Sisson Genealogy

The SISSON GENEALOGY Site

revised 21 May 2021

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(Note: If you search for "Sisson," you'll get hits on every page! For more targeted results, try searching for the surname of a wife, or an unusual place name.)

Welcome. I'm Carol Sisson Regehr, current webmeister and database keeper for the Sisson Genealogy Site. A big thanks to David Arne Sisson, founding webmeister, for countless hours of volunteer work over many years, getting these databases into shape!

SISSON/SISSONS GATHERING 2021—We regret to announce that the in-person gathering planned for 2021 will be postponed to 2022, due to ongoing concerns about safety and travel restrictions during the Covid-19 precautions. Look here for information about a Zoom meeting to substitute for the 2021 gathering. So, the next in-person 14th Biennial Sisson/Sissons Gathering will be held in Groton, Connecticut. Save the dates – Thursday, June 16 - Saturday, June 18, 2022 - and look here for updated details as they become available. Hope to see you there! And hope to see you via Zoom in June 2021!

The 13th Biennial Sisson/Sissons gathering was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, in June 2018.

The 12th Biennial Sisson/Sissons gathering was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 2016.

The 11th Biennial Sisson/Sissons gathering was held in Providence, Rhode Island, in June 2014. Great memories of visiting many sites associated with immigrants Richard and Mary Sisson!

The 10th Biennial Sisson/Sissons gathering in Albany, New York, is history! This gathering was dedicated to the memory of our cousin and fellow researcher David Arne Sisson, who passed away December 20, 2011. Peace be with you, David!

                                                  

The 9th Biennial Sisson/Sissons Gathering in Denver, Colorado is history! For photos of the event, go to Howard Watkins’ photography pages.

Transcription of SISSON households and individuals in the 1850 U.S. Census. A big thanks to Steven Sisson for this huge effort!

JOIN THE SISSON DNA PROJECT! We need YOU to participate. The more men whose DNA is analyzed, the more we will know about the relationships between the Sisson clans and families. Please click here for information about the Sisson DNA Project.

 It is my pleasure to present the work of many SISSON researchers, especially Joan & David Henry Sisson of WoodlandCalifornia, who published the Sisson Newsletter and whose book called Descendants of Richard and Mary SISSON came out in 1999. NEW! Volume 2, Descendants of Richard and Mary Sisson, Updates, published in June 2003.Click here for information about buying the books .

If you have additions or corrections to make to any of the databases which I have been maintaining, please send them to me at [email protected]. (Take out the “NOSPAM” before e-mailing.)

These are several of the SISSON databases I've been maintaining so far. They present the descendants of two 17thcentury couples, a 19th-century immigrant couple, and other couples with immigrants or intermediate generations still unknown. For some hints on efficient searching of these databases, click here.

  • Richard (1608-1684) and Mary SISSON of Rhode Island and Massachusetts
  • Robert (1630-1692) and Amy SISSON of Virginia This group now includes the large subgroup previously known as the "Fairfax" group. A huge thanks to Steven Sisson for countless hours of work on this database! Steven would like to acknowledge much assistance from Sharon Miller, Barbara Marsh, Sue Kretchun, Laura Thompson, Wm. Page Johnson III; the Fairfax Historical Society; Rita Holtz - Alexandria Librarian, Special Collections and Local History; Suzanne Levy, Virginia Room Librarian, Fairfax City Regional Library; Patricia Cramer, and Linda Whitcomb.
  • Thomas Sisson, born in 1775 in NY or RI, husband of Elizabeth Pendall. NEWS! New DNA analysis indicates that Thomas Sisson, husband of Elizabeth Pendall, was related to Richard and Mary Sisson of Rhode Island , see above line! Research on the intervening generations is ongoing as we speak!
  • Richard Sisson (abt 1750-1825) and Sarah Reynolds of New York. Richard's father is as yet unknown. Descendants of this line migrated to Michigan, Kansas, Colorado, Indiana, and Montana. NEWS! New DNA analysis indicates that Richard Sisson, husband of Sarah Reynolds,  was related to Richard and Mary Sisson of Rhode Island , see above line! Research on the intervening generations is ongoing as we speak!
  • George Thomas Sisson (1847-1880) and Betsey Minerva Smith (1844-1919) of New York. George's father is as yet unknown.
  • Robert (~1810-1884) and Mary (Foreman) Sisson of Stephenson Co., Illinois. Robert and Mary immigrated from England by the early 1840s. Some of their descendants lived in Republic Co., Kansas; Furnas, Nuckolls, and Otoe counties in Nebraska.
  • Thomas Sisson and Hannah Parker of Virginia. Reported descendants moved through the Carolinas to Georgia and other Southern states.
  • Five Sisson brothers who were born in the 1770s and lived in Mississippi are the subject of research by Janice Rice. The brothers’ names were James, John, William, Eldridge, and an unknown brother who is known only through his widow and children. The parents of these brothers have not been documented yet.


