PUBLICATIONS OF THE IPSWICH 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIBTT. 
 
 I. 
 
 THE Oration 
 
 eY 
 
 REV. WASHINGTON CHOATE, 
 
 AND 
 
 THE Poem 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. EDGAR F. DAVIS. 
 
 On the 200th Anniversary of the Resistance to 
 the Andros Tax. 
 
 AT IPSWICH. 
 
 JULY 4, 1887. 
 
 SALEM : 
 
 SALEM OBSERVER BOOK & JOB PRINT. 
 
 1894. 
 
I. 
 
 TH:: L'RAiiON 
 
 REV. WASHINGTON* CHOATE. 
 
 THE Poem 
 
 sr 
 
 REV. EDCaR F. DAVTS. 
 
 On the -ooch Annivenjviry of the Resistance to 
 the -\ndros Tlix. 
 
 SALMI CSSKKV5K 5v.VK & J^NI FirSTt* 
 

 Gift 
 Tlie Society 
 

 Order of Exercises 
 
 AT THE TOWN HALL. 
 
 Invocation, 
 
 Rev. T. Frank Waters. 
 
 Introductory Address, 
 
 Hon. Chas. A. Sayward. 
 
 Poem, 
 
 Rev. Edgar F. Davis, of Hamilton. 
 
 Reading of the Declaration of Independence, 
 
 By Arthur W. Hale. 
 
 Music, Hall Columbia, 
 
 Ipswich Cornet Band. 
 
 Oration, 
 
 Rev. Washington Choate, Irvington, N. Y. 
 
 Singing of America accompanied by the Band. 
 
INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS 
 
 BY HON. CHAS. A. SAYWARD. 
 
 Ladies and Gentlemen : 
 
 Five years ago we met to honor the memory of one of our 
 early settlers who had rendered valiant service to the town 
 and the colony, Maj. Gen. Daniel Dennison. Two years 
 later we gathered on the Meeting House Green and paid 
 tribute to those sturdy men who broke the wilderness and 
 commenced the plantation which soon after was organized as 
 a town. And to-day, on the anniversary of our National In- 
 dependence, we meet again to celebrate the bold stand taken 
 by Ipswich, two hundred years ago when the inhabitants in 
 legal meeting assembled, enunciated the doctrine that there 
 was no right of taxation without representation, and to com- 
 memorate the lofty courage and watchful patriotism of the 
 leaders in that historical transaction. This is an appropriate 
 day on which to refresh ourselves with those events, for they 
 were the shadows and premonitions of our Independence. 
 
 They were the handwritings on the King's wall which to 
 us seem to have been prophetic of the coming Nation. 
 
 They were the beginning of the end, for from the day 
 when John Wise stood in the meeting house on yonder hill 
 and in strong terms denounced the arbitrary measures of the 
 agents of the crown, until the last vestige of royalty left our 
 shores, the struggle then begun was continued. And al- 
 though defeated for the time, the influence of that town 
 meeting, held on that August day two hundred years ago, un- 
 
b iNTii()i)U(rr()i;v adduess. 
 
 der the lead ol" John Wise, John Appleton, William Goodhue, 
 Robert Kinsman, John Andrews and Thomas French, was 
 felt tlirougli all the sul)sequent struggles with the crown, un- 
 til our Independence was acknowledged and the principles 
 then put in issue were fully established. Later events, like 
 the wars of the Revolution and the Rel)ellion, may seem to 
 obscure such early transactions, and make them appear to be of 
 minor importance, 3^et it is well for us to pause and study 
 those days and the men who made their history, and see how 
 much we are indebted to them for our present prosperity and 
 greatness. 
 
 The old town has grown much since those days, and has 
 seen two of her daughters, Essex and Plamilton, set up town 
 keeping for themselves, both of whom we have invited to join 
 us in reviving the days of Sir Edmund Andros and the men 
 who dared to defy him. 
 
 The descendants (jf the early settlers of Ipswich are scat- 
 tered far and wide throughout the land and they are all proud 
 to trace their way back to their Ipswich ancestry and we are 
 proud to tind them filling positions of trust and honor. 
 
 One of the noted men of the early days of our history was 
 Reginald Foster who dwelt near the Choate Bridge. His de- 
 scendants are many and are scattered throughout the United 
 States. Many of them have become eminent in the business 
 or professional world, others have fought on the battle-field or 
 were engaged in naval battles of Colonial and Revolutionary 
 days. 
 
 One of tlie descendants of this early settler adorns the 
 pulpit of the Congregational Church of Hamilton and I am 
 sure you will be pleased to listen to him. It gives me great 
 pleasure to introduce to you Rev. Edgar F. Davis as the poet 
 of this occasion. 
 
THE PATRIOT PASTOR OF CHEBACCO. 
 
 Poem read at the JOHN WISE Celebration at Ipswich, Mass., 
 July ^th, 1887, by Rev. Edgar Foster Davis, of Hamilton 
 {''the Hanilef). 
 
 I will not sing of War's alarms,— 
 The onset fierce, the clash of arms. 
 The victor's cheer, the vanquished foe, 
 The reddened field, the wail of woe ; 
 Thou dost thy wonted aid refuse, 
 To sing of bloody strife, O Muse ! 
 Not mine the task this day to tell 
 Of how our fathers fought and fell 
 On Bunker's height, or Monmouth plain, 
 Redemption for this land to gain ; 
 Oft has the tale been told or sung. 
 Oft have these walls with paeans rung 
 And still shall ring for those who dared 
 To face their haughty foes, and bared 
 Their bosoms to the storm, and shared 
 The fame of those in every age 
 Whose names illume the historic page ! 
 Immortal praise and honor be 
 To Warren, Hancock, Putnam, Lee, 
 And all their sturdy, brave compeers. 
 Who in those dark and stormy years 
 Imperilled life, and home, and all. 
 From Tyranny to disenthrall 
 
 The land that gave them birth, 
 Nor sheathed the sword their valor drew 
 Till, piercing the angry darkness through, 
 The morning star of Freedom gleamed, 
 Whose cheering rays aye brighter beamed- 
 Enlightening the earth ! 
 Still let their name and deeds be sung 
 In every land, by every tongue ; 
 Still let the trumpet's voice proclaim 
 To all mankind their noble fame, 
 And to his son the sire rehearse, 
 In simple phrase or sounding verse, 
 The story of that yeoman strife 
 Whence issued forth a nation's life ! 
 
THE POEM. 
 
 But here to-day I'll tune my l^Te, 
 
 And sing a loftier lay : 
 My muse shall tell whence rose the fire 
 That flamed in patriotic ire. 
 
 And in a later day 
 In lurid ^\Tath swept from our land 
 The Tyrant's hateful, hireling band 
 
 And made it free for aye ! 
 I'll sing the long forgotten brave. 
 I'll lav mv offering on the grave 
 Of ONE who dared what mortal man 
 E'er dared to do beneath the ban 
 Of tjTant lord since time began ! 
 
 " Before great Agamemnon's time,'' 
 Whilom 'twas said in prose or rh}-me. 
 " That men were good, and wise, and great 
 As that great king within the state." 
 So here, upon this virgin sod 
 Were kingly men as ever trod 
 The earth, ere yet the T^Tant's hand 
 Was hea\y laid upon this land : 
 Ere vet the gage of strife was laid. 
 And' Freedom's costly ransom paid. 
 A kinglv race at nrst'did brave 
 The threat'ning storm, the wintrj- wave 
 To found an empire where should meet 
 Religion, peace, and concord sweet : 
 And others sailed the western sea ; 
 This air they breathed— and they were free, 
 And henceforth scorned oppression's rod, 
 And leaned on Justice and their God. 
 
 And there was One— Oh. would that now 
 
 Some power puissant would endow 
 
 With matchless skill my pencil rude, 
 
 To faithfully portray 
 The life unseltish. brave, and good 
 
 Of him. with godlike strength endued. 
 Who first oppression's power withstood 
 In that far distant day ! 
 
 Roll backward now. ye centuries twain, 
 
 Roll back, and to these scenes again 
 
 The stalwart form, the kingly mien — 
 
 (No kinglier soul has lived. I ween : ) 
 
 Bring_ to our grateful, longing eyes 
 
 The Sage, and Patriot Pastor— WISE. 
 
 Behold, he comes ! His saintly face 
 
 Beams with a bright, celestial grace : 
 
 And on his brow of thoughtful mould 
 
 Is that proclaims the leader bold. 
 
 With stride majestic see him near 
 
THE POEM. 
 
 The haunts that to his heart are dear ! 
 
 The placid river winding down 
 
 Below the hill-engirdled town, 
 
 Whose scattered roofs, white-shingled, gleam 
 
 And stand reflected in the stream. 
 
 Sweet Agawam, who now shall trace 
 The pristine beauty of thy face, 
 When bosomed in primeval green. 
 The sturdy yeoman's cot was seen-— 
 The home of thrift and mild content, 
 Stern labor's meed and monument, 
 And, poured round all, the silent flood 
 Moved Oceanward through towering wood. 
 The busy hand of time hath wrought 
 Upon thy maiden face, and brought 
 The wealth of many years, but not 
 A wrinkle on thy brow hath made. 
 For thou art lovely still ; each glade 
 And hill and stream and grove and glen 
 Are summer-mantled now as then. 
 Thou'rt lovely still, though not the same 
 Fair Agawam, as when He came 
 On that auspicious summer's day, 
 And trod alone thy rugged way. 
 Thy hills are mansion-crowned, and now 
 Proud tow-ers adorn thy rocky brow, 
 And stately spires in grandeur rise 
 To pierce the sunlit summer skies. 
 No scenes like these that glad our eyes 
 Rejoice the heart of Pastor Wise. 
 From far Chebacco's rugged shore 
 Resounding with the hollow roar 
 Of Ocean's ceaseless, pulsing beat. 
 He comes with eager, hurrying feet — 
 There was his pulpit-throne, and there 
 Dwelt with the flock beneath his care 
 This man of God, and shepherd rare. 
 And with persuasive voice and mien 
 Had led them forth in pastures green, 
 Till all from him had learned ere long 
 Neither to do nor suffer wrong. 
 
 Across the narrow bridge he hies. 
 Along the road that nearest lies 
 Below the ledge, to lead him on 
 To where the sturdy Appleton 
 The pastor's coming doth await 
 Impatient at his farmhouse gate, 
 With Goodhue, Kinsman, Andrews, French 
 Glose-seated on the rustic bench 
 Hard by the settlers open door — 
 And standing near them scarce a score 
 Of stalwart yeomen hear intent 
 Their earnest w-ords without dissent. 
 
1Q THE POElSr. 
 
 Now low descends the summer sun, 
 Robing the home of Appleton 
 In evening's soft and mellow light, , , . , ^ 
 While far and near each wood-crowned height 
 With blushes greets the approaching night. 
 
 The scene is changed. I look again : 
 Behold, a motley group of men 
 With faces seamed, hands grirned with toil. 
 Sons of the foodful sea and soil. 
 Within a spacious room thev stand, 
 Or thoughtful sit on either hand, 
 While in their midst, with earnest eyes, 
 I see the reverend pastor rise. 
 And scanning close each serious face 
 That turns to his of beaming grace. 
 He utters that impassioned plea, 
 
 For civil rights— for liberty, 
 Assailing the unjust decree 
 
 Of tyrant Andros bitterly. 
 
 Such eloquence as his was heard 
 In ancient Greece, I ween. 
 When like the sea was Athens stirred 
 To valor by her leader's word. 
 
 And wakening from her dream 
 Of peace, strove long to overthrow 
 Her haughty Macedonian foe. 
 
 " It is my voice," the pastor said, 
 "This unjust tax must ne're be paid ! 
 What neighbor towns may vote to do 
 I cannot help, no more can you ; 
 But let, I say, this goodly town 
 Ne'er cringe beneath a tyrant's frown. 
 We'll pay his tribute only when 
 We're governed here as free-born men ; 
 Our God is just— our king is good ! 
 So live or die, come fire or flood. 
 Come peace or war, come weal or woe. 
 No God-given right will we forego ! " 
 
 He said. That saying— who shall tell 
 The influence of its magic spell ? 
 It roused those Saxon breasts to flame, 
 And bade them swear, in Justice' name, 
 Resistance to oppression's power 
 From henceforth to their latest hour. 
 
 Thus kindled, did that sacred fire 
 Within those dauntless breasts expire ? 
 What though they felt the Tyrant's hate. 
 And met the prisoners' dismal fate ! 
 As well might scorn and prison bars 
 
THE POEM. 11 
 
 Seek to control the burning stars ! 
 Fetter the eagle as you will, 
 Released, he is an eagle still I 
 
 The word was said, the deed was done, 
 And Freedom's conflict was begun : 
 The torch was lit that through all time. 
 In all this land, in every- clime. 
 Should lead men from the Eg}-ptian night 
 Of bondage, into peace and light 
 Kindled at God's own altar here. 
 Behold it shining forth to cheer 
 The soul oppressed with chilling fear ! 
 Like beacon star it gleamed afar 
 
 And Henry saw its steady ray, 
 And with a prophet's voice proclaimed 
 
 The dawning of a better day. 
 From Massachusetts' rock-bound shore 
 
 To Carolina's sunlit strand, 
 That heavenly radiance as of yore 
 
 Led on each brave, devoted bind ; 
 Like lurid light'ning from the cloud 
 
 It flashed on Bunker's height; 
 From out each battle's murky shroud 
 
 Broke forth its meteor light. 
 Where'er was joined the freeman s strife, 
 
 Where'er the freeman's blood 
 Was freely shed for truth and life. 
 
 That fier}' pillar stood. 
 At Gettysburg and Malvern Hill, 
 
 Where met the Blue and Grey, 
 The fire of Old Chebacco still 
 
 To victory' led the way. 
 And still that flame burns on, and when 
 
 A thousand years have flown. 
 And countless tribes of toiling men, 
 
 Like these, have come and gone, 
 That heavenly light shall beam as bright, 
 
 And lead the world alone. 
 
 There's a legend old that still is told 
 
 Along the German Rhine, 
 That a Warrior-king in the days of spring. 
 
 Walks by that stream divine. 
 
 And over the land with a bounteous hand 
 
 He scatters his favors free, 
 Till the mighty name of Charlemagne 
 
 Is sung from Alp to sea. 
 
12 THE POEM. 
 
 The Patriot Spirit lingers here ; 
 
 And over each vale and hill 
 Where our fathers strayed, and toiled and prayed, 
 
 Rests their benediction still. 
 
 By each s^rass-grown grave where sleep the brave 
 
 Of our own or the elder day, 
 In the silent night as in noon-day light, 
 
 Doth their spirit walk alvvay. 
 
 And through all this land, from the white sea-strand 
 
 To the inland river's How, 
 As the guard and guide of the nation wide 
 
 Shall their angel footsteps go ; 
 
 Till the earth shall reel and the stars ^all fall, 
 And the waves shall roll no more, 
 
 As they roll to-day and throw their spray 
 On the bold Chebacco shore ; 
 
 Till the silyery gleam of thy winding stream, 
 
 Fair Agawam, at last, 
 Shall only seem but a vanished dream, 
 
 When thy glory all is past ; 
 
 Till the moon is dead, and from out his bed 
 
 The sun no more shall rise. 
 And with lingering ray no longer play 
 
 On the grave of the Patriot WISE. 
 
 Ladies and G-entlemen : 
 
 In the early history of the Colony the ministers were the 
 leaders in all matters political as well as religious. The 
 people turned to them in every emergency. The magis- 
 trates and officei-s of the government frequently called 
 upon them for advice in public affairs. Indeed the General 
 Court called them together to confer with them about all 
 important matters. As a body they were always defenders of 
 the rights of the Colonists under the Charter and had done 
 much to inspire them with the courage to maintain their con- 
 struction of it. 
 
 Of the ministers of Ipswich, Nathaniel Ward drafted the 
 first laws of the Colony, called the Body of Liberties, and ad- 
 
REMARKS. 13 
 
 vised the Governor and Council during the La Tour difficulty 
 John Norton was sent to England as a Colonial agent. 
 
 Thomas Cobbett was appointed on a Committee to con- 
 sider the " patent laws and privileges and duty towards His 
 Majesty," and was one of the twenty-four Elders who were 
 asked to advise the Assistant about the complaint of Gorges 
 and Mason to the King. 
 
 In the conjflict with Andi-os, another of our ministers stood 
 up and boldly counselled the people to disobey the royal agent. 
 
 It therefore seems very appropriate that the orator for this 
 occasion should come from the ranks of the clergy, — and such 
 an one, who springs from sturdy Ipswich stock, I now intro- 
 duce to you, the Rev. Washington Choate. 
 
ORATION 
 
 BY KEV. WASHINGTON CHOATE. 
 
 To commemorate the deeds of a true and heroic ancestry, 
 the sons of old Ipswich are gathered here to-day. 
 
 From amidst the waving crops upon tM hillsides and in the 
 valleys of New England ; from the counting rooms and 
 manufactories of her cities ; from the waters which wash her 
 shore on the east and from the mountains which tower along 
 her northern border, back to the birth place of the generations 
 have the childi-en come, obedient to the call that bids them 
 remember the valor of those whose very lives are woven into 
 the structure of our honored and cherished institutions of 
 to-day. 
 
 The events which have found commemoration in these 
 later years have too frequently been those of the recent civil 
 conflict, even to the neglect of those which belonged to the 
 period of our national birth. 
 
 Most eminently fitting is that still farther backward glance 
 out over another century in a history whose century- 
 periods are so few, to the very fountain springs of the stream, 
 which in 1776 had gathered the force sufticent to proclaim 
 and to win, though at the cost and through the agonies of a 
 long and exhausting war, national independence with its 
 sublimest fruits, — ^liberty, civil and religious. 
 
 It was by divine requirement that the people of the old 
 Hebrew nation were kept familiar with the historical origin of 
 their national institutions. Parents were required to instruct 
 their childi-en in this regard. With each return of the great 
 annual festival which commemorated the emancipation of the 
 
ORATION. 15 
 
 race from foreign despotism, the HebreAv father took back the 
 child to that great struggle through which the nation was 
 born ; and the power of its inspiration Avas never suffered to 
 die out of those hearts. The historic facts, out of which that 
 festival of old sprang, lived from age to age in all their fresh- 
 ness and proved an ever active moulding force in that national 
 life. 
 
