Evolution of Spelling Changes for the name Cessna. Most of the variations we come across in research seem to have come from the whims of the clerks writing down the census or tax data. But there have been critical junctures when some of our ancestors made changes from the spellings used by their parents. Each of these started a new branch of the Family tree with its own moniker. As best I can determine most of the changes occurred during the 1700’s. The Frenchman, a Huguenot and veteran of the Army of William of Orange, is said to have come to America in 1718. We have not found references to him in Ireland. The most obvious references in France would indicate that his original name was Le Sesne or Le Cesne. The earliest references in America come to us from the land records of New Castle County, DE (which was at the time Pennsylvania) in 1738. Four individuals appear in the Land Records for that time: Stephen and Patience Cissna, Stephen Cessna and John Cessna. Stephen Cessna appears to be the oldest and is still living in New Castle County in 1859 after Stephen & Patience have re-located to Carlisle and John has re-located to Shippensburg. In 1738, Stephen and Patience sell their town lot in Wilmington and purchase a plantation on the northern edge of Lancaster County. In petitions for a road and other land references, they have changed their spelling to “Sisney”. With very few exceptions, it remains the same through the 1760’s in their later home at Carlisle. Stephen’s brother, John Cessna will keep that spelling throughout his lifetime. Stephen and Patience have a son, John Cessna who married Pryscilla Foulke and settled in York County, PA; just a dozen or so miles south of Carlisle. In his will of 1755, he states clearly that he uses the spelling “Cessna”. However, he has three children (Stephen, John, Ruth), who are subsequently re-moved to North Carolina by their stepfather. They are introduced at Quaker meetings using the “Sisney” version. Ruth married and died. John disappeared from the record. Stephen moved to Christian County, KY in the first decade of the 1800’s and used “Sisney” until he completed his Will in 1823. In Christian County, Kentucky the name makes yet another change. Stephen’s son Robert choses the variation of “Cisney” for himself and his descendants. Two of Stephen’s grandsons (sons of John) chose the name of Sisney and carry that branch of the family to Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. John Scott Sisney and Stephen William Sisney each raised large families, and their descendants are far flung. Stephen and Patience Sisney had a total of four sons and lost three of them before 1760. Stephen Jr. died without ever marrying. Thomas Sisney died after having only one son; Stephen who used the variation of Cissna and eventually settled in Chillicothe, OH. John’s sons went to North Carolina as described above. And the youngest son of Stephen and Patience: Theophilus settled in Franklin County, PA and used the spelling of Cisna following 1765. His children continued to use it. The second son of the Frenchman: John used the spelling of “Cessna” all of his life, and nearly all of his children did also. However, his son Joseph changed his name to “Cissna” and moved his family to the Detroit area in 1786. Another of his sons, Theophilus changed his last name to Cisney after he married in the 1780. His children settled in Ohio. A third son of the Frenchman appears to be Charles Cessna. Like his brother John, Charles and nearly all of his children maintained the spelling of “Cessna” nearly all of their lives. One of Charles’ sons, Evans changed his name to “Cissna” about 1760 and his descendants have maintained that spelling. Only two more variations have been identified in the research. Emmanuel Cessna, great-great grandson of John Cessna of Shippensburg, began a manufacturing of agricultural tools in the 1870’s, deliberately changed the spelling to “Cisne” in order to fit it on his products. The variation of “Sisna” has been found from time to time, but no link back to Cessna has been determined.
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AuthorBill Cissna Archives
June 2023
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