Isaac Gilbert was born 25 Oct 1742 in Ridgefield, CT to Ebenezer & Rebecca (Dayton) Gilbert. In 1761 he served for 8 months in the 6th Company of the 2nd Regiment during the Seven Years’ War (1755-1763). On 10 Apr 1771 he married Mary Rowland in Fairfield, CT and they settled in Ridgefield, CT where their first five children (Rowland, Elizabeth, Abigail, Phebe & Sarah) were born.
During the American Revolution, Isaac was a Sergeant in the Queen’s Rangers serving under Colonel John Graves Simcoe. Following the war, Isaac took his family to New Brunswick where the remainder of his 13 children were born (Mary, Isaac, Ruth, Abigail*, Rebeckah, David Carle**, Rebeckah and Ebenezer Thomas).
In 1799, the family moved to Woodhouse in Norfolk County, Upper Canada where he applied for land as a Loyalist on 27 Jun 1799. He received 400 acres and settled on Lot 4, Broken Front in Woodhouse Township on the shore of Lake Erie, east of Port Ryerse. The original log cabin no longer exists but the brick home Isaac built was still there in 1980. Not sure if it still remains but the home built next door by his son Isaac II still exists and is still owned & lived in by a direct descendant.
There’s more about Isaac’s military service in an article written by Nancy Findlater Cutway and published in the Norfolk OGS Newsletter (Jun 1994) called “Isaac Gilbert’s War”. And Robert Mutrie’s “Long Point Settlers” has information as well. Both authors are descendants of Isaac.
* We descend from this 2nd Abigail who married Peter Wyckoff
** David Carle Gilbert is actually a grandson of Isaac & Mary but was raised by them. I have a family tree (Isaac & children) at: http://www.geneofun.on.ca/gilbert/isaac.html
Submitted by Marilyn Vanderdussen UE