 In this practice there was deep wisdom. It gave the great 
 central institution a hold upon the affections of each succes- 
 sive generation which could not easily be unloosed. It held 
 each age in living connection with the fountain springs of 
 their life. 
 
 So you do well, citizens of this old Commonwealth of 
 Massachusetts, — dwellers on this historic spot, made sacred 
 by the footsteps and voice of John Winthrop and by the 
 presence of those associated men and women, — among the 
 noblest of earth's noble ones, to call back to the old home 
 the scattered sons and daughters of that heroic ancestry to 
 join in this filial remembrance of their heroism, their j^atriot- 
 ism, their quick and clear insight into every approach of 
 royal tyranny, and their spontaneous and united resistance to 
 every effort to lay the hand of despotism upon the freeman of 
 the new world. 
 
 " It is well," spoke the voice which, three and fifty years ago, 
 on the bi-centennial celebration of the settlement of your 
 town, so eloquently pictured the colonial age of New Eng- 
 land : — " It is well thus filially, thus j)iously, to wipe away 
 the dust, if you may, which 200 years have gathered upon the 
 the tomljs of the fathers. 
 
 " It is well that you have gathered yourselves together on 
 this spot; that as you stand here and look abroad upon as 
 various and as inspiring a view as the sun shines upon ; as 
 you see fields of grain bending before the light summer winds, 
 flocks upon the tops and descents of the many rising hills ; 
 the slow river winding between still meadows, ministering in 
 
16 
 
 ORATION. 
 
 its wa}^ to the processes of nature and of art, — losing itself at 
 last in the sea, as life busy or quiet glides into immortality; 
 as you hear peace and plenty proclaiming with a thousand 
 voices the reign of freedom, law, order, morality, religion ; it 
 is well that standhig here jou sliould look hachivard as well 
 as around you and forward, — that you should call to mind to 
 whom under God 3'ou owe all these things ; whose weakness 
 has grown into strength ; Avhose sorrows have brought this 
 exceeding great joy, whose tears and blood, as they scattered 
 the seed of that cold, late, ungeiiial and uncertain spring, 
 have fertilized this natural and moral harvest, which is rolled 
 out at your feet as one unbounded flood. 
 
 But the sweep of our vision is not so broad to-day, as when, 
 half a century ago, our fathers — perchance some of this gath- 
 ering, turned back over the Colonial Period of New England 
 History. 
 
 It is not all that past — not any extended portion of it that 
 we can remember to-day. 
 
 Out from the century and a lialf which lies between the 
 settlement of Agawam, under the leadership of John Win- 
 tln-op, the son of Massachusetts' first governor, and that 
 dividing line of colonial and national life, the war of the 
 Revolution,— there rises before us one decade, nay, one brief 
 half decade, in which transpired the event that calls for the 
 loyal and filial remembrance of each successive generation ; 
 that inhales the air which they breathed who wrought those 
 noble deeds and lived those truly heroic lives. 
 
 It is an event, single, specific, sharply outlined in time and 
 feature, in character and significance which summons us to 
 this commemorative service. 
 
 We come not to look over that long jnocession of deeds and 
 persons which pass before our vision as we review those years 
 of arduous conflict with primeval nature, with aboriginal life, 
 with an ever present repressive power that stretched its hand 
 across the seas. It is not colonization, it is not the conquest 
 
ORATIOX. 17 
 
 of a new world, it is not a spreading civilization which rises 
 before our minds to-day. We have a specific and single duty 
 to perform. To one page of history we turn. It is not Netv 
 England'' 8 past, so brilliant in its leadership thiough that 
 century and a half, but old Ipswich, in one event of its early 
 annals, — in one hour of its infant life. To set that hour and 
 that event before our luiuds is my first duty at this time. 
 There was ikj darker hour i)i the whole period of New Eng- 
 land Colonial history. To briefly trace the oncoming of that 
 night, let us turn back a quarter of a century and recall the 
 light and hope which then brightened this Commonwealth. 
 
 In 1661, when news reached these shores that the English 
 Commonwealth established by Cromwell had fallen, and that 
 the Stuart Charles II, was on the throne, the General Court of 
 Massacliusetts alarmed by the repeated rumors borne on every 
 crossing ship, of threatened changes in the government of the 
 colonies, set forth a distinct declaration of what they deemed 
 their rights under their Charter. 
 
 This declaration claimed for the freemen power to choose their 
 own governor, deputy governor, magistrates and representa- 
 tives ; to prescribe terms for the admission of additional free- 
 men ; to set up all sorts of officers, superior and inferior, with 
 such powers and duties as they might appoint ; to exercise by 
 their annually elected magistrates and deputies, all authority, 
 legislative, executive, judicial ; to defend themselves by force of 
 arms against every aggression ; and to reject any and every 
 imposition which they might judge prejudicial to the Colony. 
 
 Here is practical independence of crown or parliament. 
 We behold an essentially free colony of free men, in the ex- 
 ercise of freemen's rights of self government, self defence 
 and self development. And this declaration was in accord 
 with the practice of the Colony. It was the utterance of rights 
 which they had ever asserted and had fornearlj^ half a century 
 exercised. New England was a democracy within the limits 
 which the religious convictions of the age pi-escribed. 
 
18 ORATION. 
 
 It concerns us not, to discuss at this time, those religious 
 ideius wliich uuderLiy that newly planted life, nor the limita- 
 tions whieli those ideas cast around civil and political rights 
 and privileges. The Colony of JMassachusetts Bay in 1661 
 claimed, exercised and rejoiced in essential self government 
 and freedom. 
 
 While not a thought of severance from the government 
 across the watei-s had dawned u[)on them ; while they owned 
 themselves a Colony of the mother-land ; while the occupant 
 of the English throne was their Sovereign, and Westminster 
 the source of their political power ; they yet had freedom^ 
 sufficient to teach them its tvorth and to inspire and elevate 
 their souls, wearied, but not despondent, from the contentions 
 and trials with the parent country. 
 
 " They were just so far short of perfect freedom that in- 
 stead of reposing for a moment in the mere fruition of what 
 they had, they were kept emulous and eager for more, looking 
 all the while up and aspiring to rise to a loftier height, to 
 breathe a purer air, to bask in a brighter beam." 
 
 Let now, the essential freedom of this Mass. Bay Colony in 
 1661 be our point of comparsion as we transplant ourselves 
 into the midst of the darkness which had gathered over them 
 in 1687, a darkness broken, not by a sweeping away of the 
 clouds from their skies, but by a kindled fire of heroic patriot- 
 ism in the heart of the Colony, the first flash of which 
 blazed forth from the signal tower of this Ipswich hill-top, 
 to be answered by the beacon light of well nigh every town 
 in the old County of Essex. 
 
 So broad an interpretation of the Charter rights of the 
 colonists as the declaration of the General Court of 1661 had 
 asserted, it was scarcely to be expected that the newly crowned 
 Charles II, would acknowledge. And the return of the two 
 Commissioners, Bradstreet and Norton, whom the Colony had 
 despatched to the English Court, revealed the fact that the 
 royal power was gathering its energies to reassert itself and 
 even to augment its authority over its distant members. 
 
ORATION. 
 
 19 
 
 That quarter century which lies between 1661 and 1686, 
 forms a distinct chapter in the long story of the struggle be- 
 tween Crown and Parliament on one hand, and on the other, 
 the insuppressible spirit of liberty and self government of the 
 colonists, who, seeking religious freedom, here awoke to the 
 fact that civil freedom was also their birtlniglit. 
 
 That Chapter of the " irrepressible conflict " cannot be told 
 to-day. Its ever darkening pages througli the governorships of 
 Bellingham, Leverett and Bradstreet tell the story of deepen- 
 ing gloom in the sky until at last the blackness of darkness 
 swept down upon tliem in the wresting of their Charter from 
 them in 1684. "Massachusetts as a body politic was no 
 more. That elaborate fabric which had been four and fifty 
 years in building was levelled with the dust." She was no 
 longer a part of the British Empire ; she belonged to the King 
 of England by virtue of the discovery of the Cabots. Her 
 people might not claim any birtliriglit of Englislmien as such, 
 but the crown of England might rule and govern them in 
 such a manner as it should think iit. She liad no law making 
 power, no executive power of lier own. This was the Court 
 doctrine. This was the import of that decree which issued 
 from Westminster Hall, Oct. 23, 1684. To hearts less res- 
 olute than those of our fathers, it must have seemed at that 
 hour as if liberty had fled the earth ; — " had returned to the 
 heavens from whence she had descended." 
 
 The foot of the tyrant was on the neck of the Colony, with 
 a tread that was not relaxed but strengthened, when the 
 Second Charles gave over the throne to the Second James, 
 and Andros, by ro>/al ajypointment, — sat in tlie seat of Win- 
 throp and Endicott. 
 
 Let us here stay for a moment's backward look and com- 
 parison with 1661. 
 
 Then a governor of their own choice ; a legislature, the 
 General Court, of their own citizens ; magistrates to enforce 
 the laws of their own making ; taxes of their own impositioii 
 and collected by their own appointed officers. 
 
20 ORATION. 
 
 Now^ the humiliated Colony stripped of all power of self 
 government, robbed of all the rights and privileges won by 
 her valor and sufferings ; 7\oiv she finds in place of a governor 
 chosen by freemen, in the exercise of a freeman's right, " His 
 majesty's lieutenant and governor general of the Dominion 
 of New England," the appointee of the Crown and worthy 
 to serve such a Master ; noiv, in })lace of the colonial assembly 
 and Governor's Council, the ripest minds, the noblest 
 spirits, the truest hearts of the Colony, there is gathered 
 about His majesty's lieutenant a council, of which a few 
 members, less than the majority in syiupathy with and sub- 
 servient to the royalist governor, grasped and wielded the 
 whole civil power. 
 
 " And they exercised it in the very spirit of the worst of 
 the Stuarts. 
 
 The old, known body of Colonial laws and customs was 
 silently and totally abolished. New laws were made ; taxes 
 assessed ; an administration, all new and gallingly vexatious, 
 was introduced, not by the people in General Court, but by 
 the puppit of James, and a faction of the Council, in whose 
 election they had no vote ; over whose proceedings they had 
 no control ; to whom their rights and interests and lives, were 
 all as nothing, compared with tlie lightest wish of the Tyrant 
 and Papist whom they served." 
 
 That was the darkness of night which had shut down on 
 those noble lives, after the brightness of '61. Here ends a 
 chapter of New England History. Ends ? Nay, its brightest 
 page is yet to he written ; its grandest event is yet to be told. 
 Clear among the closing paragraphs of that chapter stands 
 that event which should never be forgotten by a life that goes 
 forth fiom this historic s})ot. Here should rise an enduring 
 monument to tell to all generations to come the story of 
 ancestral lieroism, of fidelity to principle, of fearless obedience 
 to conscience and devotion to country. 
 
ORATION. 21 
 
 The occasion of that event which hri^^htens this dark chap_ 
 ter in the history of tlie Coh^nial period, was the cuhnina- 
 tion of the despotic course of Andros. 
 
 In three directions the power of his arbitrary government 
 liad smitten heavily and keenly upon the past privileges and 
 rights of the Colony. 
 
 1. He had demanded, and enfoi-ced his demand, that the 
 puritan meeting houses of our fathers should be opened for 
 the service of the established churcli of England, out from 
 which they had fled. 
 
 2. He had proclaimed that the proprietorship of all lands, 
 even those which had been acquired under the charter of 
 Charles I. vested in the English Crown. If such a claim be en- 
 forced, then not one acre of land was there between the Pe- 
 nobscot and the Hudson, which had not reverted to the King, 
 and which could not be sold or given by him to others than 
 those who had toiled to reclaim it from a stony wilderness, and 
 had fought to defend the homes they had planted on it from 
 the ever present foe of the forest. 
 
 3. He had come to this New England Colony, clad 
 with the authority and filled with the spirit to exercise 
 the power of levying upon these people sucli taxes as he 
 deemed needful for the maintenance of his personal govern- 
 ment. It was the exercise of this last assumed prerogative 
 of despotism which awoke throughout the Colony, the 
 spirit of resistance, and in which old Ipswich was the first 
 to fling in the face of tyranny the refusal to obey. 
 
 In August of 1687, in a little more than one half year from 
 the day of his entering Boston Harlxjr, warrants went forth 
 from the Council chamber of the already detested governor, 
 levying upon the towns of Massachusetts Bay a tax^ not in 
 itself excessive, and commanding tliem to appoint each a 
 commissioner who, with the selectmen, should assess the quota 
 of the town upon its inhabitants. Here was the spark which 
 was to light the flames of resistance, and that fire burst forth 
 from every town, save three, in Essex County. 
 
22 ORATION. 
 
 A meeting of tlie inhabitants of Ipswich was summoned for 
 the ^-Srd of August, for the choice of a commissioner, to unite 
 with the selectmen in apportioning the quota of this town up- 
 on itvS people and property. On the evening previous to that 
 meetinof, in the house of one of the foremost citizens of Aga- 
 warn, Mr. John Appleton, on a spot near where now stands 
 your railroad station, there assembled a band of men, clear, 
 sighted, true-hearted, loyal to this land of their adoption, or 
 birth, tenacious of the rights of freemen, the Rev. John 
 "Wise, pastor of the recently organized Chebacco parish, with 
 two of his parishioners, John Andrews and William Goodhue; 
 together with Robert Kinsman, Tliomas French, and the host 
 of the company, Jolni Appleton himself, all honor to their 
 names, to consult upon the answer which this town should 
 render to the imperious demand of an alien governor. 
 
 Would that some hand could unveil that scene, germ of 
 what was at length to grow into the Revolution of 1776, and 
 into the freedom of 1887, would that the pen of history had 
 recorded the words of those noble men I 
 
 But the judgment of that hour, that it was not the town's 
 duty any way to assist that ill metliod of raising money "with- 
 out a "general assend)ly," was by the unariimoiis vote of the 
 freemen of Ipswich, ratified on the following day, in their ac- 
 tion, the record of which breathes forth in every word, patriot- 
 ism, valor, and devotion to the liberties which had cost them 
 and their fatliers such sacrifices, that considering the said 
 act, (that of the governor and council imposing the tax), 
 " doth infringe their liberties as free born English subjects of 
 His majesty, and by interf(!ring with the statute laws of the 
 land, by wliich it was enacted that no taxes should be levied 
 on the subjects without consent of an assembly chosen by the 
 freemen hjr assessing the same, they do, therefore, vote that 
 they are not willing to choose a commissioner for such an end 
 without such a privilege ; and they moreover, consent not that 
 the selectmen do proceed to levy any such rate until it be ap- 
 
\ 
 
 • ORATIf»N. 23 
 
 pointed by a general assembly, eoneiinijig with the governor 
 and council." 
 
 Truly had tliat little band of men on the evening previous, 
 voiced the spirit of old Ipswich. They were leaders ; but 
 side by side witli them stood every freeman of the town, shoul- 
 der to shoulder in the line of resistance to arbitrary power, in 
 the assertion of the birthright of freemen to lay upon them- 
 selves through their 7'epresentailve assemhli/ such burdens of 
 taxation as were deemed needful. And that vote went fortli 
 from this spot to the council chamber of the despotic Andros, 
 as the answer of the Yeomanry of Agawam to his high 
 handed measure which would violate the hereditary rights of 
 free born Englishmen. 
 
 Fellow citizens, children of that generation, we cannot 
 read that firm, unflinching, manly declaration of the great 
 principle of all civil liberty, the principle which was destined 
 within a century to become the rallying cry of the united 
 colonies on these shores, — no taxation without representation, 
 — we cannot read those words of our fathers without a thrill 
 of pride that then, when the hearts of brave men, the colony 
 over, had sunk within them, their charter torn from them, 
 one of the worst of Sovereigns on the English throne, and a 
 pliant, willing tool as his agent here, that then and there 
 our fathers, knowing full well the power and spirit of his 
 majesty's lieutenant at Boston, dared to assert the gi'eat prin- 
 ciple of English libert}^ and of the American Revolution. 
 
 And shall it be the leaders alone of that deed of patriotism, 
 who are remembered to-day ? Or the rank and file of 
 Ipswich's brave hearted Yeomanry, who in public vote, and 
 with united voice placed themaelves beside the little band, 
 whose eloquence so easily rallied them to their support in 
 their defiance of tlie British Crown? With all honor to those 
 who guided and counselled the deliberations of that assembled 
 body of freemen on the 23rd of Aug., 1687 ; with profound ad- 
 miration for their clear insight into the policy of Andros, and 
 
^4 ORATION. 
 
 their daring- in counselling resistance, the pride of this town 
 well may be the Kuanlinou.^ vote of her citizens which " adopted 
 that declaration of right and refused to collect or pay tlie 
 tax which would have made them slaves." 
 
 But upon Wise and Appleton and Andrews and Kinsman 
 and Goodhue and French, was visited the penalty of leader- 
 ship; arrested, carried without the bounds of the county, im- 
 prisoned, denied the writ of habeas corpus, they were tried by 
 a packed jury, and declared guilty of contempt and mit*de- 
 meanor. Fines, and bonds to keep the peace were imposed 
 upon them ; Mr. Wise was suspended froii^the ministry ; and 
 the others were disqualified for holding office. And here 
 again the town nobly sustained them, refunding their fines ; 
 and within two years, sending John Wise back to Boston as 
 one of the Ipswich meml)ers of the convention to reestablish 
 the old government, with Andros deposed and transported to 
 the land whence he had come. 
 
 But while we, the children of that generation, with those 
 honored names current among us to-day, while we exult in 
 the fact that as a town Ipswich stood unitedly/ against the 
 royal tyranny, not one vacancy in her ranks, not one dis- 
 senting vote in her refusal to surrender her chartered liberties, 
 not one recreant to the spirit of those who had, across the water, 
 contended with the tyranny of the First and Second Charles,and 
 weie so soon to rise for the overthrow of the Second James, 
 while we to-day honor the freemen of Aug. 23rd, 1687 as a 
 united band of patriots, we may not fail also to render the 
 meed of grateful homage, due that cluster of names, which 
 will ever, in the annals of the town stand as the leaders in the 
 event which brightens the pages of a dark chapter in the col- 
 onial records. 
 
