In 1742, the 26-year-old king’s collector visited Marblehead, and fell in love with the young tavern maid, a poor fisherman's daughter ten years younger than himself.
The Story of Agnes Surriage, the Marblehead Tavern Maid
Author: Gordon Harris
Gordon Harris is a local historian living in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and publisher of the Historic Ipswich site. Follow him at https://gordonharris.bsky.social/
The Revolutionary War Letters of Joseph Hodgkins and Sarah Perkins
Throughout the Revolutionary War, Joseph Hodgkins sent letters home from the battlefronts to his wife, Sarah Perkins Hodgkins.
Evacuation Day, March 17, 1776
The above painting by Louis S. Glanzman is courtesy of the National Park Service. The siege of Boston by Patriot forces began on April 19, 1775, in the aftermath of the battles at Lexington and Concord. In June the British technically won the Battle of Bunker Hill, but suffered heavier casualties, with no effect on the Continental… Continue reading Evacuation Day, March 17, 1776
Ipswich Connects: Affordable Energy. Thursday Feb. 26
With the cost of electricity on the rise, it’s more critical than ever to learn about what can be done to lower your bill. On Thursday, February 26, the public is invited to attend “Ipswich Connects: Affordable Energy,” where a panel will look at the history of energy creation in town over the centuries, present… Continue reading Ipswich Connects: Affordable Energy. Thursday Feb. 26
2026 Winter Wellness Sampler, January 23 – March 20, 2026
Winter Wellness Sampler is back for its 4th year! Join us for a seasonal series designed to help you move through the darkest, coldest months with care, curiosity, and connection. The January 23 session will be held at Boone Hall, Ascension Episcopal Church, located on County Street. The next seven sessions will be held at the Ipswich Town… Continue reading 2026 Winter Wellness Sampler, January 23 – March 20, 2026
Ipswich Museum Sunday Strolls, April – May, 2026
The Ipswich Museum, 54 S. Main Street Mark your calendars for the return of the Ipswich Museum Sunday Strolls this April and May. Led by experienced guides, Stephanie Gaskins and Scott Jewel, topics range from the life and art of Arthur Wesley Dow to pivotal moments of Ipswich history. Tours will begin at 2 PM, starting… Continue reading Ipswich Museum Sunday Strolls, April – May, 2026
The Witchcraft Accusations Against Sarah Buckley and Mary Witheridge
On May 23, 1692, a complaint for witchcraft was filed against Sarah Buckley and her widowed daughter Mary Witheridge. The "bewitched" girls of Salem Village claimed that the women's specters had attacked them. Held in shackles in the cold crowded jail, both were acquitted in January,1692
Four-Year-Old Dorothy Good is Jailed for witchcraft, March 24, 1692
On March 24, 1682. a child, Dorothy Good of Salem was taken custody, and interrogated by the local magistrates for two weeks. Hungry, cold and missing her mother, Dorcas broke down and told the inquisitors what they wanted to hear, that her mother was a witch, and consorted with the devil.
Salem City Council Passes Resolution Ensuring the Safety of its Immigrant Population.
In February 2026, the Salem, Massachusetts City Council adopted a resolution reaffirming the city’s responsibility to protect all Salem residents regardless of their immigration status. RESOLUTION: TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY WHEREAS, the City of Salem is a welcoming city with a longstanding commitment to being a culturally inclusive and safe community… Continue reading Salem City Council Passes Resolution Ensuring the Safety of its Immigrant Population.
Ipswich Town Meeting Resolution Calling Upon Congress to Oversee the President: May 2026
RESOLVED: That this duly assembled Town Meeting, as the legislative body of the Town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, respectfully calls upon the Congress of the United States to fully exercise its constitutional duty of oversight and authority, including, but not limited to, the power to impeach and remove the sitting President of the United States.
Ipswich at War
Links to two dozen wars that Ipswich men fought in from the town's settlement in 1633, through the Vietnam War.
Abraham Lincoln’s Brush with Essex County
By David J. Kent Abraham Lincoln toured New England twice. He never made it to Ipswich, but he did have some brushes with Essex County that influenced his development as a politician and his rise to the presidency. The first trip was as a sitting congressman in 1848, during which he gave ten speeches in… Continue reading Abraham Lincoln’s Brush with Essex County
The Hanging of Ezra Ross and Bathsheba Spooner, July 2, 1778
In 1778, sixteen-year-old Ezra Ross of Ipswich was condemned to death for the murder of Joshua Spooner of Brookfield. Spooner's wife Bathsheba became the first woman executed in the newly-created United States of America. Ezra Ross is buried in an unmarked grave at the Leslie Road Cemetery.
Installing Linux Kubuntu on your unsupported Windows 10 computer.
by Gordon Harris On October 14, 2025, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10, which will no longer receive hardware and security updates. An estimated 200 million computers built before 2017 (Intel 8th Generation) don't have TPM 2.0, and can't be updated to Windows 11. Windows 10 will still be safe for any purpose that doesn't… Continue reading Installing Linux Kubuntu on your unsupported Windows 10 computer.
The Streets of Minneapolis
By Gordon Harris The above photo is from the New York Times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKSoxG1K7w Through the winter’s ice and coldDown Nicollet AvenueA city aflame fought fire and ice‘Neath an occupier’s bootsKing Trump’s private army from the DHSGuns belted to their coatsCame to Minneapolis to enforce the lawOr so their story goesAgainst smoke and rubber bulletsBy the… Continue reading The Streets of Minneapolis
To the Inhabitants of Ipswich from Thomas Jefferson
The Embargo Act of 1807 put New England ports at a standstill and its towns into a depression. The Ipswich Town Meeting petitioned the President to relieve "the people of this once prosperous country from their present embarrassed and distressed condition." The town found Jefferson's answer "Not Satisfactory."
Historic Ipswich 