Isett
Important update Feb. 12, 2011 (Please note more recent updates below)
Ok, all you Isett’s and Isacks’ I am jumping right into this DNA stuff. I have volunteered to be the group administrator for a new Isett/Isacks surname project at Family Tree DNA.
I recently became aware that both the Isett’s and the Isacks’ were passing down the same family story-“Widow Barbara Isacks/Isett arriving in America in 1732 with her two sons, Frederick and Jacob”, and residing in Pennsylvania. Can we both be right? Is neither of us correct? There is some indication that at some point in history the Isacks name became Isett. I am hopeful that DNA testing may help us to sort this out. I have always thought that there were four main lines of Isett's in America, all originating in Pennsylvania in the 1700's. One line migrated to Iowa, one to Kansas then Texas, one to Maryland, and one stayed in Pennsylvania (many of those Isett's were in Montgomery County). The goal for me is to confirm that all of these lines truly connect. We now need to find other Isett's, at least one per line, to submit DNA. If you can help, please contact me at bonniekgorman@comcast.net.
For the Isacks' family, the family line that
is submitting DNA believes that they descend from Jacob C. Isacks who was born
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. They would like to know if they connect to
any of the Isett lines.
There are a number of testing options available. At this point I am recommending
the yDNA 37 marker test for $149. I believe that fewer markers would not provide
much information. If you are interested in a more comprehensive test there is
quite a range available.
To get started-go to the Family Tree DNA’s
website. On the right side there is a projects window. Enter ‘Isett’ or ‘Isacks’
and our project will come up. Or you can click on this link
http://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=Isett. If the link
doesn't work just copy and paste the address to your search bar.
You can read the project goals, the various tests available, etc. The most
important thing is to scroll down & sign up and order a kit. The kit is sent to
your house and you will need to provide a simple cheek scraping. Be sure to sign
the release and then return the kit. It takes about 6 weeks to get results
back.
If you are a male Isett and would be willing to submit DNA but do not have the funding, please contact me, the group administrator, and I will see if funding options are available.
For the yDNA test only males can be tested
because they are the only ones with the Y chromosome. Women can also use DNA
testing, but the results are much more general and would not give any
information regarding their paternal lines. That may change in a few years, but
for now, women will need to find a male relative to submit DNA for them. When
possible-use the oldest generation available for testing.
Once you submit your test kit your results will be posted on the group’s
website. They will be compared with all the results in Family Tree DNA’s
database. There are many safeguards in place to protect your privacy; you
will set up a username and a password. This type of testing does not involve any
medical DNA information, it is for genealogy purposes only, and you have
complete control over your test results.
Please join fellow researchers in utilizing this new tool now available to us. It is an exciting time in genealogy research history. You never know what you may discover about your family’s story.
If you have any questions at all you may contact me at bonniekgorman@comcast.net. The Family Tree DNA website has an extensive FAQ list which you may find very helpful.
Bonnie Isett Gorman
*Update 12 Oct 2011: We have received the yDNA results for an Isett who suspects that he descends from the Montgomery County,PA Isett's. Results were, again, surprising. This person matched with a Shriner family. Both of these persons do not have strong paper trails for their family and we are searching for answers as to how they connect. We now have a significant dilemma. No Isett's have matched yDNA. If you are a male with the surname Isett, please consider submitting a test kit to FTDNA under the Isett/Isacks surname project (it is less expensive when under a surname project). If financial assistance is needed please contact me as there is funding available.
*Update to FTDNA testing: The first two persons to submit yDNA for the surname project were second cousins who descend from Jacob C. Isacks. They were exact matches for each other at 37 markers. But the unexpected results were that they matched with many members of a Shannon family from Ireland. They are trying to sort out where the cross-over in names occurred but it has been a challenging puzzle so far.