 Of that group of men, who gathered in the house of John 
 Appleton on the evening of Aug. 22nd, some, probably most, 
 were of those who had made the sacrifice of self exile from 
 the land of their birth, for the sake of the liberty denied them 
 
ORATION. 
 
 25 
 
 there, but, as they believed, to be n'07i, if not found here. 
 Doabtless Appleton and Andrews and Kinsman and Freneh, 
 all excepting alone, Wni. Goodhue Jr., and him whose name 
 heads every record of the event, the Rev. John Wise, were 
 English born, and had disclosed the metal of their spirits 
 and the fibre of their natures, in their surrender of the com- 
 forts of an old England home for the toil and sufferings and 
 hardships of a New England freedom. 
 
 That love of liberty, which had led them to break the ties 
 that generations had woven around them, had, in some at least, 
 been for half a century deepening and strengthening on these 
 shores ; and it needed but the touch of the despotic hand of 
 Andros to cause it to break fortli in resolute, fearless resis- 
 tance. But the foremost of that band of leaders, he who was 
 first among the first, — primus inter pares, — the Rev. John 
 Wise, was a son of New England, born within the sound of 
 those waters, which, breaking on this stern and rock bound 
 coast, separated every life that awoke to consciousness here by 
 three thousand miles of stormy, trackless billows from crown 
 and throne, and parliaments, and the divine right of Kings, 
 and ushered every such life into an atmosphere whose one 
 controlling element is the divine right of the people to self 
 government, self defence, self development. 
 
 Of what influences moulded the early youth of the Rox- 
 bury born lad, history is silent, save that the hand of the 
 Apostle to the Indians, John Eliot, was laid upon his brow 
 in the rite of baptismal consecration. From that noble, de- 
 vout Indian missionary, who himself wrote so vigorously 
 against " Kingly Governments " that an apology was de- 
 manded of him, by the General Court of Massachusetts, the 
 lad may have diunk in much of his love of liberty. 
 
 But that love^ with a hu7-ning patriotism was firmly 'planted 
 there and early manhood finds him going forth with the col- 
 onial forces in the war with King Philip. Between that 
 period of military service, when he "• marched with the troops 
 
26 ORATION. 
 
 into the Naragansett country " and tliis day, when he appears 
 as leader and statesman, lie hall" a ."tcore of years. Those 
 years had ripened his powers, strengthened his convictions, 
 enlarged his vision, intensified his hatred of royal despotism. 
 
 And now, from the heart of the young man of five and 
 thii'ty, whose voice had for seven years been heard in the 
 pulpit of the Chebacco parish, come the words eloquent in 
 their earnestness, powciful in their truth, persuasive to action, 
 which called willing hearts about him and arrayed the free- 
 men of Ipswich in an unbroken line, against the tyranny 
 which, originating in the heart of James on the throne in old 
 England, found a ready instrument for its execution and en- 
 forcement in the man who was his majesty's lieutenant over 
 the dominion of JVew Engfland. 
 
 And in this leadership of the Cheljacco minister, in a move- 
 ment so entirely of a civil and political character, there is in- 
 dicated the position which the colonial ministry occupied in 
 civil and social as well as ecclesiastical and religious matters. 
 
 In the history of that time one fact stands out above all 
 others, the intellectual leadership of the clergy, and that too 
 among a laity neither ignorant nor weak. The church and 
 the school were the points around which colonial life centered. 
 The meeting house and the college were the radiating centers 
 of even the earliest age of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 
 
 " Among the earliest official records," sa3-s a late historian 
 of American literature, "• there is a memorandum of articles 
 needed there, to be procured from England, the list includes 
 beans, peas, vine planters, potatoes, hop roots, brass ladles, 
 spoons, and ministers." We do but justice to the ministers to 
 say that in the original document the article last mentioned 
 here, stands first. 
 
 During the first sixty years. New England was a Theocracy 
 and the ministers were in reality the chief officers of the 
 State. It was not a departure from their sphere for them to 
 deal with politics, for every thing pertaining to the State was 
 
ORATION. 27 
 
 included in the sphere of the church. While the newly- 
 planted nation was from the beginning, and ever to be, a 
 church without a bishop and a State without a King, yet the 
 highest political functionaries recognized the ministers as in 
 some sense their superior officers. " And the clergy, aware 
 of the deference paid them, and the power of their influence, 
 seldom abused it ; never forgot it. And if ever men, of real 
 worth and greatness deserved such preeminence, they did- 
 They had wisdom, great learning, force of will, devout con- 
 secration, philantliropy, purity of life." They were states- 
 men, as well as theologians. 
 
 And so that Chebacco preacher of the gospel of peace and 
 righteousness was true to his office as well as to his principles 
 when he led the assembled freemen of Ipswich to cast the 
 first vote of all the towns of Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 
 defiance of the edict of the hated, — Sir Edmund Andros. 
 
 But as we recall the point to which Massachusetts had been 
 humbled by the sovereign power of England; as we have 
 pictured the contrast between the New England of 1661 and 
 that of 1686 ; and as through all that uninterrupted contro- 
 versy with the crown, the colonists had ever planted them- 
 selves upon their charter rights, — on what principle now, 
 with charter wrested from them, with the sacred and solemn 
 compact, as they had ever esteemed it, between them and 
 their King, revoked, annulled, repudiated, — on what principle 
 now shall these freemen stand and resist the hand that is 
 fastening the chains of the slave upon them ? 
 
 If no longer " charter rights " afford them weapons of de- 
 fence, whither shall they turn for the blade to cut the bonds 
 with which his majesty's lieutenant is binding tliem? For 
 this weapon, the sons of men who on England's soil had al- 
 ready fought the same battle, were at no loss in seeking. 
 
 It lay in the principle on which John Hampden, sixty years 
 before, had resisted the arl)itrary taxation of Charles I, tlie 
 principle wliich in 1215 at Runnymede, had been wrung from 
 
28 ORATION. 
 
 the reluctant King John, and there woven in the constitutional 
 life of the nation, and written in their magna charta, the 
 principle upon which three quarters of a century later, Samuel 
 Adams and Hancock and Warren stood, in their resistance of 
 the stamp act, — that if any poiver hut the peojyle^ can tax the 
 2yeople, there is an end of liberty. 
 
 But we may not pursue farther this review of that event 
 which called forth every noblest trait in those noble characters, 
 courage, patriotism, self sacrifice. Not yet has that scene in 
 which the fathers of Ipswich were the actors, been deservingly 
 painted on the page of American history. It is worthy of the 
 pen of a Prescott or a Motley. A two-fold significance at- 
 taches to it. 
 
 It was, first, the spontaneous and united action of the free- 
 men, of the second town in influence and importance in the 
 colony of Massachusetts Ba}^ 
 
 Ranking below Boston alone, of all the towns which three 
 score years of inflowing life had planted, from the Penobscot 
 to the Hudson, Ipswich, the town which in this year of 
 1687, had twenty-four graduates of Harvard College, which 
 in 1673 had given the Deputy Governor to the Colony, 
 Samuel Symonds, which for ten yenva gave /Samuel Appleton 
 to the Govern! n-'s Council, '•'■ him who had the high honor to 
 be arrested in 1689 by Andros and his faction in the Council," 
 as being a disentient member of the board and disaffected to 
 the government and put under bonds of a thousand pounds 
 for good political behaviour ; Ipsivich, which gave a president 
 to Harvard, which gave a Governor to the Rhode Island 
 Colony (Nicholas Eaton), Ipswich, of Ward, and Parker, 
 and Saltonstall, and Wise, of Norton and Rogers, and Ap- 
 pleton and Winthrop, held that position of influence and 
 power, which could not fail to startle the haughty governor, 
 though supported Ijy the English throne, and arouse him to 
 seek the suj)pression of sucli a band of freemen. 
 
OEATIOX. 29 
 
 But the abiding and universal significance of that event is, 
 that it was the first note of the bugle call to Independence, to 
 a national self existence, whicli, once awakened, never died 
 out of the air, breaking forth once and again in the half cen- 
 tury following, to be at length caught up and poured forth, 
 from the plane of national interests and national liberty, in the 
 eloquent words of Adams, Jefferson, Henry, Otis. 
 
 The principle upon which stood the pleaders for liberty, who 
 called the nation to set itself against the tyranny of the stamp 
 act in 1767, was that which had been promulgated by our 
 fathers from this spot three quarters of a century before. You 
 do well to remember it to-day. It was the seed, it was the 
 germ, from whicli grew the courage and resolve and finally 
 national unity of 1776. Russell Lowell, writing of New Eng- 
 land two centuries ago, says : — " Looked at on the outside, 
 New England history is dry and unpicturesque, there is no 
 rustle of silks, no waving of plumes, no clink of golden 
 spurs." 
 
 Our sympathies are not awakened by the changeful des- 
 tinies, the rise and fall of great families, whose doom was in 
 their blood. Instead of this we have the noise of axe and 
 hammer and saw, an apotheosis of dogged work, where, revers- 
 mg the fairy tale, notliing is left to luck, and if there be any 
 poetry, it is something that cannot be helped, the waste of the 
 water over the dam. ^xtrinsically, it is prosaic and plebeian ; 
 intrinsically it is poetic and noble ; for it is perhaps the most 
 perfect iyicarnation of an idea the world has ever seen. 
 
 That " idea " was the founding here on these shores a new 
 England, and a better one, where, rid of the political super- 
 stitions and abuses of the old manhood.^ simple manhood should 
 have a chance to play liis stake against fortune with honest 
 dice, unclogged by those three hoaiy sharpers : Prerogative, 
 Patricianism and Priest-craft. 
 
 The first skirmish in that long battle, was on this spot. It 
 is a thing of inestimable worth, for a race, a nation, a com- 
 
30 ORATION. 
 
 munity to be able to look back on the heroic characters who 
 laid its foundations, and on the principles which inspired them. 
 Such, children of old Ipswich is your privilege. Forget not 
 the spirit which inspired them, the sufferings which they en- 
 dured, the gigantic labors, through which they wrought out 
 their purpose. It was theirs to build ; remember it is youi-s, 
 it is ours to keep, to perpetuate, to perfect. 
 
1 M TBI.ICATIONS OK THE IF^SWICH 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIKTY. 
 
 II. 
 
 THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 
 
 AND 
 
 OTHER PROCEEDINGS 
 
 AT THE 
 
 DEDicATioiN Of Their New Roon. 
 
 priday, peb. 3, 1896. 
 
 d IPSWICH: 
 
 d INUKFEXDKNT BOOK AND JOB PRINT. 
 
 1 1896. 
 
Gilt 
 »j;t^ Society 
 
Tlie Ip5wicK Hi5toric£^I Sociely. 
 
 PRESIDENT WATERS' ADDRESS AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS 
 AT THE DEDICATION OF THEIR NEW ROOMS. 
 
 [Reprint from tlic Ipswich Indepexdext.] 
 
 The firs-t meeting of the society in its old Probate office serves good use. 
 new room in the Odd Fellows' building Some interesting documents have al- 
 took place on Friday evening, January ready been secured. By far the most 
 -3d, and a goodly number were present valuable, is an a: cient petition 
 at the house->\ arming. Very thorough addressed to the Quarter Sessions Court 
 repairs have beeti made, and tiie old by a number of the most substantial 
 post office would hardly be recognized, citizens of the ancient Ipswich praying 
 A new hard wood tloor has been laid, that his license be withheld from an 
 the walls cased neatly and painted in innkeeper on old High street. This 
 pleasing colors, the ceiling has been was drawn about the year 1056, appar- 
 papered and the windows provided eutly by the famous schoolmaster. Eze- 
 with inside blinds. The furnishings kiel Cheever, and it bears the signatures 
 are in excellent keeping with the bright of Cheever, the Appletons, Robert 
 and inviting interior. A large cabinet, Payne, and many others. Other docu- 
 10 feet in length and 7 in height with ments contain the autographs of Deni- 
 adjustable shelves and plate glass front son, Francis Wainwright with his seal, 
 will afford admirable accommodation and other well-known citizens. A list 
 for the safe exhibition of the relics and of signatures of Revolutionary soldiers, 
 valuables that may come into the cus- Col. Nathaniel Wade's orderly book, a 
 tody of the society. A flat cate, with proclamation of Thanksgiving of 17TU. 
 glass top, has been provided for the are also to' be noted, and among the 
 display of documents, autographs, etc. books are ancient volumes by Etv. 
 A large and valuable table, presented John Norton, and Rev. Juhu Wise, the 
 by Mr. D. F. Appleton and Mr. Frank famous ministers of the ancient times. 
 R. Appleton occupies a place of honor. The society has thus made a very 
 and another table, formerly used in the encouraging beginning in its work of 
 
collecting, and is prepared to receive 
 contributions of an historical nature 
 from all who will loan or give. 
 
 The election of officers was first in 
 order and resulted in the choice of the 
 following for tne year 18P6: president, 
 Rev. T. Frank Waters; vice presidents. 
 Charles A. Sajward and Frederic Will- 
 comb; recording secretary, John H. 
 Cogswell ; corresponding secretary, 
 Eev. M. H. Gates; treasurer, J. I. Hor- 
 ton; librarian, Miss Lucy S. Lord. 
 
 The president then read his opening 
 address, which was followed by M. V. 
 B. Perley with a poera, "Lost Arts,'' 
 and interesting reminiscences of Dr. 
 Thomas Manning by Eev. Edward Con- 
 stant and others. 
 
 We append the historical address of 
 the president: 
 
 MR. WATEKS'S ADDRESS. 
 
 The Ipswich Historical Society may 
 well congratulate itself tonight that 
 after five years of feeble and migratory 
 existence, and some periods of sus- 
 pended animation, it has at last 
 attained a home of its own, finely loca- 
 ted, convenient, and admirably 
 equipped for its work, and has already 
 entered, as we feel, upon a new and 
 vigorous life. 
 
 The scheme of organizing such a 
 society was first seriously discussed at 
 a gathering of gentlemen, known to be 
 interested in antiquarian research, at 
 the parsonage of the South church on 
 the evening of April 14, 1S90. If my 
 memory serves me, Eev. Augustine 
 Caldwell, Mr. Charles A. Sayward, Mr. 
 Joseph I. Horton, Mr. John H. Cogs- 
 well, and Mr. John W. Nourse formed 
 the group. Mr. Arthur W. Dow was 
 unavoidably absent. It was the unani- 
 mous sentiment of this meeting that a 
 town so rich in historic remains, and so 
 famous in the early annals of the Com- 
 monwealth should have a local Histori- 
 
 cal society, to foster systematic and 
 accurate antiquarian studies and pro- 
 mote a popular acquaintance with its 
 brilliant history. 
 
 The time seemed to them ripe for its 
 organization, and then and there, they 
 formed themselves into a society, to be 
 known as the Ipswich Historical Socie- 
 ty, and organized by the choice of Eev. 
 T. Frank Waters, president. Mr. John 
 H. Cogswell, secretary, and Mr. C. A. 
 Sayward, Mr. J. I. Horton, and Mr. J. 
 H. Cogswell, executive committee. 
 
 During the spring and early summer 
 several public meetings were held in 
 the studio of Mr. Arthur W. Dow, at 
 which papers on the early history of 
 the town were read, and much pleasant 
 reminiscence was in order. In the 
 winter of that and several following 
 years, the vestry of the South church 
 was the place of meeting. The presi- 
 dent read a series of papers on the 
 original locations of the early settlers, 
 and some studies on the old houses. 
 Mr. Sayward contributed an interesting 
 paper on the probable visits by voyagers 
 to the spot, now occupied by the town, 
 before Winthrop's coming. Hon. W. 
 D. Northend, of Salem, read, on several 
 occasions, some chapters from his un- 
 l)ublished work on early colonial his- 
 tory, and Mr. Winfield S. Xevins gave a 
 lecture on "The Homes and Haunts of 
 Hawthorne in old Salem." 
 
 These meetings were well attended, 
 and it was evident that the community 
 was interested in the new organization. 
 But it was evident that tl e society 
 would not attain the prominence it 
 sought until some permanent place of 
 meeting should be secured, which 
 should serve also as a place of deposit 
 fur an historical collection. Mr. Daniel 
 S. Burnham very generously offered to 
 give the half of* the ancient house in 
 East street owned by him, provided 
 
that the society should acquire the 
 remainder of tlie estate. The ohl man- 
 sion would liave been admirably 
 adapted to our use in many ways, but 
 its location was unfavorable, and later 
 investigations have robbed it of its 
 reputed antiquity and its associations 
 with Rev. Mr. Norton and Rev. Mr. Cob- 
 bett. No active steps were ever taken 
 toward securing this property. 
 
 The removal of the post office from 
 the Odd Fellows' building afforded the 
 society its opportunity. It was seen at 
 once that this building realized our 
 ideal. It is a brick structure, in the 
 very center of our town, itself historic, 
 from long use by the Registry of Pro- 
 bate, At a meeting in the early 
 autumn of 189.J, the project of renting 
 the vacant portion was enthusiastically 
 adopted, and the generous subscrip- 
 tion made at that time assured a good 
 pecuniary foundation for tlie new 
 move. 
 
 A committee appointed at that meet- 
 ing has solicited funds with encourag- 
 ing success, and provided the cabinet 
 and table case from the funds of the 
 s ciety. The other furnishings includ- 
 ing the costly table, presented by 
 Mr. D. F. Appleton and Mr. Frank R. 
 Appleton, have cost us nothing. 
 
 And now that we are comfortably 
 settled in our Historical home, more 
 extended reminiscences may justly be 
 in order, as a prelude to the historical 
 work which will be accomplished here 
 we hope in the years to come. The 
 land on which this building stands was 
 purchased by the county in 1816. A 
 lot measuring 28 feet square was bought 
 of Mr. Moses Treadwell, on the north 
 corner of his homestead, and an adjoin- 
 ing piece, 23 feet by 28, was sold by 
 Susanna Kendall, widow of the late 
 Ephraim Kendall. 
 
 The pedigree of this lot may not be 
 uninteresting and may be briefly 
 sketched. 
 
