Jacob Isley (c1764-c1830), son of Lodwick Isley, of Guilford Co., NC
JACOB ISLEY (c1764-c1830) AND ELISABETH (ROLLER) ISLEY (b.1774), OF SULLIVAN CO., TN
by Charles M. Ward, Jr.
[email protected]
Jacob Isley was probably born about 1764, the son of Ludwig Eisele (aka Lodwick Isley) and his wife, Barbara.Jacob Isley sold his one sixth share of 250 acres on 14 Feb 1791 (Guilford Co., NC Deed Bk 5, p. 330), which his father had bought from Henry McCullough on 1 Jan 1773 (Guilford Co., NC Deed Bk 1, p. 237).This sale appears to signal Jacob's departure from Guilford County.
Jacob Isley bought 142 acres of land on both sides of Fall Creek from John Yancey in Sullivan County (in what is now the state of Tennessee) on 5 Jun 1792 (Sullivan Co., TN Deed Bk 2, p. 559).It was around this time that Jacob Isley married Elisabeth ROLLER.Elisabeth Roller was the daughter of Martin Roller, a German immigrant and an early settler of Sullivan County.He had come to Sullivan County from Frederick Co., VA, had served as an elder in the Lutheran Church, and had served in the American Revolution.Elisabeth Roller was christened 19 Jun 1774at the Lutheran Congregation of Middletown, Frederick Co., MD, where she is identified as the daughter of Martin and Sibylla Roller.
Martin Roller died around 1800 in Sullivan Co., TN and on 13 Dec 1802, the heirs of Martin Roller sold their share of his land to another son.The deed lists John Roller, Martin Roller (Jr.),George Roller, Jacob Isley, and John Hawk (who had married another daughter of Martin Roller), as selling land to David Roller.
On 12 Nov 1803 (Sullivan Co., TN Deed Bk 4, p. 550), Jacob Isley sold 142.5 acres to his brother-in-law, David Roller.
An 1808 deed between James Jett and John Harr in Sullivan Co., TN references the land of Jacob Isley and the fact that it adjoined that of Martin Roller, Jr.
Jacob Isley appears to have left Sullivan County with his son, George, in the early 1820s.George is found in Roane Co., TN as early as 1825.A male, aged between 61 and 70 years old is found in the household of George Isley in the 1830 Census enumeration, in Roane Co., TN.This appears almost certainly to be George Isley's father, Jacob Isley.
Jacob Isley served as a surety for his son, George Isley, in a court case (Roane Co., TN Court Minutes Apr 1830-Oct 1831, p. 40), on 29 Apr 1830.To date, no references have been found for Jacob after 1830.
The intermarriage of Jacob Isley and Elisabeth Roller was to have a profound influence on the naming patterns of their descendants.Like many Roller descendants, they took great pride in their connection to that family and particularly their descent from Martin Roller.The name Martin, for example, has been handed down in my branch of the family, with eight out of the nine generations from Martin Roller having a Martin in each of those generations, the author of this article being one of them.
Children of Jacob Isley and Elisabeth (Roller) Isley:
1.George Isley (b.ca 1800; d. 7 Feb 1877 in Franklin Co., AR); married Nancy QUEENER, around 1823, probably in Sullivan Co., TN.Nancy Queener (b.ca 1806), was the daughter of John Queener and Betsy (Lowry) Queener.George Isley left Sullivan County and was settled in Roane Co., TN by the mid-1820s.He is found in that county in 1830.By 1840 he was in Meigs Co., TN and is found there in the 1850 Census as well.He moved to Franklin Co., AR before 1860, but his eldest son, Martin R. Isley and his daughter, Nancy (Isley) Ward, remained in Meigs Co., TN.He served in the Mexican War and received a pension for his service.Children of George Isley and Nancy (Queener) Isley:
a.Martin Roller Isley (b.ca 1823).Often given in contemporary records as "Martin R. Isley."A great-granddaughter of George Isley identified Martin's middle name as "Roller."Martin Roller Isley never married.His estate was administered by his nephew, James Preston Ward, son of his sister, Nancy (Isley) Ward.
b.Nancy Isley (b.ca 1825, probably in Roane Co., TN; d. 24 Aug 1870 in Meigs Co., TN); m. 1843, Nicodemus Ward, in Meigs Co., TN.She is buried at Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery in Meigs County.
c.Elizabeth M. Isley (b.ca 1830); m. James Harrison Lee, 4 Jan 1860, in Franklin Co., AR.
d.John Isley (b.ca 1832); m. Elizabeth Wisdom, 12 Aug 1855,
e.Mary Isley (b.ca 1833/4; d. 1887); m. Barbarosa "Ross" Burcham, 30 Jan 1851, Meigs Co., TN.
f.James Isley (b.ca 1835); m. Maranda Mitchell, 4 Mar 1858, Franklin Co., AR.
g.Barbara Isley (b.ca 1836); m. 27 Mar 1853, Burrell Burcham.In the 1890s, Barbara (Isley) Burcham made a claim based on her father's service in the Mexican War and described herself as the only surviving child of George and Nancy Isley.
h.Susan Isley (b.ca 1846 per marriage record); m. James W. May, 6 Sep 1873, Franklin Co., AR.
2.Martin Isley (b.ca 1795; alive 1837, Sullivan Co., TN);Martin Isley is almost certainly a son of Jacob Isley and Elisabeth Roller.A Harold Isley described him as the son of a William Isley.This Harold Isley may be the same Harold Isley who was a great-grandson of Martin Isley.All indications, including naming patterns, indicate Martin was the son of Jacob Isley.No trace has been found of a William Isley in connection with Martin.What's more, Martin shows a close connection to the Roller family and his son, William Penn Isley, married a Roller descendant, cousin intermarriages not being uncommon for the families of this region.Martin Isley's wife is often identified as having been a Quimby, but I have seen no proof.The identification of his children is apparently based on the information of Harold Isley.In this regard, we would hope he would be accurate, as we would hope he would have known the names of his grandfather's siblings.The 1830 Census enumeration does show the Martin Isley household in Sullivan Co., TN with six children.Isley was residing near other members of the extended Roller family in 1830.Children of Martin Isley:
a.James Isley
b.David Isley
c.Elizabeth "Betty" Isley
d.Sarah Isley
e.Mary Isley
f.William Penn Isley (b. 2 Sep 1824 in Sullivan Co., TN; d. 3 Mar 1877 in Sullivan Co., TN).He married Rosannah Elizabeth Hawk, 17 Nov 1846, in Sullivan CO., TN.Rosannah Elizabeth Hawk (b. 30 Jun 1830 in Sullivan Co., TN; d. 7 Nov 1912 in Sullivan Co., TN) was the daughter of Martin Hawk and Mary (Meredith) Hawk, and was a great-granddaughter of Martin Roller, making William Penn Isley and Rosannah second cousins.
Copyright@2007 Charles Martin Ward, Jr.
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