One Isett has submitted yDNA. He descends from Henry Isett b. 1766 and Frances Rodgers. His line of Isett's is from the group that left Pennsylvania for Iowa in the early 1800's. His test kit revealed no matches at all at 37 markers. That was not surprising since no other persons named Isett have ever submitted yDNA. This supports the theory that the name is not a variation of Isaac, Izett, etc.
Now we will need to wait until more male Isett's submit test kits. The hope is that eventually not only will Isett's here in the United States submit DNA but also Isett's around the world. Once that happens we may be able to pinpoint where the family originated in Europe
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My line of Isett's in America most likely began in the 1700's with the arrival of Barbara Isett and her two young sons, Fredrick and Jacob B. in Pennsylvania, September 11, 1732. They had traveled from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, aboard the ship The Pennsylvania Merchant upon which Barbara's husband, Fredrick Isett, died at sea, probably in August of 1732. They eventually settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The family was originally involved with the Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Both sons remained in Pennsylvania, marrying and raising families there.
One son, Jacob B. Isett married Mary, who was born in 1732 in Wuertenburg, Germany. They had five children. One of Jacob and Mary's sons, Jacob Henry Isett, was a shoemaker by trade. He traded shoes for wheat grain and amassed a large quantity the year before a crop failure. He was then able to sell the grain and make enough money to buy a large section of land in Arch Spring, Pennsylvania. He built a small stone house with four slits for windows which were wider on the inside than the outside. This allowed a rifle to be aimed at attacking Indians or other intruders. The remains of the stone house are still visible today. On the same property Jacob also built a saw mill and a wooden grist mill, becoming a prominent business man and founder of his community. Jacob Henry Isett's descendents remained primarily in Pennsylvania. Some of those Isett's migrated to Kansas.
Another son of Jacob B. Isett and Mary was Henry Isett, who is my own direct ancestor. Henry was married twice, His first wife was Lydia Roath with whom he had two children. After Lydia's death, Henry married Frances Rodgers, who bore him nine children. Most of Henry's children migrated to Cairo, Louisa County, Iowa, in the early to mid 1800's. One of those was his son, Edward Bell Isett, my great-great grandfather. While still in Pennsylvania, Edward Bell Isett married Nancy Nelson Oliver. Their first three children were born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The other seven children were born in Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa.
I actually began my journey with genealogy when I recognized a pattern of disorders in my ancestors. I began looking at causes of death in my Isett line. What I discovered was that for the Isett's that migrated from Pennsylvania to Iowa, there were a number of unusual findings. Many of the Isett men died very young. But the most intriguing puzzle was the discovery that several men in the family, all named Edward Bell Isett, "disappeared".
*Note-October 21, 2006--I finally found one of the Edward Bell Isett's that had 'disappeared'. This one was born in 1836 to Samuel Rodgers Isett. There is a fascinating newspaper article from 1880 describing his descent into mental illness.
*Note-October 2008--The other Edward Bell Isett I had been searching for was born about 1853 and disappeared in 1879 in Wapello, Iowa. He was the son of Edward Bell Isett b. 1812. He disappeared after eating dinner with his sister and her family. He left their home, where he was living, and rode off on horseback. His horse came home but Edward did not. He had not taken any clothing from the home, or taken any money out of the bank. He was not heard from again.
Below are some photos of my father, Edward Bell Isett III, and his father Edward Bell Isett. Click on the photo to enlarge.
E.B. Isett III b.1923 E.B. Isett b.1880
We may all have become Isett's through different routes, biologically, marriage, adoption, etc., but we still all share the same heritage. I hope you will have fun exploring your own family history. It is fascinating to discover what traditions, stories, foods, etc., have been passed down to us. I would love to hear about your family history journey.
For more
information, to make corrections, or to contact me, please click on the
links below.
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A great link to Isett history in Pennsylvania: http://woodcockvalley.webs.com/otherinfo.htm
You may contact me: e-mail: bonniekgorman@comcast.net
Check out the new facebook page titled Isett Family History & Genealogy http://www.facebook.com/pages/Isett-Family-History-Genealogy/188553994531325.