 Moses Treadwell inherited his estate 
 from his father, Nathaniel Treadwell, 
 who bought a house and eight acres of 
 laud of Daniel Eveleth, of Boston, in 
 1761. Eveleth had received it by inher- 
 itance from his father, Edward Eveleth. 
 The senior Eveleth had married Eliza- 
 beth, daughter of Major Bymonds Epes, 
 in 1715, and in that same year he pur- 
 chased his bride's old home and made 
 his residence there. Major Eppes was 
 a man of goodly quality. He was well- 
 born. His mother was Elizabeth, 
 daughter of the illustrious and excel- 
 lent Deputy Governor Simonds, whose 
 estate was contiguous to this. He was 
 a militia officer, a Justice of the Court 
 of Sessions, and a member of the Gov- 
 ernor's council for 1724 to 1734. The 
 Major had purchased the property in 
 1691 of Hannah Bigg, of Boston, a 
 daughter of Mr. Simm Lynde, of Boston, 
 and Lynde had bought it of Margaret, 
 the widow of Thomas Bishop and her 
 son Samuel. Samuel was college bred 
 but ill-tempered and never well-bred. 
 He persisted in setting his fence on the 
 public domain and the officers of the 
 law were instructed to cut it down. He 
 spread fish of evil odor for the express 
 purpose of annoying his townsmen. 
 He was a man often in the toils of the 
 law tor his misdoings. The old house 
 then on the estate had been in use as an 
 ordinary many years and John Sparks, 
 a famous inn-keeper, occupied it at the 
 time of Bishop's death, but vacated there 
 and removed to the other side of the 
 road at that time. Earlier owners seem 
 to have inclut-ied one William Fellows, 
 who bought of John Woodam in 1666. 
 Woodam obtained it by exchange with 
 John and Samuel Appleton in 165,3 
 
Tlie Appletons bonslit it of Thomas 
 Manning in 1647, wlio had it from 
 Ralph Dix, and he from William White 
 who was the original grantee. 
 
 The adjoining lot, from which a por- 
 tion of the site of this building was 
 purchased, seems to have been granted 
 to John Jackson. Then it was in the 
 possession ot William White, Thomas 
 Manning, John Woodam, 1049, John 
 and Samuel Appleton in l(i")'2. John 
 Appleton was captain of a troop, clerk 
 of courts, county treasurer, representa- 
 tive to General Court, and, if the iden- 
 tification is correct, a sharer in the 
 Andros resistance in 1687. Samuel was 
 the renowned soldier, whose eminent 
 service in King Philip's war shed great 
 lustre on our town. At a later period 
 it was owned by John alone, then by 
 his sou John, who bequeathed it to his 
 son Daniel. In 1761 it seems to have 
 been occupied and owned by Capt. John 
 Smith. Capt. Ephraim Kendall was the 
 owner in 1803, and his widow Susanna 
 sold the plot 2:3 by 28 in 1816. 
 
 Thus the Historical society finds it- 
 self located on an historic site, associa- 
 ted with some of the finest names of 
 the early times. This mellow flavor of 
 antiquity well befits its present use. 
 
 The building erected by the county 
 ,vas 28 feet wide, 40 feet long and a sin- 
 gle story high, and cost !?o700. It was 
 finished and occupied December 15, 1817. 
 For a century, excejit a few years after 
 1798 when a room was fitted up in the 
 new Court House for an office and 
 place of deposit, the valuable Probate 
 TIecords had been kept in the house of 
 the Register, and their final deposit, in a 
 strong vault, was an event of public in 
 terest. One room in the new 
 brick building, in the part r.ovv 
 occupied by Mr. John A. Blake's 
 apothecary store. was cased with 
 iron and was deemed fiie proof. 
 Here the Records were stored. The 
 
 remainder of the floor, including part 
 of Mr. Blake's i)resent store, and the 
 greater portion of this loom, was occu- 
 pied by the office of the Registei-. 
 
 The wliole Probate business of the 
 county was transacted here until 1852, 
 when the Records and the Registry 
 were removed to Salem, l)ut the Probate 
 Court Continued to sic semi-araiually 
 until Sei>tembfr lo, 1874, holding its 
 sessions in the Town Ilail. During the 
 War of the Rebellion, the vacant build- 
 ing was occupied as the barracks of a 
 military company recruited here by 
 Cap*-. John A. llobbs. It was sold to the 
 Lodge of Odd Fellows December 20, 1807 
 aad enlarged by the building of an ad- 
 dition .on the westerly end and adding a 
 second story. The jjost office was estab- 
 lished here about l8o'). 
 
 Our Historical room has an excellent 
 and honorable jiedigree, therefore, as 
 well as its location. It is at once a 
 singular coincidence and a Iwpjiy 
 aagury that from 1817 to the present 
 date, it has never been used for jnivate 
 emolument, but has always served tlm 
 community in very important public 
 capacities. 
 
 This old Probate office is inseparably 
 associated in the mimls of the older 
 people among us witli tlie name of 
 Nathaniel Lord od, — -'Squire Lord" as 
 he was familiarly known, who was the 
 ninth Register and filled that office 
 from May 29, 1815 to June 12, 1851. His 
 residence was the mansion lately re- 
 modelled by Mr. John B. Brown, of 
 Chicago, and there the Probate Records 
 were stored prior to the erection of this 
 building. He had bcn'U chief clerk 
 under Mr. Daniel Noyes, the i)receding 
 incumbent, and was the sixth in lineal 
 descent from Roliert Lord, first clerk of 
 the Colonial (Quarter Sessions Couit. 
 He was graduated from Harvard in 
 1798, and brouglit to the di.'-charge of 
 
liis duties such urdeiliness and neat- T. Goodhue, but resided afterwards on 
 ness and originality of method, tliat tlie corner now occupied by the South 
 the Registry was made a model office. Meeting House. 
 
 When LaFayette passed through the Another name of interest in the an- 
 town in 1824, .Squire Lord addressed nals of the old Court is John Choate, 
 him in a speech of welcome. Mr. the fifth judge who filled that office 
 Lord's three sons all entered the legal from September 14, 1756 to February 5, 
 profession; Otis P. became an eminent 1766. He lived in the ancient house, 
 Justice of the Supreme Court, Nathaniel still remembered by the oldest citizens 
 J. attained high rank, and George R. directly opposite the residence of the 
 occupied the office of Registry from late Mr. John Heard. He was Repre- 
 1853 to 1855. sentative to General Court fifteen years 
 
 Tracing the history of the Probate between 17:^0 and 1761, and a member 
 Court with which our society has be- of the Executive Council from 1761 to 
 come associated, w\3 come next to 1765. He was also Justice of the Court 
 Daniel Xoyes, the eighth Register, who of Sessions and of the Court of Com- 
 filled the office from September 29, mon Pleas, serving as Chief Justice of 
 1776 to May 29, 1815. He v.-as a gradu- the latter for the last ten years of his 
 ate of Harvard in the class of 1758, and life. He was also colonel of a regi- 
 master of the Grammar school from ment. "Choate Bridge" received its 
 1762-1774. In 1774-5 he was a delegate name in his honor. Col. Choate was 
 to the Congress of "the United Colonies, very illiterate, but a man of great 
 in 1770 Postmaster, succeeding Deacon strength of character. 
 James Foster, the first Postmaster -f The fourth judge, Thomas Berry, was 
 the town, and always a prominent citi- one of the most norable of Ijiswich 
 zen. He owned and occupied the men. A graduate of Harvard in 1712 
 house, which, in a modernized form, is he first studied medicine and attained 
 the residence of Mr. George D. Wildes, very lucrative practise and wide 
 
 Mr. Noyes's predecessor was Dr. renown. Turning to the law, he be- 
 Samuel Rogers, the sixth Register in came Justice and Chief Justice of the 
 chronological order, whose term of Court of Common Pleas and Probate 
 office was from August 26, 1762 to Sep- Judge. In political life he was a 
 tember 29, 1773. His ancestry was Representative, and for many years one 
 singularly fine. He was the son of of the Executive Council. As a mili- 
 Rev. John Rogers and grandson of tary man he rose to the rank of Colonel. 
 President John Rogers of Harvard. He He lived on the site now occupied by 
 was in the direct line of descent from the residence of Mr. Joseph Ross and 
 Katherine Calvin, sister of the great maintained an elaborate establishment- 
 divine, John Calvin, and wife of William His chariot and servants in livery still 
 Wh'ittingham, a Puiitan refugee and find place in tradition. His term of 
 one cf the compilers of the Geneva office was from October 5, 1739 to Sep- 
 Bible at Geneva. He was a Harvard tember 14, 1750. 
 
 graduate of 1725, a physician, town The Register of Probate during a 
 clerk, colonel of a regiment. Justice large portion of Col. Berry's judgeship 
 of the Court of Sessions, and was his brother-in-law, Daniel Apple- 
 Representative to the General Court, ton, fifth in chronological succession, a 
 Dr. Rogers owned and probably built colonel, a representative, a Justice of 
 the house now occupied by Mr. Frank the Court of Sessions and Register from 
 
6 
 
 January 9, 1723 to August 26, 1762. He Wise and the otlier patriots for liis op- 
 
 jwued and occupied the George D. position to the Andros tyranny. He 
 
 iVildes house. Twice, this old liouse was a lieutenant colonel, a deputy and 
 
 has sheltered the Records, we may be- a councillor, and judge of Probate for 
 
 lieve, and I surmise that the curious tliirty-seven years, discharging his 
 
 room or closet, without a window, in duties with great skill and fidelity, lie 
 
 this old house, discovered when it was was also Chief .Justice of the Court of 
 
 rebuilt, which the fertile imagination Common Pleas for many years. He 
 
 of some dreamer conceived to be a hid- built tlie house, now ©wned by Mi-, 
 
 ing place of some regicide, may have George D. Wildi-s, a mansion of pecu- 
 
 been the archive room for the Probate liar interest in our reminiscences of the 
 
 Ri cords. old Probate Court, as a judge built it 
 
 His predecessor, the fourth Register, and two Registers owned it in later 
 
 was Appletou's uncle, Daniel Rogers, years. In Judge Appleton's day it was 
 
 from October 23, 1702 to January 9, renowned for its elegance and hospital- 
 
 1723, He was the second son of Presi- ity. Many a distinguished traveler 
 
 dent John Rogers, of Harvard, a Har- tarried here on his journey. Gov. 
 
 vard graduate of 1686, and an eminently Shute, on his way to New Hampshire, 
 
 successful teacher of the Grammar was his guest in 1716. The clergy of 
 
 school, sending fifteen young men to the colony always found cordial wel- 
 
 Harvard during his term of office. He come at his door. 
 
 added to his duties of Register the Among the earliest names of interest 
 
 varied functions of Town Clerk, and in this connection is that of Robert 
 
 Justice of Court of Sessions. Return- Lord, the first clerk of the old Quarter 
 
 ing from Salisbury on December 1, 1722 Sessions Court from 1648 to 1683, and 
 
 he lost his way in a violent snow storm Thomas Wade, the second clerk of writs 
 
 and perished on the marshes. He lies from 1684 to 1696. Wade was captain of 
 
 buried in the old High street yard, and the Ipswich troop of Horse in 1689, and 
 
 his stone bears an inscription in Latin afterwards colonel of the Essex Middle 
 
 verse, which recites his end. His Regiment. Mention must be made as 
 
 mother was the daughter of Gen. Deni- well of the illustrious judges of that 
 
 son, and he bought the Denison house ancient Court, baltonstall and Symonds 
 
 of her. It was located on Green stree t and Denison, whose fame needs no 
 
 probably near the present home of Mr. words of praise of mine before an Ips- 
 
 John Perkins. wich audience. 
 
 The third judge, and the last of the 1 have dwelt thus at length upon 
 
 Ipswich men, connected with this old these ancient worthies because we, as 
 
 Probate Court was John Appleton, the «» Historical Society, seem to have 
 
 eldest son of John, who was the eldest fallen heir to their renown by this acci- 
 
 sou of Samuel Appleton, the original dent of location. I could wish that our 
 
 settler. He was the Town Clerk of that walls might be adorned in the years to 
 
 historic town meeting of August 23, come with portraits of these excellent 
 
 1687, when the vote to refuse assent to men, in the flowing wig and spotless 
 
 the Andros edict was passed, and was ermine of the judge or the emblazoned 
 
 arrested for his complicitJ^ There unilorni of the soldier, or the embroi- 
 
 seems reason to believe that he was the dered elegance of the colonial citizen's 
 
 John Appleton, who suffered with John attire. True, they are connected only 
 
by the tie of official station with tliis 
 building;', but this old Piobate office is 
 the last of a series of three buildings, 
 and by right, not of apostolic, but judi- 
 cial succession it inherits the associa- 
 tions that cluster about tlie whole 
 group. 
 
 Nearly two centuries ago, in 1704, 
 December 28. a committee was ap- 
 pointed to build a Town House, with a 
 school house under it. They were 
 instructed to erect a building about 32 
 feet in lengh, about 28 feet in breadth, 
 about 8 or 10 feet stud, with a flat roof 
 raised about five feet. This building 
 was erected as is well known in front of 
 the present Methodist meeting house, 
 reaching well back to the great rock, 
 which has since been blasted away. 
 Here the Courts held their sessions, 
 civil and criminal and probate. Many 
 a great lawyer of the olden time 
 pleaded his case here before the august 
 tribunal. Many a trembling culprit 
 heard here his sentence to the whiijpiug 
 post or stocks or prison. 
 
 The first Court House was replaced, 
 on its exact site, in 1793 by a second 
 Court House and Town House, built at 
 the joint expense of town and county, 
 and the Courts continued to hold their 
 term here until June, 18o4, when the 
 Court of Common Pleas sat for the last 
 time. The glory of the latter house 
 was greater than that of the former. 
 A. race of giants in forensic gifts and 
 attainments had arisen. From the 
 bare slope of Hog Island, part and par- 
 cel of the ancient Ipswich, the brilliant 
 Rufus Choate won his way to national 
 renown. More than once, in the days 
 of his splendid power, he swayed the 
 judgment of all who heard his fiery 
 wloGuenp'? within those walls. No 
 doubt that other great jurist, Nathan 
 Dane, whose birthplace still stands, the 
 old "Patch" house, so called, on Mr. 
 D. F. Appleton's farm, was seen here, 
 
 and the famous judges of the time. 
 Here, too, Webster came in 1817, to de- 
 fend Levi and Laban Kenniston, accused 
 of waylaying and robbing one Major 
 Goodridge, He undertook the case at 
 the solicitation of his old neighbors in 
 New Hampshire who believed their 
 townsmen innocent, though the circum- 
 stantial evidence seemed conclusive 
 against them. He arrived at midnight, 
 entered the Court room the next morn- 
 ing almost without preparation and 
 secured the triumphant acquittal of 
 his clients. Edwin P. Whipple says, 
 "his management of the case is still 
 considered one of his masteri^ieces of 
 legal acumen and eloquence." I claim 
 these glorious remembrances as our 
 inheritance, for this building alone re- 
 mains to remind the town of its large 
 importance in judicial annals in other 
 days. 
 
 And now the Historical Society, 
 housed so comfortably, dignified with 
 its weight of honorable associations, 
 conscious of its capacity to become a 
 pride and honor to the town, makes 
 appeal to all lovers of old Ipswich, 
 whether dwelling still beneath her elms 
 or far away, to rise up to her support. 
 We plead for funds wherewith to pub- 
 lish the results of our investigations, 
 purchase gradually a library of anti- 
 quarian lore, and meet our current 
 expense. We ask for donations or 
 loans of articles of historic interest, 
 Indian remains, colonial h' irlooms, 
 relicts of the Civil War, ancient docu- 
 ments, portraits, pictures and aught 
 else that illustrates the history of 
 our town in every age. We can keep 
 them more safely than their owners, 
 and the community can enjoy them 
 here. 
 
 We invite independent research, and 
 promise ready hearing to any investi- 
 gator into any branch of our local his- 
 tory We hope to foster the historic 
 
8 
 
 spirit and awaken local pride to such tions with Ezekiel Cheever and liis 
 degree, that ere long our commons will famous school, Rogers and Ward and 
 be adorned with monuments. On the Saltonstall. who made their homes 
 site of the old Town House, maj' a close by. May their names be per- 
 Avorthy memorial be reared to the men petuated in enduring stone'. The 
 of 16S7, who saw^ with keen vision the spots, made memorable by the homes 
 greatness of the issue and made such of Eobert Payne, and Ann Bradstreet, 
 strenuous and splendid protest against Denison and Symonds should bear some 
 taxation without representation. On simple memorial to tell the stranger 
 the Green about the historic First how rich we are in proud remem- 
 church may some slab be raised to brances of great past, 
 commemorate the successive houses of These great tasks await us. May we 
 worship and the illustrious names' of as a Society, rejoici in our mission and 
 the early ministers. The site of the pledge tonight that generous and en- 
 ancient fort, and prison, and whipping thusiastic cooperation in effort which 
 post should be recalled. shall be the sure pledge of eventual 
 The South Green is rich in its associa- and large success. 
 

 Publications of the Ipswich Historical Society. 
 ill and IV. 
 
 UNVEILING 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MEMORIAL TABLETS 
 
 AT THE 
 
 SOUTH COMMON, 
 
 July 29, 1896, 
 
 AND THE REPORT OF THE 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Ipswich Historical Society 
 
 MONDAY EVENING. DEC. 7, 1896. 
 
 IPSWICH, MASS.: 
 
 Press of the Independent, 
 
 1897. 
 
Publications of the Ipswich Historical Society 
 
 ill. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 AT THE 
 
 UNVEILING 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MEMORIAL TABLETS 
 
 AT THE 
 
 SOUTH COMMON, 
 
 IPSWICH, 
 
 July 29, 1896. 
 
 IPSWICH, MASS.: 
 
 Press of the Independent, 
 
 1897. 
 

 Giit 
 Tlie Society 
 
 Uf '05 
 
Order of Exercises. 
 
 Lewis R. Hovey in the Independent. 
 
 Wednpsday, July 29, was a momo- 
 rable day for the Ipswich Historical 
 Society and the citizens of this 
 historic old town. Not only that, 
 but it was of deep interest to histo- 
 rians and genealogists in all parts of 
 the state and county, for it saw the 
 unveiling and formal presentation 
 of the memorial shaft, whicli had 
 been erected earlier in the week on 
 the little green in front of the Soutli 
 Meeting House, on a spot made 
 sacred by the memory of five great 
 and good men and the deeds they 
 wrought. 
 