Is there a SISSON Coat of Arms? Thanks to Rob Sisson of Sturgis, MI, for sharing this research!

For pdfs of applications granted from the Guion-Miller (Cherokee) rolls for Harry Sisson and Lady Sisson, click here. Thanks to Howard Watkins for providing these copies!

Here are some other sites which offer Sisson information

  • Terri's site for descendants of William Sisson of late 19th century Ashland, Ohio (link broken – fix in progress!)
  • Kelly Walter's biography and pictures of George Marian Sisson and his wife Sallie Marcy of Gallatin Co., Kentucky (Richard, George, Thomas, Giles, John, James C., Henry B., George M.)
  • descendants of Richard Sisson of Westmoreland, England and 11 children born 1770s to 1790s who came to Canada.
  • information about the descendants of William Sisson, born in 1812 in England, who moved to PA, WV, and eventually to Brown County, IN; his descendant Glen R. Sisson invented the Sisson automatic choke for automobiles in the 1920s and 1930s (link broken)
  • a resource for people whose ancestors cannot be located in one of the databases above
  • a history of the "Mintwater Brook Farm" house in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where George 2 (Richard 1) & Sarah (Lawton) Sisson lived in the early 18th century
  • a history of the house at Head of Westport where Richard and Mary lived after moving from Portsmouth (link broken - fix and more pictures coming soon)
  • a theory about some early SISSONs in Virginia including a potential father and siblings for Robert Sisson
  • Dave Price's stories about David Sloan Sisson 's family, with a picture of an 1890 gathering hosted by his daughter Callie Amanda (or Maye) (Sisson) Price (Robert 1, William 2, Bryan 3, Caleb 4, Stanley 5, Ludlow Branham 6, David Sloan 7, Callie [Sisson] Price 8) (some links broken - fix coming soon!)
  • Dave Lehman includes his Sisson line in his genealogy center at www.ancestralarchives.com.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other SISSON matters:

  • Why are some people listed only as "Living" when I gave you their names and dates?
  • Where did our founding ancestors come from? Can't we do research in England ?
  • How can I "talk" to Sisson cousins about our Sisson ancestors and cousins? Here's the answer: Subscribe to the SISSON LIST to do genealogical research by email.
  • Is this ALL there is? NO! Here are some other sites for genealogy research in general and for Sisson research in particular. Go to Dick Eastman's newsletter (frequently updated) for articles of interest on genealogy research techniques, especially in regard to computers!
  • I can't find my SISSON ancestors here. What can I do?
  • This site is pretty plain looking. How about some pictures? Answer: Click on Carol Sisson Regehr's pictures of the Sisson house in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and of the gravestones of John and Alcha (Crandall) Sisson. For more information, click on Mintwater Brook Farm house .

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the material presented on this site is our latest attempt to approach completeness and accuracy in SISSON genealogy. Always approaching, never quite getting there -- that is the nature of genealogical research. This site can give you hints about people and their relationships, but only hints. Please remember to look for documentary proof of your ancestry, like the original documents (birth and marriage certificates, wills, deeds, letters, etc.). Or look up some secondary publications which carefully note the sources of their information. These alone can prove the names, dates, places, and relationships for the people in your branch of the family. In particular, if you are trying to verify information about people in the first ten generations in Richard & Mary's line, you will find the book by Joan & Dave Sisson mentioned above (scroll back up this page for the link) to be invaluable. You can double-check the sources listed there, and decide whether you agree or disagree with their interpretation.We wish you very good luck with your genealogy.

Carol Sisson Regehr
My Sisson lines:
1.Richard & Mary 2.George 3.Thomas 4.Giles 5.John 6.Benjamin 7.JohnCr. 8.WmBenj. 9.BenjFr. 10.Edgar 11.WillieFr. 12.myself
and
1-6.same 7.Eli 8.Mary Elizabeth Sisson REED 9.Louisa Jane Reed SISSON 10-12.same