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.
Category: People
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.
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
A Town of Immigrants
Puritans founded Ipswich during the “Great Migration” of the early 17th Century. Many residents of the town descend from immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work in the mills.
Thomas and Susan French of Ipswich, and their Sons and Daughters
The largest contingent to arrive in Ipswich from the same village were 15 men and women from Assington, Suffolk, including Thomas French and his family.
Remembering John Dolan
The following article was written in 2013 by Beverly Perna for the Ipswich Chronicle. Reprinted with permission. It is true—when you become “of an age,” you start to scan the obituaries. Sadly, with each passing year, I see more familiar names. If I didn’t know them, I knew of them. I looked at the paper last week, and one… Continue reading Remembering John Dolan
The Great and Famous Not So Gentle Ipswich Putdown
Republished from Ipswich Yesterday by Alice Keenan, 1982. Photos by George Dexter and Edward L. Darling. Ipswich has the habit, long ingrained, of turning on those who love her most, and who, innocently and willingly, donate their time, talents, energies, and in some cases — money -- for her welfare and adornment. Sometimes the reprimand is delivered… Continue reading The Great and Famous Not So Gentle Ipswich Putdown
The Merchant Princes, Cyrus Wakefield and George Peabody
by Helen Breen Question: What Do Wakefield and Peabody Have In Common? Answer: Both renamed their Essex County towns in the mid-19th century to honor their "favorite sons" and benefactors - Cyrus Wakefield (1811-1873) and George Peabody (1795-1869). PORTRAIT OF THE SHIP "CYRUS WAKEFIELD" FLYING AN AMERICAN FLAG, SHIPS AND LIGHTHOUSE IN THE DISTANCE –… Continue reading The Merchant Princes, Cyrus Wakefield and George Peabody
Glen Magna and the Joseph Peabody Family of Salem
The Glen Magna Estate is now managed as a non-profit by the Danvers Historical Society. Photo courtesy North of Boston magazine Article by Helen Breen Before the advent of modern transportation, affluent city dwellers often built their summer residences within a few miles of home. Such was the case when shipping magnate Joseph Peabody (1757-1844), "the… Continue reading Glen Magna and the Joseph Peabody Family of Salem
Chance Bradstreet, a “Negro boy” enslaved in Ipswich.
(This story was made possible by research conducted by Christopher Challender Child and Marblehead historian Bob Booth.) In 1764, Marblehead's Second Congregational Church's minister, Simon Bradstreet, moved into a new mansion house with his wife Mary (née Strahan) Bradstreet, whom he had married in 1738. They were accompanied by an African American enslaved woman called… Continue reading Chance Bradstreet, a “Negro boy” enslaved in Ipswich.
Jake Burridge, the sailor
Legendary Ipswich native Jake Burridge had a century of sailing stories to share with you.
The Bones of Masconomet
On March 6, 1659 a young man named Robert Cross dug up the remains of the Agawam chief Masconomet, and carried his skull on a pole through Ipswich streets, an act for which Cross was imprisoned, sent to the stocks, then returned to prison until a fine was paid.
Col. Nathaniel Shatswell and the Battle of Harris Farm
At Harris Farm the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment, assembled with Ipswich soldiers, drove the Confederates into the cover of the woods, eventually ending with a Northern victory. The battle claimed over 2000 lives.
Drunkards, Liars, a Hog, a Dog, a Witch, Disorderly Persons and the Innkeeper
As the young boys who arrived with the first settlers of Ipswich approached adulthood, they developed a fondness for hard liquor and rowdiness, which frequently landed them in court.
Remembering Mary Ellen Lepionka
We received the sad news today of the death of Mary Ellen Lepionka on October 7, 2024. Mary Ellen wrote prolifically about the Native Americans who lived in our area before European colonization and their descendants. In her professional career, Mary Ellen Lepionka taught social sciences at the college and high school levels, after which… Continue reading Remembering Mary Ellen Lepionka
Col. Doctor Thomas Berry, “Last of the Ipswich Aristocracy”
In the first half of the Eighteenth Century, Col. Thomas Berry was the most conspicuous citizen of the Town, "Autocrat of his time, Magistrate, Military leader, Physician and Statesman."