 Tlie day was perfect, with a cloud- 
 less sky, cooling breezes, and all 
 nature In smiles. Preparations for 
 the exercises of the day had been 
 made by constructing in front of the 
 wide church steps a raised and cov- 
 ered platform, decorated with bunt- 
 ing. 
 
 The guests from out of town 
 arrived during the forenoon, and 
 were driven first to the public library, 
 then to the rooms of the Historical 
 Society in the Odd Fellows' building, 
 and tlien to Appleton Farms where 
 lunch was served. The list of prom- 
 inent people wlio were favored with 
 Appleton hospitality were: 
 
 Rev. D. O. Hears. D. D., of Albany, 
 iSr. Y.; Col. Natlian Appleton and W. 
 Sumner Appleton, of Boston; George 
 A. Gordon. Esq., Sec. of the N. E. 
 Historic-Genealogical Society ; David 
 H. B'-own, Esq., of the Medford His- 
 torical Society; Mr. and Mrs. .Jesse 
 Fewkes, of Newton, Mass; Edward 
 E. Hines. and Fran 'is H. Appleton 
 and daughter, of Pealiody; Hon. 
 Robert S. Rantoul. President of tlie 
 Essex Institute, Mr. and Mrs. James 
 Averill, William S. Nevins, Mr. and 
 Mrs. George L. Peabody, all of S;ilem ; 
 Rev. John Prince, formerly of Essex, 
 and others. 
 
 Ipswich was represented by the 
 board of selectmen, Messrs. Luther 
 Wait, John A. lirown and A. IL 
 Spiller; Revs. E. Constant, T. Frank 
 Waters. E. E. Harris, M. H. Gates 
 and Fr. Donovan; John W. Nourse, 
 Hon. Fred. Willcomb, John H. Cogs- 
 well and others. 
 
 At three o'clock there was gathered 
 about the South churcli, besides the 
 invited guests from in town and out, 
 a large assemblage of townspeople, 
 and shortly after the appointed time 
 President Waters, in a few well 
 chosen words, presented Hon. C. A. 
 Say ward, who delivered the address 
 
of welcr.me in behalf of the Society who laid out tho first Ipswich and 
 and town. Haverhill." said he. 
 
 licv. Edward Constant, of the First Hon. Robert S. RantonI, ex-mayor 
 Coi <>i'e<>ational cluiich, invoked the ol* Salem, and President of the 
 Di\ine blessini;-, after wiiich Presi- famous old Essex Institute, "tlie 
 dent AVaters announced tiie unveil- '" '-her of us all," as Chairman 
 ino- of the tal)Iet by Miss Muri<d Waters aptly lenned it, was the 
 Tn(d<ei-man, a lineal deicendant of ^^^^^ speaker. He expressed his 
 Jiichaid Sallonstall, and oiand- friatiflcation at beino; present, and 
 daughter of f). F. Appleton. As his remarks, of a historical nature. 
 Miss Tuckernuin drew aside the were clear and lucid. He spoke of 
 .American fla.u- wliicii covered the tl>P Kssex Institute and its fine col- 
 shaft tiiere was loud and long con- lections, with many things of direct 
 ;inued applause. interest to Ipswich. Among these 
 
 Rev. T. Frank Waters, President l'"^.^'' """e =.'-e more valuable tluu. 
 of the Ipswich Historical Society, ^' P'^ture of Governor W.nthrop. 
 then delivered the dedicatory ad- " I'l'ere is not a pla<re in the state 
 dress. At its close he introduced or country with more real history to 
 Mr. George A Gordon of Boston, the square inch than Kssev county," 
 S.c. of the New England Historic- ^'^'^^ Mr. Rantoul. '-and if we are not 
 Geneah.gical Society, who repre- "o^v in the lead in wealtn and promi- 
 S(nted the Society.' He expressed "^"^6 ^f Massachusetts counties, 
 regrets at the President's absence, P^'^vious to 1825 old Es^ex most cer- 
 but pleasure at his own presence on ^''i'^'y stood at the head." 
 such a notable occasion. His Rev. Dr. Mears was the last speak- 
 ;;(ldress, though brief, was of great 6'"; '^ native of Essex, the old Che- 
 interest, inasmuch as he brought up bacco Parish, but now of Albany, 
 severaii)oiiitswliich would not other- N. Y He was, as usunl, intensely 
 wise have been toucl^ed upon. His dramatic, and his eloquence was 
 advice that the Society get together punctuated with applause that be- 
 in printed form a book of historic- tokened unfeigned appreciation, 
 genealogical data, was a most excel- "Xothing has been said about the 
 lent one, and one which it is hoped wills or inheritances which these 
 Ipswich men of means will not be noble men left," said he, '-but it was 
 long in following out, for their own their character while living that we 
 good and thatof the town in general, love to dwell upon and seek now to 
 "While you are erecting a monu- everlastingly perpetuate with monu- 
 ment to the memory of these five mental granite and bronze." 
 men whose names are thereon in- "Nathaniel Ward was truly a 
 scribed, do not forsret such men as greater man than we think. Not 
 Samuel Simonds, one of Ipswich's only did he frame the code of laws 
 first settlers, and George Giddings, by which this colony was governed, 
 
but from Hint code wns nndonhfedly iriff honse; second, the training- field ; 
 
 taken imioli tliat went to make up tliird, schools. May the land our 
 
 the body of our national and world- fathers founded ever be as free as 
 
 famed Constitution." the air we breathe this day." 
 
 '•John Wise, of Essex, was another (Applause.) 
 
 man, as nobjp as any of the rest. A After tliankinj? all for aid in mak- 
 
 ministor of CiiPbacco Parish, he was inji: the affair sucli a pronounced 
 
 (lie first to suffer because of a refusal success. Mr. Waters announced the 
 
 to sul)mit to unjust taxation. lie close of the exercises, and invited all 
 
 dffieil Andros, ami lie was impris- to a closer inspection of the tablets, 
 
 onetl because he would not bow the Tlipse are of bronze, cast by tlie 
 
 knee to that des[)otic Governor." Hhike Bell Foundry, of Boston, and 
 
 "•It is better to be well born than are affixed to a hantlsome granite 
 
 to have an inheritance.' Truly more shaft from the works of Barton & 
 
 trutiiful woids were never spoken." Williams, of Ipswich. The inscrip- 
 
 Dr. iMears eulogized old Ipswich tions thereon are reproduced in tbls 
 
 and her noble men, in language pampiih-t. as is also a photogi-aiih by 
 
 which causrd unstinted jnd well George K. Dodge of the South face 
 
 deserved ai)i)lause from those pres- of tiie tablets. The addresses of 
 
 ent. -'Tiiey defended and nourished Picsident Waters and Hon, C. A. 
 
 three things," said he: '"first, a meet- S.iyward follow. 
 
 .^< 
 
 
 ^ 
 
Here stood 
 
 THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 1747 SOUTH PARISH. 1837 
 
 The EXPEDITION AGAINST QUEBEC, 
 
 BENEDICT Arnold in command, 
 Aaron Burr in the ranks, 
 
 marched by this spot sept. 15, 1775. 
 
 REV. WILLIAM HUBBARD 
 
 pastor of the IPSWICH CHURCH 
 
 1656 —1704. 
 
 Historian of the Indian Wars 
 
 lived near the river about 
 
 a hundred rods eastward. 
 
 erected by 
 the ipswich historical society 
 
 1896 
 
 A FEW RODS EAST OF THIS SPOT 
 WERE THE DWELLING AND SCHOOL HOUSE OF 
 
 EZEKIEL CHEEVER 
 
 FIRST MASTER OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 
 
 1650 —— 1661 
 
 On THE EAST SIDE OF THE COMMON 
 
 WAS THE HOUSE OF 
 
 REV. NATHANIEL WARD 
 
 1634 MINISTER OF IPSWICH 1637 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 " THE SIMPLE COBLER OF AGGAWAM " 
 
 COMPILER OF 
 
 THE BODY OF LIBERTIES 
 
 THE RESIDENCE OF 
 
 RICHARD SALTONSTALL 
 
 WAS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE COMMON 
 
 AND THAT OF 
 
 REV. NATHANIEL ROGERS 
 
 PASTOR OF IPSWICH CHURCH 
 
 1638 -^— 1655 
 
 WAS ON THE WEST SIDE. 
 
!v.-o 
 
 
 - ViiiX 
 
 Kn 
 
 16S"? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 •9 
 
 ^ 
 
 [ 
 
 ..-mm 
 
 .,.sfi 
 
 1 
 
 31 
 
 k' 
 
 '\ 
 
 GEO. K. DODGE, Photo. 
 
 Memorial Tablets, South Green, Ipswich. 
 
INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS 
 
 J5Y HON. CHA8. A SAY WARD. 
 
 Mb. President, Ladies and Gen- 
 tlemen: 
 
 Au eminent writer lias said that 
 "one touch of nature makes the 
 whole world kiu." Whether that 
 statement he true or not, I feel sure 
 that you will all agree with m« 
 when I say that one touch of the 
 Colonial Days makes all New Eng- 
 land kin. 
 
 The history of a locality, the 
 events which transpired there, the 
 men who made its history and 
 participated iu its evente are not 
 the exclusive property of that lo- 
 cality. 
 
 Boston has no exclusive right to the 
 memory of her Blackstone and the 
 story of lier settlement. Halem can- 
 not preempt tlie fame of her Conaut, 
 Higginson and Endicott. Plymouth 
 cannot confine within her boun- 
 daries the fame of her Pilgrim 
 founders. Ipswich does not claim 
 any exclusive right in the history 
 of her settlement, or the fame of the 
 sturdy and noble men who laid lier 
 foundations and erected such a 
 strong and comely structure thereon. 
 
 The settlements scattered here and 
 there on the bays and water-ways of 
 New England, all together, estab- 
 lished and forced into existence 
 that section of our couiitry whicJi 
 v\'asthe home and workshoi^ of our 
 
 fathers, and which is so dear to 
 every one or their descendants to- 
 day. Tlie story of the settlement of 
 each of oui" towns and the men iden- 
 tified with them is the common 
 property of all New England and in- 
 deed of the entire country. 
 
 Acting upon this princple, the 
 Ipswicli Historical Society, has in- 
 vited the Mass. Historical Society, 
 the N. E. Genealogical Society and 
 local Historical Societies about the 
 county, as well as many persons in- 
 terested in the story of early days, 
 to come here today and participate 
 with us in the unveiling of this 
 shaft and the ceremonies of its dedi- 
 cation. 
 
 We want you all to know of the 
 part our town took in the develop- 
 ment of the colony and state. We 
 wish to extend and perpetuate the 
 fame of our fathers who left such 
 a grand record f^r their descen- 
 dants. 
 
 On behalf of the Ipswich Histori- 
 cal Society, I extend to you all a most 
 cordial welcome, and hope that as a 
 result of this meeting, your archives 
 may be enriched with facts that will 
 be of interest to you and to those who 
 follow you, and that each will en- 
 joy the occasion and carry away 
 pleasing memories of the day and of 
 our town. 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 BY REV. T. FRAMC WATERS. 
 
 I HIS spot was never wet with 
 ''■ heroes blood, as the common of 
 old Lexington — nor lias it had the 
 stirring and even tragic part in our 
 history that has fallen to the lot of 
 our Meeting-House Green, crowned 
 iQ the earliest days with meeting- 
 house and prison, town-house aiid 
 court-house, stocks and whipping 
 post. This fair Green has ever been 
 a placid spot as now, vexed by no 
 ruder sound than the cow-herd's 
 horn, which summoned together 
 here the neighborhood kine at the 
 liour of sunrise, and at sunset bade 
 their owners come and take their 
 cows; or the word of command when 
 the men and boys of the ancient 
 town were drilled here in the man- 
 ual of arms. And yet this Common 
 lias been a spot of living interest in 
 many generations. 
 
 Here some of the finest men of 
 their age, or of any age. built their 
 homes, thought and wrought, trained 
 up their children, entertained their 
 friends, and tlieir names and the 
 work they did are known and felt 
 and honored of all who knew the 
 story of New England in its first 
 eventful eentin-y. 
 
 The wilderness, was hardly broken 
 and a few simple houses had been 
 built by the pioneer settlers, when 
 there camo hither a man, already 
 
 past the prime of life, for he was in 
 his flfty-sixth year, to be the preach- 
 er, Nathaniel Ward. His life had 
 been highly favored. His father 
 was an honored minister in Old 
 England. His two brothers chose 
 the same profession. He alone of 
 the three sons, having graduated 
 from Emanuel College, Cambridge, 
 chose the law. He was admitted as a 
 student at Lincoln's Inn Hall, May 
 15, 1607, and was nominated a barris- 
 ter Oct. 17, 1615. He travelled far 
 and wide on the Continent, and at 
 Heidelberg met a celebrated theolo- 
 gian, Parens, Professor of Theology 
 in the University, and at his instance 
 decided to enter the ministry,— 
 when he was about forty years of 
 age. He became rector at Stondeu 
 Massey, in the county of Essex, and 
 while there his staunch Puritanism 
 was put to a sore test. He refused 
 to subscribe to the articles establish- 
 ed by the Canon of the Church, 
 Summoned before Archlishop Laud, 
 he refused to conform and was 
 roughly excommunicated in 1633. 
 His wife died at about the same 
 time. Lonely, sorrowful, despairing 
 of any asylum in England, in com- 
 i mon with multitudes of Puritans, 
 Ward turned to the New World and 
 ! landed in the year 16.H4. His first 
 ' winter was spent in Mr. Winthrop's 
 
8 
 
 ADDRESS. 
 
 house; but betore another wiuter 
 came we may presume that 
 his own humble house was built, 
 somewhere on this eastern side of 
 our Common. The house was stand- 
 ing: in Cotton Mather's time, and he 
 says that Ward had inscribed over 
 the fireplace, the Latin legend, "So- 
 brie, juste, pie," and afterward, 
 "laete " (Soberly, justly, piously, 
 gladly.) 
 
 Sober indeed was the life of the 
 Cambridge scholar in these years. "I 
 intreate you," he wrote pathetically 
 to John Wiutlirop when a ship-load 
 of provisions had arrived. "I in- 
 treate you to do so much as to speake 
 to him (Mr. Coddiugton) in my name, 
 to reserve some meale and malt, and 
 what victuals else he thinks meete, 
 till our River be open; our church 
 will pay him duely for it. I am verv 
 destitute; T liave not above Gbushells 
 of corn left, and other things answer- 
 able." It was only the 24th of De- 
 cember. Glad Christmas bulls were 
 about ringing in the mother land 
 and all was niirth and jollity at tlie 
 very moment when he was pleading 
 for bread. 
 
 In a few years his health became 
 so much impaired that he gave up 
 his ministry. "I acknowledge I am 
 tender and more unfit for solitari- 
 ness and hardship than some otJier, 
 especially at this tyme, though 
 many colds and seeds of tlie bay 
 sicknesses, I brought Irom tlience," 
 he wrote again to VVinthrop. 
 
 His release from pastoral labors 
 marked also the beginning of other 
 tasks whicli have made his name 
 memorable. He had already made 
 Jiis impress on his time. In the year 
 
 1638 he was requested by the Colony 
 to draw up a code of law's, as no 
 written statutes had as yet been 
 formulated. He ^vas fitted for this 
 task above any other man in the 
 Colony, perhaps, by his legal learn- 
 ing, his long familiarity with the 
 legal systems of the old world, and 
 his mature years. He wrought dili- 
 gentlj' upon this task for some three 
 years, and the result of his labors 
 was a code of one hundred laws, 
 which was submitted to the judg- 
 ment of tlie General Court and dis- 
 cussed in every town ; — altered some- 
 what ill form, but Iiually adopted in 
 tlie year l(jll, and Gov. Winthrop 
 speaks of the Code "as composed by 
 Mr. Nathaniel Ward." In the judg- 
 ment ot his contemporaries there- 
 fore, Mr. Ward was the recognized 
 author or compiler of this system of 
 laws which were called the IJody 
 of Liberties, 
 
 This document has challenged the 
 admiration ot many acute students 
 of the colonial days. Speaking of 
 the Preamble, Mr. W. F. Poole ob- 
 serves: 
 
 "This sublime declaration stand- 
 ing at the head of the first C'ode of 
 Laws in New Knglaud,-was the pro- 
 duction of no common intellect. It 
 has the moveuK-nt and the dignity 
 of a mind like John Milton's or Al- 
 gernon Sidney's, and its theory of 
 government was far in advance of 
 the age. A bold avowal of the rights 
 of man, and a plea for popular free- 
 dom, it contains the germs of the 
 memnrabh declaration of July 4, 
 1770. 
 
 Dr. Francis C. Gray remarks upon 
 the originality of this Code, "al- 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 9 
 
 though it retains some strono: traces 
 of the times, it is, in the main, far in 
 advance of them, and in several re- 
 spects in advance of the Common 
 Law of England at this day "(1818) " 
 "It shows that our ancestors," he 
 continues, instead of deducing their 
 laws from the books of Moses, estab- 
 lished at the outset a code of funda- 
 mental principles, which taken as a 
 whole, for wisdom, equity and adap 
 tation to the wants of their commu- 
 nity, challenge a comparison witii 
 any similar production from Magna 
 Charta itself to the latest Bill of 
 Rights that has been put forth in 
 Europe or America." 
 
 Who can estimate aright tlie far- 
 reaching and. powerful influence of 
 tins legal code upon the people of 
 New England in fostering their love 
 of liberty, mainiaiuiug their civic 
 rights, and securing tliat profound 
 and stable rectitude which has been 
 the glory of New England in all these 
 generations! Great is the glory, that 
 from the quiet homes of the Ipswich 
 ministers here beside our Green, this 
 potent influence should have sprung 
 as from its source and fountain head. 
 
 It makes intelligible that Provi- 
 denc<e that brought into the wilder- 
 ness, to its want and hunger, and 
 loneliness and scant companion- 
 ship, the ripe Cambridge scholar 
 and traveller with his three-score 
 years. 
 
 Bur Nathaniel Ward had other 
 work than this. In 1646 that literary 
 work which is linked indissolubly 
 with his name — "the Simple Cobler 
 of Aggawam" — was completed and 
 sent to England for publication. Its 
 success was remarkable. Four edi- 
 
 tions were called for before the year 
 closed. Its pungent and striking 
 criticisms were in unison with the 
 spirit of the times. Its wondrous 
 vocabulary surpassed the Carlylean 
 dialect of later days. We may claim 
 foi it almost the same distinction as 
 a pioneer work in the department of 
 prose composition, that belongs to 
 Ann Bradstreet's volume in the 
 realm of poetry, for no work of 
 the earlj days can compare with it 
 in originality of style, vigor of 
 thought and uniqueness of theme. 
 
