Was There Ever a "James Isaac Henderson?"

This blog article is an update of a little write-up I did back in 2006 when I realized that James Henderson who made his 1770 will in Onslow County NC (*1) was being referred to increasingly online (and without any caveats or explanation) as "James Isaac Henderson" -- as if it had been copied straight from an early 18th century parish register.

Furthermore, I realized that I might be responsible for the perpetuation of the error.

Prior to about 1985 the connection between Argalus Henderson (*2) of Chatham County and his father, James "Isaac" Henderson of Onslow County, was not widely known among researchers. Most people's research dead-ended with Argalus during much of the last century, so the connection with James Henderson of Onslow was something that only began to show up among researchers in the last 20-30 years. I realized it was likely copies of my own (sloppy) notes that were being shared during the early days of internet genealogy, so before his name became forever chiseled in stone, I thought I'd better try to undo some of the damage I'd done.

Having said that, I have updated this blog article with some additional thoughts and ideas about the use of the name "Isaac" in the Onslow family line as well as the possible earlier use among the Eastern Shore Hendersons.

Here is a slightly modified version of my original 2006 article:

Was there ever a "James Isaac Henderson"?

During over two decades of research, no single document with the name "James Isaac Henderson" has ever been found. So why is the name so widespread among internet researchers?

I May Be to Blame

I confess it's probably my fault. Over twenty years ago, long before the advent of the internet and its ability to rapidly perpetuate incorrect information, I took up research of my Henderson family where my aunt, Thelma Henderson Schoolfield, had left off. Since time was a luxury I had back in the day, I made rapid headway in courthouses and libraries across North Carolina and quickly discovered that we could push our line back one generation prior to Argalus of Chatham County NC, who until that time was our earliest known Henderson ancestor.

Colonial North Carolina records conclusively show that the father of Argalus Henderson was one James Henderson of Henderson's Landing on the New River in present-day Onslow County. I was delighted to find numerous early Onslow County records all referencing James Henderson. James Henderson was a busy man. James Henderson showed up in the records regularly. There was no question about where James Henderson was, or what he was doing, or what he was called. Notice that I keep emphasizing James Henderson, and there is no "Isaac" in between "James" and "Henderson."

James Henderson (the man I believe to be James Henderson Sr., whom I now call Mariner James Henderson) appears almost immediately in Onslow after the formation of the precinct, years before it officially became a county. Possibly he was already living in on the New River, although we have not yet been able to conclusively identify him in the records of earlier New Hanover Precinct or surrounding precincts of Bertie, Chowan, Beaufort or Carteret. (*3)

At first James appears alone, and then there is a period of years where a “James Henderson Sr.” and a “James Henderson Jr.” are mentioned in records. Then, after another period of years has passed, the records once again only reference a “James Henderson,” leading us to believe that either father or son had died. For some reason I no longer recall, I originally thought that Junior had died, but now I am more inclined to believe it was Mariner James Henderson Senior who passed away, once again leaving a single James Henderson - very likely the man we call “James ‘Isaac’ Henderson” - active in Onslow County until his death, between 1776-1780.

The latter James Henderson named the following children in his will: son Argalus, and daughters Lucy Henderson Loyd, Bethany Nixon, Elizabeth ("Betty") Jenkins, Nancy ("Nanny") Henderson. (*4) Throughout his will and in all other colonial records except for the the single reference below our James is referred to only as "James Henderson."

The Origin of Isaac

So where did "Isaac" come from?

Onslow County NC Deed Book 18 Page 44:

Apr. 16, 1792 "William Loyd and his wife, Lucy, and Archelaus Henderson of Onslow and Chatham Counties, NC, for the sum of [sixty pounds] sold to James Foy, Jr., land on Kizabel's Creek in Onslow Co. near James Henderson's Landing, 220 acres whereon Isaac Henderson lived and died, and willed to his daughter, Lucy Henderson, now Lucy Loyd, the land granted to Nathaniel Avritt and deeded by will to James Henderson, deceased. Test: James Foy Sr., William Jenkins."

This record is clearly referring to the same James Henderson of the 1770 will (who named Lucy and Argalus as his children). And yet, equally clearly, the same man, the father of Lucy and Argalus, is being called Isaac Henderson in this document eighteen years later.

