Isham of PytchleyA documentary genealogy

Generation XII

William Isome of Cheshunt

1587–1634

Life

No baptism has been found for William Isome. The earliest record of him is his marriage: on 13 October 1619 "William Isame and Marye Harding mayden" were married at St Peter, Paul's Wharf, London, by licence from the Faculty Office.1,2,3

The couple settled at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, where the parish register records the christenings of their children: Marie in March 1619/20, Robert on 30 September 1621, Anne in December 1624, Elizabeth in May 1628 and Rachel in November 1629.4,5,6,7,8 His wife Mary was buried at Cheshunt on 18 January 1633.9

His parentage rests on later evidence. Y-DNA tests of a male-line descendant through his son Robert fall within the Cleborne patriline and branch off at about the generation of James Cleburne (1564–1625), a bargeman of Waltham Holy Cross, just across the River Lea from Cheshunt.10,11 The working conclusion is that William was born about 1587 to James Cleburne and Apollonya Isham, daughter of Henry Isham, mercer of London, shortly before her marriage to Robert Lee at South Mimms, and that he took his mother's surname.10

In 1612 Apollonya's daughter Mary Lee, whose parents were by then both dead, was living in London with her aunt Susan Sturtivant, widow.12 It has been suggested that William too was brought up in Susan's household.10

  1. Marriage of William Isame and Marye Harding, 13 Oct 1619, St Peter Paul's Wharf, London, by Faculty Office licence
  2. William Isham in the London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
  3. William Ishame, "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
  4. Wm. Isome in entry for Marie Isome, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
  5. William Isome in entry for Robt. Isome, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
  6. Willi. Isom in entry for Anne Isom, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
  7. Willia. Isome in entry for Elizabeth Isome, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
  8. Willi. Isome in entry for Rachell Isome, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
  9. Mary Isham in 1633
  10. Y-DNA proof summary, 2026: Big Y-700 kit B487245 (male-line descendant of Robert Isome) in the Cleborne patriline, R-FTC71892
  11. Cleborne / Isom Y-DNA tree, 2022: STR and SNP comparison of Isom kit B487245 with Cleborne descendants
  12. Marriage allegation of Peter Mitton and Marie Lee, 19 May 1612, London (transcription)

Life sketch as written on the FamilySearch Family Tree. Footnotes link each statement to the attached source that supports it; they were matched by machine against the source summaries and should be read as a guide, not a verification.

Records

  1. 1612
    Secondary

    Peter Mitton of London, merchant taylor, about 30, to marry "Marie Lee maiden of London aforesaid aged 18 yeres or there abowtes whose parentes are both deceased and she solie at the goverment and disposinge of Mris Suzan Sturtivant widowe her aunt with whome she nowe dwelleth". Zacheus Isham of the Middle Temple, gent…

  2. 1619
    Secondary

    "William Isame and Marye Harding mayden were maried the 13 of October with alicence out of the ffaculty office" [1619].

  3. 1619
    Index

    Name: William Isham

  4. 1619
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  5. 1619
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  6. 1621
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  7. 1624
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  8. 1628
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  9. 1629
    Index

    This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.

  10. 1633
    Secondary

    First name(s) Mary

  11. 2022
    Secondary

    Tree of Y-STR results placing Isham/Isom kit B487245 (descendant of Robert Isome b. 1621) beside the descendants of Edward Cleborne (b. 1615) and other Cleborne/Clyburn lines.

  12. 2026
    Secondary

    Big Y-700 kit B487245 (Joshua David Isom, b. 1976, male-line descendant of Robert Isome via William Isham 1747-1823) shares 9 SNPs (R-FTC71892, FT325959, FTC71893 etc.) with tested male-line descendants of Edward Cleborne (1614-1662) and branches basally at R-FTC71892, implying divergence at about the generation of Jam…