 In the year following the begin- 
 ning of Ward's ministry, a welcome 
 addition to the little company set- 
 tled here was made, when Richard 
 Saltonstall, eldest son of Bir Rich- 
 ard, chose this town for his home. 
 He was but 25 years old but already 
 a graduate of the Puritan College, 
 Emanuel of Cambridge. With him 
 came his young wife Merriel, or 
 Muriel, Gordon, only 22 years old, 
 and their baby Muriel of nine 
 months. I conceive that Mr. Ward 
 was more than glad to welcome this 
 youthful trio to his near neighbor- 
 hood, -just across the Green — ; and 
 his heart grew waim and young 
 again, when their presence bright- 
 ened his quiet home; and he held 
 the baby Muriel in his arms and told 
 how, in the long years past, he had 
 held the darling Prince Rupert in 
 his babyhood in like fa?hion. 
 
 The community honored young 
 Saltonstall at once, with responsible 
 public office. He was elected De- 
 puty to the General Court, and in 
 1636 he was appointed to hold court 
 in Ipswich. He was chosen Assist- 
 ant in 16B7. Young as he was, Mr. 
 
10 
 
 ADDRESS. 
 
 Saltoustall became a conspicious fig- 
 ure. In March 1635-6, theGeueial 
 Court passed an order providing 
 that a certain number of magistrates 
 should be elected for a life-terra as 
 a standing council. The measure 
 proved unpopular. The people saw 
 In tliis an irresponsible body, the 
 existence of which was wholly con- 
 trary to democratic ideas. 
 
 Some action was taked by die 
 court looking towards its dissolu- 
 tion, but the Council still remained. 
 Whereupon Mr. Saltonstall, then 
 an Assistant with fair prospects of 
 becoming a member of this life- 
 board, wrote a book, in which lie 
 argued with much force that it was 
 contrary to the charter and a sinful 
 innovation. The book gave great 
 oll'ence and many were eager for 
 summary punislimeiit to be visited 
 upon the author, — but the matter 
 M'as dropped and tlie book was re- 
 ferred to the Elders. They all met 
 here in Ipswich in 1642, Oct. 18, dif- 
 fered much in their judgment about 
 it, but acknowledged tlie soundness 
 of the propositions advanced. 
 
 Again in 1645 wo find iiiin, single 
 handed and alone, lifting up his 
 voice like a trumpet in the Great 
 iiiid General Court, when Capt. 
 James Smith, master of the sliip 
 Ilaiubow, had brought into the 
 country two negroes stolen from tlio 
 Guinea Coast. He denounced tlie 
 heinous act of stealing these poor 
 blacks, as contrary to the law of God 
 and the law of this country; demand- 
 ed that the officers of tlie shii^ be 
 imprisoned, and addressed a peti- 
 tion, signed by himself alone, pray- 
 ing that the slaves be rotunicd at 
 
 the public expense. 'Ihus early was 
 Ipswich found, not only demanding 
 liberty for herself but euiaiieipatiou 
 for the bondman. 
 
 Now we find Nathaniel Rogers 
 with his company of friends in old 
 Ipswich. He built his house near 
 where the house of many gables 
 stands today. He was in his fortieth 
 year, a student, a man of slender 
 health, not so bold and aggressive as 
 the sturdy Ward and the impetuous, 
 young Saltoustall, but a man of com- 
 panionable spirit nevertheless. 
 
 More than ome these three 
 worthies were found acting in con- 
 cert in affairs of largo public interest. 
 La Tour arrived in JJoston in 1643 
 and sought of Gov. Winthrop ludp 
 against liis rival, D'Aulany, who 
 had blockaded the St John Kivor. 
 Winthrop permitted him to hire four 
 ships and a pinnace, and sail away. 
 This act roused severe criticism, and 
 on the day the little fleet sailed, a 
 vigorous written protest was hand- 
 ed the Governor, by Saltonstall, 
 Ward and Rogers, John Norton and 
 Simon Bradstreet, and Rev. Ezekiel 
 Rogers of Rowley. Dr. Palfray finds 
 Ward's hand in the pungent language 
 others atti-ibute it to Saltfuistall as 
 the prime mover in the enterprise. 
 Be that as it may, it was an Ipswich . 
 protest. 
 
 Hero, in (jik; of lliose houses about 
 our Common, the Ipswich clergy 
 and magistrates may haye taken 
 deep counsel together, and di'aftcul 
 this historic document. Winthrop 
 failed of re-election. Dudley was 
 chosen governor but this trouble- 
 some French business would not be 
 sottlod. In 1645 a commission was 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 11 
 
 appointed and aiitliofi/ed to search 
 out the whole truth, but the same 
 Court granted La Tour liberty lo 
 arm and equip seven vessels, and 
 Mr. Saltoustall di-e\v up a solemn 
 minority protest against such action, 
 Mr. Ilathorne aloae signing with 
 him. No state paper of the period, 
 it is atlirmed, excels this document 
 in vigor of expression and loftiness 
 of tone. 
 
 But political arfairs were not the 
 oiily themes of common interest. I 
 like to think of the neighborly 
 gatherings in this house or in that; 
 tlie keen interest with which they 
 talk of progress of Puritanism in the 
 liome lane-, or discuss the last word 
 from the Pequot war;— or the hours 
 of good cheer, when the air grew 
 cloudy with the smoke from Mr 
 Roger's pipe, and the wine went 
 round, and the rigor of the wilder- 
 ness winter and every fretting cir- 
 cumstance was forgotten, 
 
 Others too went in and out about 
 this spot. The brilliant .John Nor- 
 ton, teacher of the ancient church; 
 grutf Thomas Dudley, courtly Bimon 
 Bradstreet, destined for the highest 
 honors his Colony could bestow 
 upon him, and his delicate wife, 
 Ann, the famous poetess who was 
 ^jiighly esteemed by Mr. Ward; and 
 'every other staunch citizen of the 
 day. Governor Winthrop and the 
 younger Winthrop in his occasional 
 visits,— and every other man of rank 
 doubtless was seen in this line 
 neighborhood— made more inter- 
 esting by the settling of Giles Fir- 
 min, the physician, next door to 
 Ward, who was his father-in-law. 
 Time wrought changes fn this 
 
 famous company. Firmin returned 
 to England and won renown as a 
 l)reae!ier. Ward left his Ipswich 
 home for the old country in 164G. 
 Saltonstall was more in England - 
 than in the Bay Colony in his ma- 
 turer years. Rogers was the last to 
 disappear. He dwelt here till he 
 died, in 1655. 
 
 But before his decease another 
 note-worthy personage was here, 
 Ezekiel Cheevor, the famous school- 
 master. He too was an Emanuel 
 College man, any other would have 
 felt himself out of place. He came 
 in 165(1, in heaviness of spirit, with 
 five motherless children, and his 
 grief for their mother yet fresh. But 
 he was in full vigor of his manhood 
 and gave himself manfully to hi:* 
 task as Master of the Grammar 
 iSchool. Years before, a school had 
 been taught by Leionel Chute, but it 
 had ceased to be. Some of the 
 prominent citizens grew urgent in 
 their desire for another ecliool. Mr. 
 Cheever had gained marked success 
 at New Haven, but his work 
 there was interrupted by sharp re- 
 ligious bickerings and he was glad 
 to remove to this community. Was 
 it the high literary atmosphere of 
 this old neighborhood that moved 
 Robert Payne to buy yonder ten 
 acres with the house upon them for 
 the school-master's home? A school 
 house was built on tliis corner and 
 there Mr. Cheever taught with dis- 
 tinguished success for eleven years. 
 In six years there were six young 
 men students at Harvard College, 
 who had probably entered from this 
 school, and others followed. 
 
 Cheever's striking personality 
 
12 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 must have given the school uuique 
 distiuctiou iu its own time, (/otton 
 Mather was one of his pupils iu his 
 later years, when he taught the Latin 
 hchool in Boston. He has given us 
 a brief glimpse of the teacher iu his 
 school-room. He tells us "of his 
 l^iety and liis care to infuse docu- 
 ments of piety into the scholars un- 
 der his charge, that ho might carry 
 them with liiiu to the heavenly 
 world. He constantly prayed with 
 us every day and catechised us every 
 week, and let fall such holy counsels 
 upon us; ho took so many occasions 
 to make siieechos to us that should 
 make us afraid of sin, and of incur- 
 ring the fearful judtrnients of God 
 for sin, that I do not propose him for 
 emulation." 
 
 Rev. John i>arnard of Marhlehead 
 was a scholar of b. is old age in Bos- 
 ton. "I remember once," he said, "iu 
 making a piece of Latin my master 
 found fault with the syntax of one 
 word, whicli was not so used by me 
 heedlessly but designedly, and there- 
 fore I told hina there was a plain 
 grammar rule for it. He angrily re- 
 plied there was no such rule. I took 
 the grammar and showed the rule to 
 him. Theu he smilingly said, "Thou 
 art a brave boy, I had forgot it," and 
 no wonder for he was then above 
 eighty years old. 
 
 Tlie "grammai" of which Barnard 
 speaks was "Tiie Accidence" of 
 Cheever's own composition, publish- 
 ed while he was in New Haven. 
 Pres. Quincy of Harvard College 
 speaks of it as "a work which was 
 used for more than a lientnry in the 
 schools of New F'ngland, as the first 
 elementary book for learners of the 
 
 liatin language, which held its place 
 iu some of the most eminent of those • 
 schools, nearly, if not quite, to the 
 end of the last century ; which has 
 passed through at least twenty edi- 
 tions In this country; which was 
 the subject of the successive labor 
 and improvement of a man who 
 spent seventy years in the business 
 of instruction, and whose fame is 
 second to no school-master New 
 England has ever produced, requires 
 no additional testimony to its worth 
 or its merits." 
 
 Yondercorner is forever hallowed by 
 the memory of the prayers and toils 
 of.that one great leacher. Were those 
 eleven years in which lie wrought 
 the end of that fine effort for ad- 
 vanced education in our midst, it 
 would bo a luminous epoch, in our 
 annals. But that school continued 
 when he was called to Charlestown. 
 The town granted for its support a 
 great farm in Chobacco. "William 
 Paine made gift of Little Neck, and 
 the revenue fiom these properties 
 made helpful C(nitribution to its sup- 
 port as It does still to our High 
 School. 
 
 The fine public spirit which ani- 
 mated Kobert Payne when he bought 
 these two acres with the dwelling 
 thereon, aiid built the school-liouse, 
 and William Hubbard and William 
 Paine and the whole bowly of fieo- 
 holdcrs, reveals the high value which 
 our fathers attached to the highest 
 education. A nuiltitudo of men, who 
 liave made grand work of life, had 
 never done so well if that school had 
 not brought them their opportunity . 
 of in'eparatiou for tlie Coll»ege. Tiie 
 Ipswich of after years, with its noble 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 13 
 
 lii-story, is larj^ely tho cretitiou of 
 that old Grammar School and we 
 do well, most surely, hi rearing here, 
 ou or near the School House Green, 
 as it was anciently called, this en- 
 during memorial of its beginning. 
 
 William Hubbard was the son of 
 William Hubbard, an eminent resi- 
 dent of our town. He was a member 
 of the first class tiiat graduated at 
 Harvard College in 1642. While Mr, 
 Choever was in the midst of his 
 labors, Mr. Hubbard became the col- 
 league of Rev. Mr. Cobbett, the 
 pastor of the Church, and for nearly 
 a half century, he upheld the ex- 
 aulted reputation of the ministry of 
 tho ancient church. In the pulpit 
 he was the peer of the ablest, but his 
 name is remembered chiefly for the 
 valuable contributions which iie 
 made to the history of his times, 
 His ''History of the Indian Wars" 
 was published in his own time. Plis 
 '•History of JNew England was left in 
 manuscript but has been published 
 within the present century." 
 
 Ho married in early life, Margaret, 
 the daughter of Kev. Nathaniel 
 Rogers, and v/hen the young wife 
 went from her father's home, it was 
 but a little waj'^ to the sightly spot 
 on tiie river bank where her new 
 home was; and wlien. in his old age^ 
 he married again, he chose the 
 widow Pearce, his neighbor, despite 
 the complaint that she was not a fit 
 person for such high distinction. 
 
 Thus Hubbard is of peculiar inter- 
 est to us--, as the first of the men of 
 tiie latter days whose learning was 
 not that of Cambridge on the Cam 
 but Cambridge on the Charles. 
 From his childhoo:! ho was identi- 
 
 fied witii this towti. His large his- 
 torical work was accomplished in 
 our midst. His very helplessness in 
 conducting liis financial affairs, 
 which involved him in constant dif- 
 ficulties with his creditors, rouses 
 our symiiathy. I like to think of 
 him as a childish-minded man of 
 the world, who lived in the realm of 
 letters in sublime disregard of com- 
 mon things, the easy victim of any 
 designing knave. In the March 
 court, 1673, a group of abusers of his 
 kindness was brought to grief. Peter 
 Leycrcss, Jonas Gregory and Lyman 
 Woods for stealing and using five 
 gallons of wine from Mr, Hubbard's 
 were judged to pay him 5£. 
 
 The same Peter Leycross was pun- 
 islied for other thefts of a gallon, and 
 one of three quarts. Peter and .Jonas 
 were also convicted of stealing a 
 sheep from him, and Jonas was 
 proved guilty of stealing a "fatt 
 weather;" while Nathaniel Emer- 
 son for being present at the unhal- 
 lowed orgies, when the minister's 
 wine was drunk, "was admonished.'' 
 
 These are the men whose names 
 are written on these enduring tablets 
 Three ministers, a magistrate and 
 law-maker, and a school-master; 
 each illustrious in his calling, all 
 conspicuous in public affairs; a not- 
 able group of wise, strong, high- 
 minded, devout-souled men. We 
 may well add to these illustrious 
 names that of Giles Firmin, Ward's 
 son-in-law and neighbor, the phy- 
 sician of the community, who grew 
 tired of the slender returns from the 
 practice of pliysic, went back to 
 England and won renown in the 
 ministry; and Rogers's son John, 
 
14 
 
 ADDRESS. 
 
 more famous thau himself, who ia- 
 herited his father's homestead autl 
 combined the functions of the min- 
 ister and the physician. He became 
 the President of Harvard College, 
 but died on the day of his first com- 
 mencement, July 20, 1GS4 His widow, 
 Elizabeth, daughter of the soldier, 
 Gen. Daniel Denison, continued her 
 residence here many years. Nor can 
 we forget Ellen Lothrop,— sister of 
 Capt. Thomas Lothrop, who fell at 
 Bloody Brook,— whom Ezekiel Chee- 
 ver married in due season. Thus 
 there are military associations and 
 reminders of sad scenes and direful 
 events, that interweave themselves 
 with the quiet annals of this rare 
 spot. 
 
 Our winding, elm-shadod street 
 itself is a landmark of the earliest 
 days. How many generations of 
 travellers have passed along its quiet 
 path. Whether it was over this 
 highway that Gov. Wiuthrop came 
 to town, on foot on an April day in 
 1634, to visit the nevs' settlement and 
 tarried over Sabbath to preach to the 
 people, we may not allirm. A pop- 
 ular tradition has it that the original 
 way to Ipswich was by way of the 
 present Topsfield road, but traditions 
 are of uncertain value. John Dane 
 tells us in his Diary, that he came 
 from Iloxbury to Ipswich, "when 
 there was no patli but what the In- 
 dians had made. Sometimes I was 
 in it and sometimes out of it," he 
 naively writes. It was probably 
 over this highway that the good gov- 
 ernor came, under escort of the Ips- 
 wich soldiers, in June 1G;J7, when the 
 Pequot war was making men's hearts 
 to fail tliom for fear; and the little 
 
 army of seventeen brave young men 
 of Ij^swich had marched this way, 
 we may presume, toward the seat of 
 war in April of that year. 
 
 But the day of meandering and 
 uncertain Indian trails was soon to 
 end. November 5, J639, each town 
 was obliged to join with its neigh- 
 bors in laying out the highways, and 
 the Ipswich and Rowley surveyors 
 report that the highway had 
 been laid out in due form, "along 
 by Mr. Saltoustall's house, over the 
 Falls at Mile River, and by marked 
 trees over Mr. Appleton's meadow, 
 called Parly e Meadow, and from 
 thence by Mr, Plubbard's farm house 
 — "and so on through Wenliam to 
 Salem. The bridge over the River, 
 on tlie site of the present Choate 
 bridge was completed in IG-11, and 
 from that time a stream of travel 
 has flowed continously by this spot» 
 on this goodly highway, eigb.t rods 
 wide. 
 
 Governors and magistrates with 
 courtly retinues come this way; 
 blutl' Thomas Dudley seeking a home 
 h«re, with liis son-in-law, Simon 
 Bradstreet, and his famous wife, 
 Ann; Cotton and V/ilson and Roger 
 Williams; the famous minisers of 
 the olden time, stopping at eventitle 
 to refresh themselves under Ward's 
 hum'ole roof or at Rogers'ss more pre- 
 tentious mansion; or with Hubhard 
 or with the worshipful "Mister 
 Saltonstall," in the intervals of his 
 residence here, then took up their 
 journey, and passed ou to the town 
 beyond. Sabbath after Sabbath saw 
 the yeomanry riding in, their horses 
 keeping a decent Sabbath gait, their 
 wives or daughters ou pillions, re- 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 15 
 
 gardless of suiuuier's heat or winter's 
 cold, to worship (Jod in His House. 
 
 Anou, there is the swift hoof-beat 
 of the messenger in Sept. 1642, riding 
 at top of speed with orders for the 
 soldiery to march at once toward 
 Haverhill and disarm Passecon- 
 away; and more than once, I ween, 
 at sound of the alarm gun, there was 
 a rush of resolute men and pallid 
 faced women hither and thither, for 
 defence or for refuge. 
 
