Isaac, an African American man residing in Chowan County, North Carolina, was enslaved by the Leary family. When Cornelius Leary died in about 1763, he bequeathed the ownership of Isaac jointly to his three minor sons Cornelius Jr., William, and Dempsey. In about October 1764 Isaac came before the local freeholders court when he was accused of burning down one or more houses. The motivation for the crime, or the specific victims of the arson were not recorded. The court found Isaac guilty and ordered his execution via hanging. The three Leary sons then received compensation for the loss of Isaac's labor. Any further records regarding this individual have not been located.