Immigrants to New England in the 1630s, such as Isaac Cummings, nearly all came from England. Moreover, Isaac's fellow settlers of Watertown and Ipswich, Massachusetts came predominantly from Suffolk and Essex. A search of the Family History Library's International Genealogical Indexes for those two counties brings to light (FHL microfilm #560,909) an Isaack COMMEN who had children exactly matching those of the immigrant. He was of Mistley, Essex, with is right on the Suffolk border. Also of Mistley was Henry Kimball who came on the Elizabeth in 1634 and lived in Watertown, MA.

It seems clear that Isaack COMMEN of Mistley was the immigrant. He disappears from the records there just before appearing in Watertown, MA, where he settled among great numbers of his fellow countrymen, even townsmen. His three children baptized in Mistley exactly match American records. The spelling COMMEN is in line with the American variations.

Isaac must fit in somehow with the CUMMINGS family of Essex and Suffolk. No others are found in Mistley, however. There was Stephen COMYNG of Essex in 1273 (Charles Wareing Bardsley, 'A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames', Baltimore, 1967, p 198) when Isaac Cummings' claimed ancestors were still in Scotland.

Isaac CUMMINGS was born in 1600/1601, according to a deposition dated 27 March 1666 (Essex Court Files, 2:90) or in 1602/3 per a deposition of 25 March 1675. He died at Topsfield, Massachusetts, between 8 and 22 May 1677 (from probate records). He married ANNE (last name unkown), probably in Essex or Suffolk, England by 1628, as his first known child was baptized at Mistley in early 1629. The first four children are recorded in Mistley (FHL microfilm #560,909, item 2); surname CUMMINGS.