Issac Willets

   FamilySearch ID: LV5L-71K.

  General Notes:

Isaac Willits was born about 1728 at Secatague (now Islip), Long Island, New York. His father moved to Pennsylvania in 1736, taking Isaac and some of his brothers and sisters with him.

In 1760, Isaac Willits married in (probably) Berks County (now either Berks or Schuykill County) Elizabeth (b c1730). They lived in the Blue Mountain area, and later established a household in New Brunswick Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

In 1756, Isaac Willits ... and his brother John, then in their twenties, were so incensed with the massacre of many of the white settlers , took up arms against the Indians, and they, being members of the Society of Friends , were consequently disowned by the Exeter Monthly Meeting for this breach of discipline (Bartlett, 1982, page 80).

This was more than just a stance to actively resist the Indian raids which were taking their toll on the wilderness settlements and isolated frontier farms. The Exeter records for January 27, 1757, show that, "Isaac (was) disowned for joining the militia" (Bartlett, 1982, page 80). Also, there is no record of Isaac Willits ever returning to the Quaker fold.

April 13, 1771 - Isaac Willits and Ellis Hughes, executors of the testament and last will of John Willits, late of New Brunswig (sic) Township in the County of Berks, sold to Godfried Kercher of the same place a tract of land on Mohonon Creek, adjacent to land of James Boone and Burgeon Bird, in New Brunswig Township. John had bought 125 acres of land in August, 1764, from Isaiah Willits, Isaac Willits and Ellis Hughes; he bought an additional 58 acres of land on August 5, 1765, with application number 57 (County Recorder of Deeds, Berks County, Reading, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 7, pages 189-190, recorded March 9, 1780).

April 22, 1771 - When Isaac purchased 400 acres of land on the west side of the south branch of the Susquehanna River, one mile below the mouth of Fishing Creek, where was an old Indian town (opposite what was later called Hughesburg, then finally Catawissa) on April 22, 1771, he was said to be of Brunswick Township, Berks County (County Recorder of Deeds, Northumberland County, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Deed Book D, page 503, recorded June 26, 1790) (Bartlett, 1982, page 69).

When he sold that same tract of land on February 14, 1783, Isaac was said to be of Hereford Township, Berks County (County Recorder of Deeds, Northumberland County, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Deed Book L, page 306, recorded September 12, 1800) (Bartlett, page 69).

Isaac Willits died in 1784 in Catawissa in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Isaac's son, Thomas, received his letter of administration on his father's estate on November 24, 1784. According to Bartlett there is some doubt as to the children of Isaac Willits (Bartlett, 1982, page 187).

In a document signed on September 20, 1799, the brothers, Samuel, Jesse, Isaac (with wife Rachel), and Isaiah, are named (County Recorder of Deeds, Northumberland County, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Deed Book L, pages 215-216; Bartlett, 1982, page 78). (These are Isaac Willit's brothers).

In a document of April 14, 1800, the children of Isaac Willits deceased are shown: Thomas, Levi, Ruth (and husband Edward Thornton), and Isaiah. All were from Mahoning Township , except Isaiah , who was from Catawissa Township (County Recorder of Deeds, Northumberland County, Sunbury, Pennsylvania; Bartlett, 1982, page 78).

(Willett Families, 1985, pages 270-272).https://archive.org/details/willettfamilieso01will/page/270/mode/2up ¹²⁹⁸

  Events

• residence, 1736, Pennsylvania. Moved with family

• Religion: Quaker disowned, 1756. ¹²⁹⁸ Quaker - disowned 27Jan 1757 for joining the militia (Exeter MM)

• Military. ¹²⁹⁸ Joined the militia in 1756 at the beginning of the French and Indian War. This action caused his disownment from the Quaker Monthly Meeting. He evidently never returned to the Quaker fold.

• Disowned, 27 Jan 1757, Maiden Creek, PA. ¹³⁰⁰ "Whereas Isaac Willets having been Educated amongst us the People called Quakers; but for want of giving heed to the Dictates of Truth within himself, hath of late enlisted himself as a Soldier, and Joined with them that make Preparations for War., it being Contrary to our known Principles and or Discipline, which he hath been Dealt with for; and he persisting in his Outgoing. We do therefore hold ourselves Engaged to testify against him the said Isaac Willits & his Practice, and do hereby Declare him not to be one of our Society until he comes to Witness that godly Sorrow which worketh true Repentance; which that the Lord may grant him is our sincere Desire."

• Tax Assessment, 1769, Brunswick Township, Berks Co., PA. ¹³⁰¹ Also on the list is Joseph Willets.
https://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t1hh6zn5p?urlappend=%3Bseq=1301

• Land: 400 acres, 1771, Catawissa, Philadelphia Co., PA. ¹³⁰²

• Probate, 24 Nov 1784, Northumberland Co., PA. ^1303,1304 committed to Thomas Willits

Issac married Elizabeth [Poss. Wilson] about 1760 in Pennsylvania. (Elizabeth [Poss. Wilson] was born about 1730.)