Without looking at the original document, I have no way to tell if this is a transcription error, but it seems unlikely that "James" could be mistaken for "Isaac." Since Argalus would name his firstborn son Isaac, I feel certain that the record says "Isaac" and not "James." (*5)

For lack of any better ideas, I decided that the best thing to do was use “Isaac” as a possible middle name for James. These days I always try to put it in quote marks "Isaac" or parentheses (Isaac) to remind us that it may not be correct.

Curiously, there is a tiny bit of a hint that the progenitor of the Eastern Shore Henderson may also have used the name "Isaac" and in fact may have also been a James “Isaac” Henderson himself, but I base that on a single speculative clue having to do with the fact that his daughter, Jane Henderson Williams, followed the tradition of naming her eldest son after her husband’s father (John Williams) and then, instead of naming her second son “James” for her father as one might expect, she named him “Isaac.” A tenuous thread, but an intriguing one.

So there you are. For better or worse, the name "James 'Isaac' Henderson" was carelessly recorded in my notes, which soon began to circulate among online researchers. Mea culpa. Mea culpa. If anyone can provide an original source document with the full name "James Isaac Henderson", I would be happy to change my position on this and stop qualifying the name with quotes or parentheses, but until then, "Isaac" remains unconfirmed and open to debate.

Now, an additional word about the frequent use of the name Isaac among descendants of Hendersons of the Eastern Shore. In my database I currently show the following Isaac Hendersons. There may be others that I don't have in my notes.

Somerset County MD James Henderson's Descendants Named "Isaac:"

• Isaac Williams b aft 1696, s/o Jane Henderson Williams of Somerset Co MD
• Isaac Henderson b 1741 s/o Jesse & Rhoda Henderson of Somerset Co MD
• Isaac Henderson b 1790, s/o Barnaby Henderson Junior of Onslow Co NC
• Isaac Henderson b aft 1801, s/o Lemuel Henderson of Accomack Co VA (connection unidentified)
• Isaac Henderson b 1806 s/o Levin & Nancy Layfield Henderson
• Isaac Henderson b 1836, s/o James Henderson of Worcester Co MD
• Isaac Newton Henderson Sr. b 1847, s/o Henry Henderson of Duck Creek NC (connection unproven) and Isaac Newton's son, Isaac Newton Henderson Jr. b 1885, Onslow Co NC

Chatham/Onslow James "Isaac" Henderson's Descendants Named "Isaac:"

• Isaac Henderson b 1753, s/o Argaleus of Onslow & Chatham Counties, NC
• Isaac Henderson b 1822, s/o Argaleus Henderson the younger of Greenville Co SC
• Isaac R. Henderson b 1827, s/o Hezekiah Henderson of Chatham Co NC
• Isaac Henderson b 1831, s/o Obediah Henderson of Chatham Co NC
• Isaac E. Henderson b&d 1882, s/o Elwood Lindley Henderson of Chatham Co NC
• Isaac Ingram Henderson b 1886, s/o Orla Hezekiah Henderson of Chatham Co NC (Orla and Elwood were brothers, sons of Isaac R. Henderson listed above)

Jane Henderson Williams, daughter of James Henderson Senior of Somerset Co MD, named her eldest child "John" after her husband's father (and her husband). Traditionally the next son would have been named "James" for her own father, but instead, she called him "Isaac."

*1 Although James "Isaac" wrote his will in October 1770, he apparently did not die as anticipated. He can still be found in Onslow records up until August of 1776. The first record that clearly indicates his demise is from 8th April, 1780.

*2 Spelled varyingly as Argulus, Argaleus, Archelaus, Hercules, etc.

*3 There are records of a James Henderson active in upper coastal NC as early as the seventeen-teens and seventeen-twenties, but I have not yet been able to conclusively prove he is Mariner James Henderson of Onslow.

*4 Also in the area during James “Isaac” Henderson's lifetime was a Joseph Henderson, and a William Henderson, but no connection has yet been established, although I am keeping an eye on William in particular as a possible relation.

*5 It was traditional up until the 19th century to name the eldest son after the father's father.