish and English were "Stewarts." Say nothing of the persistent stories of perhaps some illegitimate children of any of these "James" monarchs, ending up as Jamesons. Indeed, there are several known early Jam?son families who spelled their name oddly as "Jamesone." Perhaps modern DNA testing will tell us more about this.

There were also several well known Jam?son families who in some cases acted like clans, particularly in the 'Border" areas, but none that ever achieved the status and importance of what we know of as a "clan."

It is important to know however, that not all Jam?sons living today can be certain that their Jam?son family is descended from a Scottish Clan, or from any possibility of royalty. It would be also true that those Jam?sons who were descended from a clan, may have been from any clan, given the nature of our patronymic origins. Furthermore, it is not always certain that anyone with the surname "Jam?son" is even descended from a Scottish family. Good genealogy research and DNA records are the only way that will ever be proven.