 Tlien came the mid years of the 
 century, when the terrors of Indian 
 alarms were stilled awhile, but maay 
 a sad scene of religious intolerance 
 took place. The full virulence of 
 Puritan hate was vented upon the 
 hapless Quaker and from the 
 court house or their prison on Meet- 
 ing House Hill to the jail in iSalem 
 or Jioston where they were to lan- 
 gnisli, Josiah Soutliwick and Cassan- 
 dra, and rtamuel Shattuck, (immor- 
 talized in Whittier's verse,) were 
 escorted past this spot, under guard 
 and loaded with tlieir chains; or 
 perchance even dragged at a cart's 
 tail ignominiously and beaten on 
 their bare backs until their life -blood 
 crimsoned the duty road. 
 
 Again the horrors of war were 
 abroad when King Philip smote the 
 tlie settlements with tire and steel, 
 and Capt. Samuel Apple ton marched 
 out with his company in September 
 to win line renown for valiant courage 
 ands!:illful leadership. He return- 
 ed in November but early in Decem- 
 ber he was again afield with his 
 loyal company, for the peril and 
 hardship of that winter campaign 
 and the dreadful "Swamp Fight." 
 Again and again there was a call for 
 
 men, and squad after squad of Ips- 
 wich citizens marched along our 
 highway, now so peaceful, with 
 heavy hearts, but high resolve to 
 meet the wily foe; escorted perhaps, 
 on either hand and close behind, by 
 neighbors and friends cheering them 
 on their way. 
 
 And while the war was still wag- 
 ing, the redoubtable Mogg, chief of 
 the Indians to the Eastward, passed 
 by in November 187fi on his way to 
 Boston to arrange terms t'or a treaty 
 of peace. With what mingled looks 
 of bitter hate and trembling fright, 
 was the savage gazed at from every 
 window and all along our roadside. 
 Happily he received good treat- 
 ment. The son of Mr. Cobbett, the 
 minister, was then a captive in 
 Maine. The Indian went to Mr- 
 Cobbett's house and promised his 
 good offices in securing the son's 
 release, which he eventually accom- 
 plished. 
 
 Again there is a lull in the sound of 
 marching soldiery and jingling 
 horse-troopers, but our old King's 
 highway does not lack for travellers 
 of highest interest. Sir Edmund 
 Andros, the royal governor and Ar- 
 bitrary despot, rode this way with 
 gaily caparisoned escort — but re- 
 turned, with pride humbled by the 
 daring ill-treatment he had met. 
 And a larger figure than Andros we 
 will ever think, was the brave min- 
 ister of Chebacco, John Wise, who 
 rode by this spot as the afternoon 
 wore on, on August 22, 1687, to meet 
 a few choice spirits at John Apple- 
 ton's and plan for their famous re- 
 sistance to the tax on the following 
 
 day. 
 
16 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 Fair young Margaret Smith and 
 her knightly company passed along, 
 her face still pale, T imagine, from 
 her fright at Mile River, where the 
 sagamore caused her such alarm by 
 his appearance. And Judge Samuel 
 Sewall came and went on liis judi- 
 cial rounds; and as the century drew 
 to its close, there was frequent sight 
 along this road, of innocent men and 
 women, charged witli the heinous 
 crime of witchcraft, who were hur- 
 ried to Salem for trial and back to 
 our jail for custody. Most notable of 
 all, stern, defiant, old Giles Corey 
 was seen amid the prisoners and 
 having made his Avill in Ipswich 
 jail, he was carried to Salem to en- 
 dure his av/ful sentence of being 
 pressed to death. 
 
 One touch of the grotesque lights 
 up the sombre annals of our beauti- 
 ful old road, just as the new century 
 came in. Wlieeled vehiclos were 
 coming into vogue for travel and 
 Cant. John Stevens, a sailor, perhaps 
 freshly home from has voyage and 
 eager for a sensation, wi*h Jane San- 
 diinan as a conapanioii, presumed to 
 ride through our tov.'u in a calash, 
 on liis w.ay from Beverly to New- 
 bury, on a fine Sabbath in May. 
 For this '-prophanation of ye Sab- 
 batli" he was summon-^d before the 
 Ipswich Assize on May 19, 1702. In 
 May 1707, there was a flasli of pol- 
 i-hcd steel and brass, and the splen- 
 dor of bright uniforms asths Ipswich, 
 contingents marched by to join tlie 
 expidition against Port Royal. 
 Some of the first citizens rode at the 
 head. Francis Wainwright was 
 colonel, and Samuel Ai)i)letou, the 
 younger, Vv'as Lieutenant Colonel of 
 
 "the red regiment." Appleton was 
 the only officer who won any honor 
 in tiiat ill-starred campaign. 
 
 The years slips by and now it is 
 17i0, and on Monday, September 29. 
 there is great expectancy of a distin- 
 guished traveller, George Whitefield 
 the great preacher. He came from 
 Salem, escorted by two or three gen- 
 tlemen wlio had gone to meet him, 
 and stopped one night at. the Parson- 
 age of Mr. Rogers. He preached at 
 ten o'clock next day to a vast con- 
 gregation, and our old street was 
 crowded, I am sure with eager wor- 
 shiopers, afoot and horseback, in 
 calashes and tumbrils; families in 
 clumsy farm wagons drawn by oxen ; 
 the well-to-do in ruifs and ribbons, 
 embroideries and laces, silks and 
 velvets, powdered v/igs and all fem- 
 inine elegancies; — the poor in home- 
 spun and cheap finery. He returned 
 on Saturday, preached again to a 
 similar throng and in the afternoon 
 rode tills way and on to Salem. 
 
 That snhstanciai merchant of Kit- 
 tery, William Pepporell, — somewhat 
 awkward and constrained perhaps 
 in his new role of coniniandcrr of the 
 Colonial forces at Louisburg — came 
 along the highway in 1715. Some of 
 our ancient wise acres prophesied 
 failure, no douljf, fcjr tise expedition- 
 under such a strange leader, and 
 grave forebodings of ill followed the 
 gallant voluuteers who v.'ent to Jjt)s- 
 ton to take passage. But wlien Sir 
 William returned from his extraord- 
 inary triumph, he was received 
 v.'ith abounding honor. Civic and 
 military escorts attended him all the 
 way from J>ostoii to Kittery. ]5an- 
 qiu^ts and fetes awaited- him every- 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 17 
 
 where. Our whole town caiiio over 
 to School House Greeu, of course, to 
 see the conqueror and his imposing 
 retinue. His famous coach, with 
 its gaily liveried driver and out- 
 riders, wah a brilliant spectacle. 
 Whenever Sir William had occasion 
 to journey to and from Boston, and 
 our townfolks came to know it well. 
 
 In 1747 there was the sound of 
 broad -axe and hammer, and a fam- 
 ous gatherino- of the good folks who 
 had Anally withdrawn from the old 
 Parish, to raise the frame of the new 
 meeting-house on the very spot 
 where our granite slab stands Col. 
 Thomas Berry, Physician and Mag- 
 istrate, Col. John Choate, Thomas 
 Norton the scholmaster, and many 
 another prominent citizen, were here 
 that very day, and the doors of Col. 
 Choate's hospitable m-msion, in yon- 
 der neighboring corner, were wide 
 open in generous welcome. 
 
 Some twelve years later a very 
 sorry group came this way and 
 passed on to their humble lodgings; 
 an Acadian i)riest and hi^: company 
 of exiles, part of that great number, 
 who had been torn by violence from 
 their happy homes in Nova Scotia; 
 and who now had come in poverty 
 and wretchedness, to eke out a live- 
 lihood as best they might in this 
 community. No sadder spectacle 
 had been witnessed, I seem to feel, 
 since the days of the witchcraft 
 horror. 
 
 And now we come to the alarms 
 and fears and farewells of the days 
 of '76. Tidings of the British 
 march to Lexington were brought 
 quickly, and the minute men, who 
 had been in expectation of just such 
 
 a call, quickly fell into line and 
 marched away, Capt. Thomas Buru- 
 ham at their head, to have their pait 
 in the attiay. Two days later this 
 neighborhood, and all the town 
 were thrown into panic, by the 
 rumor that the British regulars had 
 lauded ou the Beach and were al- 
 ready marching up towards the 
 Town. The able-bodied men had 
 gone to Lexington, and there was no 
 hope or thought of resistance. All 
 who were able fled for safety, or 
 rushed up and down the rcnid, not 
 knowuing what to do. Dr. Dana, 
 looking out of his front door yonder, 
 must have seen stirring sights; and 
 many a trembling women in these 
 old houses waited with terror the 
 first drumbeat of the foe. Happily 
 the report was false, but the tale 
 spread onward, and the towns for 
 leagues northward, and as far as Bev- 
 erly on the south, were panic-struck 
 with the report of ruthless slaughter 
 in this town by the hated red coats. 
 Many of the men of Ipswich j)ut on 
 the Continental uniform in those 
 dark days, and the sight of soldiers 
 marching to the front, or coming 
 home for furlough, or on discharge, 
 or walking wearily worn with sick- 
 ness or maimed by wounds, was sad- 
 ly frequent. We point with pride 
 still, to the goodly mansion of Na- 
 thaniel Wade hard by. He vent at 
 once to the front and did valiant 
 service everywhere, and was hon- 
 ored by Washington with especial 
 confidence when Arnold went over 
 to the British. 
 
 Little did the Ipswich people think 
 that Col. Benedict Arnold could be 
 guilty of such baseness, for he was 
 
18 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 held in especial honor in this vicin- 
 ity, we may believe. 
 
 In Sept, 1775, a detachment, con- 
 sisting- of 1100 men, two battalions of 
 musket-men and three companies of 
 Riflemen, was placed under Arnold's 
 command and despatched from 
 Cambridge to Newburyport, there 
 to take shipping for the JNIaine coast, 
 to make an assault on Quebec. On 
 Friday, Sept, 15, one detachment 
 marched down this road and on to 
 Newburyport. The battalion com- 
 manded by Maj. R. J. Meigs followed 
 a little behind and encamped at 
 Rowley. The last companies arrived 
 later and encamped in our town. 
 That was an exciting day. Arnold, 
 we may presume, led one of these 
 battalions and was the hero of the 
 hour. Daniel Morgan and his com- 
 pany of Virginia Ritlemen excited 
 the admiring gaze of all. A private 
 soldier, marching in the ranks with 
 gun and knapsack would haye been 
 gazed at with pitiful curiosity, if Iiis 
 future could have been known. He 
 v/as Aaron Burr, and liis splendid 
 valor before Quebec, and his illus- 
 trieus services, in civic life, were to 
 be overwhelmed in disastrous eclipse 
 by his fatal duel with Alexander 
 Hamilton, and his wretched old age. 
 
 Again this thoroughfare is throng- 
 ed with an eager company and 
 Washington was received with 
 boundless enthusiasm; and many a 
 old soldier was here to greet him, as 
 he passed into the neighboring hos- 
 telry for his ent ertainment. Pesi- 
 dentMunroe was welcomed in 1817, 
 July 12, and in 1824 Gen. La Fayette 
 made his triumphant entry in a 
 pouring rain. JUit no rain could 
 
 quench tlie enthusiasm of that day 
 and the soldier received a royal 
 greeting. One of the troopers who 
 escorted him that day, JNlr. Aarou 
 Kinsman, still survives, and the 
 l^istol and sabre he carried are 
 among the most treasured relics of 
 our collection. 
 
 The post rider of early days can- 
 tered by witii his mail-bag thrown 
 across his pommel. In later years 
 came the stage coaches. On Wind- 
 mill Hill the guard sounded Iiis horn 
 and rigjit bravely tlie hurses dashed 
 down the long slope and by tlie 
 meeting house. 
 
 Only one passenger by that con- 
 veyance, out of all the multitude or 
 travellers, rouses our especial inter- 
 est; Daniel Webster, hurrying hither 
 late at night, in April 1817, to make 
 his masterful plea for ids old neigh- 
 bor at Ipswich Court. The first 
 whistle of the locomotive sounder 
 the knell of the stage coach and all 
 the romance attaching to that pict- 
 uresque but tedious mode of travel, 
 lives only in memory. So it is witli 
 the training days on tlie Green, when 
 booths for refreshment and fakir 
 shows lined the street and with the 
 ordinations and installations, which 
 were occasions of similar note. 
 
 But the Past still lingers in mem- 
 ory and the glory of the earliest days 
 is not eclipsed by the happenings of 
 the present. These bright names 
 inscribed upon our tablets are not 
 dimmed by the lustre of any later 
 fame. They need no memorial of 
 stone or bronze to perpetutate their 
 remembrance. We rear this tablet 
 to show that we are grateful for the 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 19 
 
 rich legacy they have left us, of fiue 
 manhood aud illustrioua deeds; that 
 our children may learn the story of 
 their lives and emulate their virtues ; 
 
 aud that this spot, the place of their 
 residence, may be honored and or- 
 namented by this reminder of tJieir 
 fair renown. 
 
Publications of the Ipswich Historical Society. 
 
 IV 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Ipswich Historical Society 
 
 AT THEIR ROO;\\S. 
 
 Monday Evening', Dec. 7, 1896 
 
 IPSWICH: 
 
 INDEPENDENT BOOK AND JOB PRINT, 
 
 1896. 
 
ipsuyi^|i |^i5TOi^i<5fiL SOCIE^sy. 
 
 Annual Meeting, Dec. 7, 18%. President's Address. 
 Treasurer's Report. 
 
 The Ipswich Historical Society Tiie re|)ort of Tieasurer ,1. I. Ilor- 
 
 hekl its aiimiai meeting- at tlie His- ton was as follows: 
 
 torieal room Monday evenino-, Deo, Ipswich, Mass., Deo. 7, 1890. 
 
 7tli. with a fair attendance of those Josejih 1. Ilorum, Treasurer, 
 
 interested in the work. The reading In ac(;t. with the Ii>swich Historical 
 
 of reports and the election of officers Society, 
 
 for 18i)7 was the first business, and Di:. 
 
 the ballot for the latter resulted as 'i\) anuimit of (lonations. iiu'inhcishi|) 
 
 follows: (hies, etc.. *.')2().1« 
 
 Pies., Kev. T. P^rank Waters. iu. 
 
 Vice I'res., Hon. C. A. Sayward and IJy casii paid for tablet. ?<2.sl.t)() 
 
 Hon. Fred Willcoml). " " " furnishing room l:i(».;^4 
 
 Treas.. Joseph I. Ilorton. " '' " rent of room 7").0(i 
 
 Rec. Sec, J. II. Cot^swell. " •' " incidentals, fuel 
 
 Cor. Sec.,' Rev. Milo H. Gates. (deaning furniture, etc. 22.:'>7 
 
 Librarian, M. V. B. Perley. By cash on hand 4..S7 
 
 T!ie society was shown to be in 
 
 excellent sliape to cominence the *520.is 
 
 new year. 1896 has been prolific in Kespectfnlly submitted, 
 
 good work, the opening of rooms, Joskph I. IIorto.n, Treas. 
 
 setting of tablets, and the largely President Waters interesting,' and 
 
 increased collections of antiquities, instructive address is given in full 
 
 curios and historical documents. below: 
 
 After the business of the evening On Friday evening, Feb. :5d, LSlXi, 
 
 had been disposed of sevei'al of the tliis room was occupied bv the Society 
 
 members present spoke entertain- for the first time. The exhibition 
 
 ingly on old school days and old cases were then in place, but not quite 
 
 masters. ready for use. Apart from the vahiable 
 
collection of manuscripts, which had heviner, as well as the indisputable 
 
 been presented by Mr. 1). F. Appleton, remnants of an adult skeleton. If this 
 
 the books from the same donor, and be so, we have a glimpse of an atro- 
 
 the records of the Ipswich Female cious cannibalism, which had not been 
 
 Seminarj, of the Ipswich Pamphlet suspected. 
 
