"Commonwealth" is defined as a state in which authority is vested in the citizenry. In the 17th Century it was the radical philosophy the work and the proceeds thereof should be shared by the people.
The “Commonwealth”
Author: Gordon Harris
Gordon Harris is a local historian living in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and publisher of the Historic Ipswich site. Follow him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonrharris/
Lord Timothy Dexter
Lord Timothy Dexter of Newburyport was insane but profited from everything he undertook. He declared himself to be "the greatest philosopher in the known world." His book, "A Pickle for the Knowing Ones" is a collection of whatever entered his head at the moment, spelling as he wished, and devoid of punctuation.
Paul and Cathleen McGinley earn 2017 Mary Conley Award
At the Selectpersons Meeting on Monday evening, the Ipswich Historical Commission presented the 2017 Mary Conley Award to Paul and Cathleen McGinley for preservation of the Philip Call House, and a lifetime of service to the Town of Ipswich.
The Witchcraft Trial of Elizabeth Howe, Hanged July 19, 1692
Elizabeth Howe and her husband James resided on outer Linebrook. She was charged with bewitching her neighbor’s child and was arrested on May 28, 1692. She was one of the five women hanged in Salem on July 19, 1692.
Ipswich Pillow Lace
In the late eighteenth century, Ipswich had 600 women and girls producing more than 40,000 yards of lace annually. Ipswich industrialists imported machines from England to mechanize and speed up the operation, which destroyed the hand-made lace industry.
Houses at the South Green
The Ipswich South Green Scan to follow on your phone. Links to Audio files are being added to this website and the Ipswich Interactive Map of Historic Houses and Places. The first area to be completed is the South Green. This virtual tour of houses facing the Ipswich South Green Historic District can be started… Continue reading Houses at the South Green
The Spanish Flu Epidemic Raged in Massachusetts in 1918
The flu pandemic that spread throughout the world in 1918-1919 may have killed more people than the medieval Black Death.
The Highs & Lows of the Rowley River
Enjoy a fascinating hour-long virtual tour of the Rowley River with 4th-generation clammer and former Shellfish Constable Jack Grundstrum.
Tales of Olde Ipswich by Harold Bowen
In 1972 Harold Bowen was asked to write a column for a newspaper called Ipswich Today, the first of a series of stories that continued for ten years. Tales of Olde Ipswich was republished in three volumes.
A Brief History of the Choates of Ipswich, Essex, and Newburyport
John Choate, the early settler of that name arrived in Ipswich during the Great Puritan Migration of the 1630s and ‘40s as a young man, and soon eventually acquired land in Chebacco, originally a part of Ipswich which broke away in 1820. By the 3rd generation, Choate family members lived in Newbury and Newburyport, marrying… Continue reading A Brief History of the Choates of Ipswich, Essex, and Newburyport
The Sham Robbery of Elijah Goodrich on his Own Person, Tried in Ipswich
Representing the defendants, Daniel Webster appealed to the jury to say under oath whether the inconsistencies and improbabilities of the prosecution should have any weight.
Robert and Hannah Pengry Day of Ipswich, and Some of Their Descendants
Robert Day, the settler, was assigned a lot near High St., about where Bialek Park is now, not too far from the Old North Burying Ground. His wife is said to have been Hannah Pengry, the daughter of Aaron Pengry, whose property adjoined theirs. Robert’s son John inherited the homestead, and son Thomas inherited Robert's farm, farther north on High Street, on the way to Rowley. The family’s relationship to the town of Rowley is evident through several marriages.
Benjamin Fewkes, the First Ipswich Hosiery Manufacturer
Benjamin Fewkes (1788-1869) was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, the son of William Fewkes. He apprenticed in the stocking knitting trade, working for an uncle who owned a stocking shop in a small village called Quorn. It was in this town that he married Elizabeth Smith on 21 May 1809, daughter of Jarvis and Mary… Continue reading Benjamin Fewkes, the First Ipswich Hosiery Manufacturer
An Amazing Coincidence on July 4, 1826
John Adams died quietly at six o’clock on the evening of July 4, 1826 at the age of 91. His last words were: “Jefferson survives.” He did not know that on the same day in Monticello, Virginia, his long-time rival Thomas Jefferson had breathed his last at the age of 82.
“In the Good Old Summer Time” – Swampscott Estates
In the 19th Century, wealthy professionals and businessmen who chose to construct lavish summer homes in Swampscott for themselves and their families to enjoy its sea breezes and ocean views.
This Old House visits the Ipswich 1634 Meadery
Kevin O'Connor from This Old House drives to Ipswich and gets a lesson from Dan Clapp in making mead.
Historic Ipswich 