Isabella and Elizabeth were born in 1810 and 1812 respectively, their lives followed a pattern; born two years apart [1810 & 1812]; married two years apart [1850 & 1852]; died two years apart [1891 & 1893]. Little is known of their early lives, their education is not referenced anywhere, but some of their interests are, these included some craft based hobbies, in the form of stained glass design and production. The art of turning decorative objects on a lathe, a particular interest of Isabella, to such an extent that she authored a book on the subject, styled as written by a man, to overcome the prejudices of the age. It is believed that at least one of the sister's played the harp and they both would have been competent pianists.