In France there was an ancient family with the name of Isabelles. This family was of Medieval Norman-French origin. About one thousand and sixty-six years after the birth of Christ (1066), a Sir William Isbell went to Southwest England with William the Conqueror. It is "said" that all of the Isbells of England descend from this Sir William Isbell of France. There were Isbelis in Scotland and lsbells in England. The most common first names were John, William and Thomas.

According to Scottish surnames, ISBELL means "under (is) the pool." Also found is "ISABELSON, 'son of Isabel.' Geoffray Isabelsone of Berwickshire, rendered homage, 1296." A Handbook of Cornish names lists the following: "Isbell is from Ys-bell, meaning lower, distant, some distance down the hill."

From a book entitled, "English Origins of New England Families," "we find in the extracts from a rental of the manor of Ormesby, County. Norfolk, England, 1610: "Of John lsbelle for landes late John Hannye unde Tho. Palm ft di. p; rt vj d. ob. Rob'tus Palm the resid."
 

Some Isbell names are found in the early days of English Counties like Oxford, Norfolk, Suffolk, York, Lincoln and Sumerset. They are mostly of yeoman and merchant class. In the next paragraph you will find some of those names.
1273 A.D. Oxfordshire, England was Walter Isabelle and about the same time John Isabela of County Norfolk: those of Walter Filius "son of" Isabelle in Lincolshire: 1327 William Isabell of Somersetshire: 1379 Matilda and Johannes Isbell: 1523 County of Norfolk William Isbelle. Living in Ormsby: 1699 Suffolk County, John Isbell of Wickhambrook married to Marion, daughter of Samuel Ray: 1607 London, Ann Isbell married at St. Antholin to Thomas Brickell and 1711 Thomas Isable Major (Register of St. Column).

"Homes of Family Names in Great Britain," by Henry Brougham Guppy, M.B. Isabell, occurring also in the different forms of Isabelles, Isbells, etc., was a Norwhich name in the 16th century. Isbell is now found in East Dereham and Attleborough. The name was represented as Isabell and Ysabell in the same country in the 13th century, as well as in Kent, Cambridgeshire, and Lincoishire. It is now rare or extinct in its early homes.
"A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames" : "Isabell, Isbell - Bapt. 'the son of Isabel,' a very popular font-name in its day."
Somewhere, "allegedly" in Cornwall, England, lived a line of Isbells. There has been a long-standing story or belief that three Isbell brothers were being chased by the sheriff (in England) for stealing some sheep, which was a death sentence if caught.
It has been thought that the begining of our line of Isbells in America could have been a John Isbell.
Two sons of John Isbell were given land grants in 1699, (William and ?) in Virginia. A Henry Isbell was the executor of a William (died in 1760), and a John Isbell (died in 1767). Could it be that William and John were the sons of John Isbell and Henry was the grandson? John Isbell died in 1767. A James Isbell dies a few years later.

The land grants (in those early days) were to: Robert Isbell (1637), John Isbell (1664) and William Isbell (1699). It is believed by some that John Isbell (1664 land grants) is the father of William Isbell who surveyed the northern neck of Virginia in 1699.
In 1744 a William Isbell of Carolina was fined 5 shillings or 50 lbs. of tobacco for not frequenting his church for two months; 1745, William Isbell, for going to church drunk, fined 5 shillings; and 1749, William Isbell fined 5 shillings for being drunk in church.
During our Henry Isbell's life time the Virginia landseekers penetrated the northeast corner of Tennessee. This settlement was known as the Watuga Valley. Most came from the Piedmont area called the "old west." Most of these settlers were the defeated regulators (or mob). Even in the Civil War one of the most important reasons for the existence of unionism in the Appalachian Highlands was the influence of the deep scars of regulators and back country farmers vs aristocrats rather than any devotion to the cause of preserving the union.
Patrick Henry (born 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia) was a leader for some of these back country patriots. By the years 1772 and 1773, thirteen settlements had been formed in Watuga. One of the early Watuga settlers was Daniel Boone.
These regulators wanted reform and marched off to Hillsborough (Tenn) and seized Sheriff Fanning in order to gain that control. Governor Tyron called out the Militia and turned them on their own country men.