| ![Show Contents]() Isbister Surname History
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Etymology of IsbisterWhat does the name Isbister mean? The forefathers of the Isbister family were Viking settlers who came to Scotland in the Middle Ages. Many places were named by these Norsemen, and the Isbister surname was taken on from one of these place names, when someone lived in Isbister, a place-name found in several locations in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. This makes this name a habitation surname; that is, it is derived from an already existing place-name. Early Origins of the Isbister familyThe surname Isbister was first found in South Ronaldsay, Orkney at Isbister, best known for the chambered tomb so named. Also known as the Tomb of the Eagles, the tomb includes the remains of about 340 people and at least 10 white-tailed eagles. Isbister is also a settlement in eastern Whalsay in the parish of Nesting in the Shetland islands. 1 "There is an Isbister in the parish of Rendall, another in Birsay, a third in South Ronaldsay, and still other two in Northmavine and Whalsay in Shetland." 2 "The surname, however, comes 'from none of these, but from a portion of the large township of Grimeston in Harray, once known (though not in the rentals) as the town of Isbister'." 2 Early History of the Isbister familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Isbister research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1565, 1576, 1605, 1607, 1610, 1822, 1858 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Isbister History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Isbister Spelling VariationsSound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Isbister include Isbister, Yisbuster and others. Early Notables of the Isbister familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was - Alexander Kennedy Isbister (1822-1883), Canadian-born, educational writer, eldest son of Thomas Isbister, an officer of the Hudson Bay Company, born at Fort Cumberland, Canada, in 1822, and was sent t...
| Isbister migration to the United States | + |
In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Isbister or a variant listed above:
Isbister Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Hugh Isbister, who settled in Savannah Georgia in 1775
- Hugh Isbister, aged 20, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1775 3
| Isbister migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Isbister Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Magnus Isbister, aged 21, Scottish settler who landed in Red River, Canada in 1811
| Isbister migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Isbister Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Margaret Isbister, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 4
| Isbister migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Isbister Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- John Isbister, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Claramont" in 1863
- Ann Isbister, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Claramont" in 1863
- Eleanor Isbister, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Claramont" in 1863
- Esther Isbister, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Claramont" in 1863
- Jane Isbister, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Claramont" in 1863
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Isbister (post 1700) | + |
- Malcolm Isbister (1850-1920), Scottish-born Canadian merchant and politician in Saskatchewan, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1905
- John McKechnie Isbister (1911-1975), Canadian General Manager of Vulcan Iron Works in 1945, member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba
- Claude Malcolm Isbister (1914-1996), Canadian civil servant, Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Deputy Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys, and Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
- Rodney J. "Rod" Isbister (b. 1963), Canadian hockey player
- James Isbister (1833-1915), Canadian Métis leader, founder of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
- Brad Isbister (b. 1977), Canadian retired NHL hockey player who played 541 regular season games
- Robert "Big Bob" Isbister Sr. (1885-1963), Canadian CFL football player, inductee into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1965
- Alexander Kennedy Isbister (1822-1883), Canadian HBC explorer from Saskatchewan
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCESS ROYAL 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848PrincessRoyal.htm
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