The written records of Co. Antrim, which survive from the 1600s, include little mention of the Jacksons who settled in the townland of Steeple just east of the town of Antrim – but they did live and farm there. Lots of them. Their descendants continued to live not only there, but also at the townland of Holywell [aka Holy Well, or Hollywell] on its northern border. Thankfully, the 1777 map surveyed by Taylor and Skinner shows the Jacksons at Steeple, and going by the size of their house, relative to others, they were doing quite well for themselves.
|You can find the name Jackson Esq on the middle of the right margin of the map. The name Steeple, is just to the left of it, with a small drawing of the steeple as well as of Jackson's house.|
|Steeple is in the middle lower part of this map. The left hand side of the townland is shaded but the right-hand side is not. The border is indicated in red. The townland of Holywell is on the northern border of Steeple.|