 Society organized in 1809, and the Ips- We hope that other contributions to 
 wich Reading Room Ass^^ciation formed the archaeological department will soon 
 in 1824, tlie society possessed nothing be made. The field of research is so 
 for exhibition or safe keeping. extraordinaiily rich, that many indi- 
 But it soon began to be evident that viduals have gradually accumulated 
 the faith in its own future, which the an excellent collection. While in pri- 
 Society had shown, had not been rni> vate hands these are likely to be scat- 
 placed. One of the first donations was tered or lost, and they are of no 
 from Mr. Benjamin Newman, a col- piactical value. In the possession of 
 lection of Indian implements of un- the t-'ociety these collections may be 
 usual delicacy of workmanship, which classified, kept securely, and exhibited, 
 was speedily supplemented by a valu- and the total collection will come to 
 able donation from Mrs. Dickinson, have unique value as the product of 
 This department of the collection Avas this locality alone. 
 
 put at once on a substantial foundation, In the department of Antiquities, by 
 and the subsequent loan of imi)lements gift or loan, the Society has acquired a 
 and beads from Mr. Richardson, of creditable exhibit. Here we find the 
 Rowley, and the contributions of sinole spinning wheels and yarn reels, the 
 objects by individuals have given it a great winnowing fan, the old cradle, 
 size and (piality, that augurs well for the cheese press and tongs, Ur. Mjrfi- 
 the future. Tlie collection of bones, ning's huge old mortar, the foot-stove, 
 shells, etc., from the great shell heap candlemould and candlesticks, the lace 
 on Treadvvell's island has been ]>illow, and the samples of lace wrought 
 examined very carefully by Mr. Walter in the old lace factory on High street, 
 Faxon of the Peabody Museum in Cam- the fragments from old houses, the bits 
 bridge. lie is very desirous that the of nice needlework. These are the ob- 
 bones and teeth be examined by an jects of popular intesest, which are 
 expert and he thinks that the acc.i- gazed at eagerly by boys and girls, and 
 rate identification of the ; nimaks and educate them in very practical fashion, 
 birds, to which they belonged would This department of our collection ad- 
 throw valuable light on the varieties of niits of indefinite expansion, and con- 
 cach, common to this locality in the tiibutions aie solicited from the 
 l>rehistoric period. He inclined to treasures that are hidden away in 
 tliihk that there were fragments of a closets, and garrets, and out of the way 
 <hild's skeleton, and a child's tooth nooks and corners, 
 with a fragment of the jaw still ad- We invite the gift or loan of anti(ine 
 
chairs for the fiuuisliiuK of the room, roll of Capt. Dodge's company, and Col. 
 Five have ah-eady come into our keep- Wade's orderly book, deserve mention, 
 ins, 'J»t more are needed. Extreme Of documents of an earlier age, our 
 modesty, we are ))ersuaded, prevents ancient petition of 1658 has found two 
 many from offering some old bit of more ancient coni'>anions. By the 
 furniture or bric-a-brac because it kindness of Mr. Robert C. Winthroj), of 
 seems worthless. But many an article, Boston, our society has received an 
 rescued from its hiding place, cleaned, autograph letter of John Winthrop 
 repaired if need be, becomes useful and Jun,, the founder of our town, dated 
 even valuable; in witness whereof, ob- Agawam, July 20,1634; and an inventory 
 serve this admirable chest of drawers made by William Clerk of all the house- 
 or bureau, but lately the occupant of hold goods in Mr. Winthrop's Ipswich 
 an attic, now a thing of beauty and of residence. These are of the fust value 
 service. Specimens of old family and give a high character to our manu- 
 china, samplers and specimens of script collection. 
 
 needlework, old lamps, cooking uten- No department of our exhibit 
 sils of ancient pattern, tools of the possesses more quaint interest, and 
 early times, are desired; and particn- none can be expanded with greater 
 larly pewter porringers and platters to facility. Many old deeds, wills, ac- 
 complete the collection, in which the count books and the like are in private 
 late Mr. John Perkins was particularly hands. Mr. Everett Jewett, of the Vil- 
 interested and to which he contributed lage, iias a very large collection, the 
 so generously. life accumulation of Capt. Moses Jew- 
 
 Our show case contains a miscella- ett, who lived from 1722 to 1796, and 
 neons exhil)it, and illustrates the some of earlier date. Mr. Benjamin 
 breadth of oui desires and the variety Fewkes has signified his intention of 
 of interesting objects. The few auto- depositing a valuable collection of old 
 graphs suggest to us the value of a Wade papers. Mr. John IJ. 
 
 large collection of autographs of the Brown has recently given a 
 eminent men of this town anc! of the valuable account book, with one 
 country, and a companion collection of series beginning in 1678, and a second 
 photographs or even silhouettes. A series by a later hand in the middle of 
 few are already in our hands, but we the following century. Mrs. Philip 
 hope for more. E. Clarke has deposited a 
 
 Our collection of Pvcvolutionary and series of ancient Kinsman deeds. Some 
 Confederate money is interesting, and of these old papers are so worn that 
 the exhibit of fractional currency of they are already falling apart and they 
 the Civil war period, thanks to the are likely to be ruined by the loss of 
 loan of Mr. Richardson, and the gift of some of the pieces. Those in our pos- 
 several parties, is of value. The Pvcvo- session have been mended and 
 lutionary documents, especially the strengthened by strips on the backside, 
 
6 
 
 and fastened with a flexible liinjje in a Journal, the Ipswich Register, the 
 larse scrap book, so that they can be Ipswich Clarion and the Ipswich Bulle- 
 exaniiiied withont possibility of injury, tin. Are there not other cojiies or par- 
 Mr. Frank Lord lias deposited with tial files that may be added to these? 
 us the complete records of the Deuison Graduation protjrammes, orders of 
 Light Infantry. exercises of every kind, even of recent 
 
 The nucleus of our library is the old date, anything of local interest, are 
 Ipswich Religious Library, instituted solicited. Only lately I saw a remark- 
 in ITl'l, ISome two hundred able collection of old printed broad- 
 volumes, bearing tlie name of this sides, containing the dying confession 
 organization, are on our shelves, and of Pomp, hanged for murder in 179.5, 
 the secretary's and librarian's record, and similar gruesome relicts. How 
 Some of these books date back to the many similar papers might be found? 
 year 1647; some bear the autographs of They are all ustful and valuable in 
 their owners. Rev John Rogers, 1700, their way. 
 
 and his son, Rhv. Natlianiel Rogers, Pictures, too, are very acceptable, 
 
 botli pastors of the First church. They This ancient panel tells its own story, 
 
 are of the most substantial quality, of the busy davs of another century, 
 
 sermons, tiieological and controversial The fine reprint of Trumouirs Bunker 
 
 works, and meditations. Hardly a Hill was the gift of Mr. Elward Smith, 
 
 volume would be read today, but the of Salem. The water coloi of the an- 
 
 taste of the people of a century ago cient house by the depot cnnif^ from 
 
 was so robust and serious, that these Mrs. Henry Saltonstall, of Boston, 
 
 old books show much honest wear, and The portrait of Whitefield hangs' by 
 
 the libraiian's record shows bow many right so near the si)ot where the great 
 
 used them. Apart from tliese, and the preacher proclaimed the gospel a cen- 
 
 volumes previously mentioned, our lit- tury and a half ago. Two ancient 
 
 erary treasures are scant. But i)am- paintings brought from Italy by Mr. 
 
 plilets of vaiious kinds are coming Leverett Treadwell many years ago 
 
 more rapidly. Already we have quite have been deposited by Mrs. Ignatius 
 
 a bundle of printed sermons of Ipswich Dodge. 
 
 ministers, and of miscellaneous ser- On the day of the dedication of our 
 
 mons yet more. There are many of tablets this room was formally opened 
 
 quaint interest on a variety of themes, to the public. The permanent dejiosits, 
 
 Let us have more and more of these which had been secured at that time, 
 
 old musty pamphlets, and the more were supplemented by a considerable 
 
 modern ones as well. We have a be- loan collection, and many of our towns- 
 
 ginirlng of a file of School Reports and folks and many visitors from abroad 
 
 of Town Reports. Let these be made visited the room during tlie day. Since 
 
 complete. We have a few old news- then the room has been opened to the 
 
 ])apers, stray copies of the Ipswich public every Saturday afternoon. The 
 
visitors' book shows an average num- to elect tax commissioners at the com- 
 ber of about twenty-five or thirty visi- mand of Sir Edmuml Andros, and won 
 tors. Interest in the exhibit is growing by its bold act, and by the penalty it paid 
 apace, and we may confidently hope for its boldness, a proud name among 
 that when summer comes again, our Massachusetts towns, and made a 
 room will become an object of general spendid contribution to the series of 
 interest and popular pride. protests against taxation Without 
 
 The one event of tlie year, which lias representation, which began at Water- 
 given our society standing and character town in the infancy of the colony, and 
 amid the numerous local societies that culminated in the universal determina- 
 are springing up all around us, was the tion to resist the Stamp Act and in the 
 erection of the substantial memorial War of the Revolution, 
 tablets on the South Green. Xo more Here sat the Courts for many years, 
 conspicuous and plea.^ing location until the Court House was built. Here 
 could be found. It rarely happens that were the stocks, and whiuping post, 
 so many memories of the past, reach- watch house and prison. Here honest 
 ing over so long a period in the annals Quakei's and good men and women, 
 of a community yet familiar to but few, charged with witchcraft, were impri- 
 cluster about a spot, alreadj' so atcrac- soned among the criminals suffering 
 tive by its great natural beauty. We righteous punishment, 
 may well congratulate ourselves that It remains for our society, or some 
 we have rescued from (iblivion a group generous and patriotic friend of 'the 
 of historic facts of the highest interest, society to make a move toward erect- 
 and given them permanent prominence, ing on this historic spot a fitting 
 
 May we not venture to hope and memorial. The year 1897 is the 210th 
 plan for the erection of another memo- anniversary of the Andros fiesistance. 
 rial at no distant day? The rugged The town miglit cooperate with us. 
 summit of Town Hill, where the First Have we faith enough in the success of 
 church stands today, is the one spot of the enterprise to begin to plan to that 
 transcendent interest in the brilliant end? If this project seems too ambi- 
 history of our ancient town. Here the tious, lesser memorials to commemo- 
 first humble meeting house was reared, rate the residence among us of Dud- 
 guarded by its fort, and watched by ley, and Ann Bradstreet, and Winthrop 
 sentries, and saccessive meeting houses and Denison, may perhaps be under- 
 have hallowed the spot through all the taken. 
 
 years of the past. Here in the old Apart from these schemes of a pub- 
 church the people assembled in town lie nature, our Society needs funds for 
 meetings to make their own laws, and the legitimate work that awaits it. 
 rule themselves in orderly fashion ; and The running expenses of the coming 
 here, was held that memorable town year call for an hundred and fifty dol- 
 meeting of 1687, when the town refused lars at least. Money is needed for tlie 
 
8 
 
 purcliase of books, not found in our the maintenance of the Society and thp 
 
 pnl)lic library, which shed light on the furtherance of its worlc. We desire to 
 
 history of our town. It is desirable ^^^^j ^ ^^.^^^.^^^ enthusiasm among our 
 that some publication be made of its 
 
 ,. ^ ., . . members and throughout the commu- 
 
 ovvn proceedings or of tlie manuscripts ^ 
 
 and records in its possessions. We in- ^'ty. We can succeed only by the 
 
 vite all our citizens to share with us in constant cooperation of many friends. 
 
 SECRETARY'S REPORT. 
 
 The following is the report of the which was largely attended. The 
 
 Corresponding Secretary, J. H. Cogs- president stated the needs of the Socie- 
 
 well, read at the annual meeting of the ^^ ^^^. ^ ^ Appleton, who was pies- 
 Ipswich Historical Society Dec. 7: 
 
 i.r> 4-1 „ • rn i^..i r A 1 ent, was very enthusiastic in the mat- 
 
 '•On the evening of the 14th of April, ' "^ 
 
 1890, a little company met at the home ter, and strongly advised securing a 
 
 of jMr. Waters and organized what is room for the use of the Society. At 
 
 now the Ipswich Historical Society, his suggestion Messrs. Waters, Say- 
 
 During the first four years of the ward, Gates and Constant were made a 
 
 organization meetings were occasional- committee to secure a room suitable 
 
 ly held at the studio of Arthur W. for the purpose. It was also voted that 
 
 Dow in the Caldwell block, and at the an annual assessment of two dollars be 
 
 vestiy of the South church. These required of each member of the 
 
 meetings were addressed mainly by Society, and $101 was pledged on the 
 
 our own citizens, Messrs. Waters, Say- spot. 
 
 ward and Dow, frequently speaking At the next meeting, held Monday 
 
 upon matters of local interest, On evening, Oct 21st, it was reported that 
 
 several occasions, however, we listened a room in the Odd Fellows' building 
 
 to parties from abroad, among whom could be secured, and the committee 
 
 were Hon. W. D. Northend and W. S. were given full power to hire and fit it 
 
 Xevins, of Salem, the former on the up for the accommodation of the 
 
 "Bay State Colony," ana the latter on Society. At this meeting the president 
 
 "Nathaniel Hawthorne." read an exceedingly interesting paper 
 
 It was not. however, until Sept. 30. upon military affairs in the earliest 
 
 1S!)5, that the Society entered upon its times, showing that Ipswich took a 
 
 work in real earnest. On that date a very prominent part in the military 
 
 meeting was held at the Parish House, achievements of the first half century. 
 
furnishing the two grent learlers, Doni- between England and France for the 
 son and Appleton. possession of Nova Sootia and the 
 
 At the next meeting of the Society, events which led to the forcible re- 
 Nov. 19, a code of by-laws were moval of the Acadians from their 
 adopted, and Jesse Fewkes, of Xewton, homes in that country, lie also gave 
 (a native r,f our town), read an inter- an account of the arrival of a number 
 esting paper u^on the "Evidence of of them in this town, and of their kind 
 the occupation of our shores by the treatment while here. 
 Norsemen in the eleventh century. "" The next and in many respects the 
 
 At this meeting the corresponding most important meeting of tlie year 
 secretary read a letter from Kev. Mr. was held at the Parish House, ^larch 
 Bodge, of Leominster, stating that he 18, when Dr. A. V. Putnam, of Dauvers, 
 would be pleased to deliver his lecture gave his lecture upon "Pecollections 
 on Samuel Appleton before the Histor- of distinguished persons at home and 
 ical Society sometime during the win- abroad." Dr. Putnam is a beautiful 
 ter. As this lecture was not given last speakei- and his personal reminiscences 
 winter, it is hoped we may be fav( red of Lincoln, Webster. Sumner, <Iranr 
 with it during the present. and others whose names have become 
 
 The next meeting of the Society was historic in our own country, as well as 
 held in this room Jan. 3, 1896. A good Lord Palmerston and other statesmen 
 number was present. The president in PZngland, the nobility of Germanv 
 read an exceedingly interesting paper and the men of mark in Italy and 
 upon the History of the Probate Build- France, were intensely interesting and 
 ing and its surroundings, followed by held every hearer from start to finish. 
 M. V. B. Perley with a poem noon the At the close of the lecture the presi- 
 "Lost Arts," which was much appre- dent announced that Francis R. Apple- 
 ciated. ton had asked the privilege of giving a 
 
 Feb. 10, the Society held a meeting tablet to be erected upon the South 
 at the Parish House and listened to a Common in memory of historic men, 
 very fine address from Ezra D. Hines. and events of the earlv days. This 
 Esq., of Danvers, on "The march of generous offer of Mr. Appleton was 
 Arnold from Cambridge to Quebec." most thoroughly appreciated as the 
 Mr. Hines is an easy, graceful speaker Society had long desired to erect such 
 and held the attention of the audience a tablet. AVork was immediately corn- 
 very closely, menced upon the tablet and on 
 
 The next meeting of the Society was Wednesday, July 29, the exercises in- 
 at its room March 27, and was ad- cident to its unveiling was held on the 
 dressed by Hon. C. A. Sayward on "The Green ui front of the South chuich, 
 Acadians in Ipswich," in which lie wnich every one declared to be a "Pied 
 gave a careful summary of the contest Letter Day" for old Ipswiih. 
 
7 
 
MEMBERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Ipswich Historical Society, 
 
 FEBRUARY, 1897. 
 
 T>. Fuller Appleton 
 
 Francis H. Appleton 
 
 Randolpli S. Appleton 
 
 Dr. C. E. Ame3 
 
 John A. Blake 
 
 John E. Blakemore, Boston 
 
 James W. Bond 
 
 Warren Boynton 
 
 John B. Brown 
 
 Chas. S. Brown 
 
 Mrs. William G. Browa 
 
 Daniel S. Burnham 
 
 Rev, Augustine Caldwell, Eliot, 
 
 Chas. A. Campbell 
 
 Philip E. Clarke 
 
 Miss L. C. Coburn 
 
 John H. Cogswell 
 
 Theodore F. Cogswell 
 
 Eev. Edward Constant 
 
 Chas. S. Cummings 
 
 George K. Dodge 
 Miss Bertha Dobson 
 Rev. George F. Durgin 
 
 Rev. Milo H. Gates 
 John W. Goodhue 
 Mrs. George H. Green 
 Miss Lucy Hamliu 
 Mrs. John Heard 
 Joseph I. Horton 
 
 Me 
 
 Lewis R. Hovey 
 
 John A. Johnson 
 
 Charles N. Kelly 
 
 Rev. John C. Kimball 
 
 Miss Carrie E. Lakeman 
 
 Curtis E. Lakeman 
 
 ^liss Lucy S. Lord 
 
 Thomas Lord 
 
 Dr. George E. Macarthy 
 
 James F. Mann 
 
 Jolin P. Marston 
 
 Everard H. Martin 
 
 lAIrs. E. H. Martin 
 
 John W. I^ourse 
 
 Martin V. B. Perley 
 
 Augustine IL Pioutf 
 
 Jas. E. Richardson, Rowley 
 
 Joseph Ross 
 
 Joseph F. Ross 
 
 Fred G. Ross. 
 
 William S. Russell 
 
 Angus L. Savory 
 
 Chas. A. Say ward 
 
 George A. Schofield 
 
 Edward A. Smith, Salem 
 
 John E. Tenney 
 
 Mrs. J. E. Tenney 
 
 Miss Ellen Trask 
 
 Bayard Tuckerman 
 
y 
 
 Luther Wait Mrs. Chas. IT. Wildmerding, Chicago 
 
 Henry C. AVarner HONORARY MEMBERS. 
 
 Rev. T. Frank Waters q^,^ (.,,.^s ^y Darlin-, Utica, X Y 
 
 Fred A. Willcoinb W. Sumner Appleton, Boston 
 
 Wallace P. Willett, East Orange, N J Jesse Fewkes, Newton 
 
 #> 
 
 *, 
 
BY-LAWS. 
 
 I. is eligible for lionorary membership. 
 
 This Society shall be called the Every person elected an honorary 
 
 Ipswich Historical Society. member shall become such by 
 
 -,, signifying acceptance to the Hecord- 
 
 mi !-• i. * i.1 ' o • i. 4. ing Secretary, in Avriting. 
 
 The objects of the Society are to =■ •^' * 
 
 investigate, record and perpetuate ^^• 
 
 the history of the town of Ipswich, Any donor to tiie funds of the 
 and to collect, hold and preserve Si>ciety to tlie amount of twenty-five 
 documents, books, relics and all dollars may be elected a life mem- 
 other matter illustrating its history, ber, and shall be exempt from tlie 
 or that of individuals or families payment of the annuil fee. 
 identified with it. ' VII. 
 
 Ill' Every resident member shall pay 
 
 The Society shall be composed of an annual fee of two dollars, wliich 
 rfsid en t, honorary and life members; sh \\\ he due on t lie first of December, 
 and all the members sliall have the an I failure to pay tiiis fee for two 
 right to attend all meetings, and to ye irsshall forfeitmembership unless 
 enjoy full use of the historical col- the Directors sliall direct otherwise, 
 lections of tlie society, subject to the VIII. 
 
 ordinary regulations, but the man- ^^ ^^^^^^^ meetin^for the election 
 agement and disposal of the Society's ^f^^^^,.gg,,^,„^^^,;^l J ^^^ j,,^ ^^.^^ 
 affairsand property, and the right to j^^^,,^,^,^ ^^. j,ecemb.r and regular 
 vote shall belong only to resident ^^^^i.^^^ „„ t,,e first Monday of 
 and life members. ^ Februarv, May and October. Special 
 
 I^'^' meetings may be held on tiie call of 
 
 All members shall be nominated the directors. Due notice of all 
 by the Directors and shall be elected meetings shall be given by the 
 by ballot at any regular meeting by Recording Secretary. 
 a majority of the votes cast. ^^ 
 
 V. The officers ef the Society shall be 
 
 Any member of kindred societies, a President, two Vice-Presidents, a 
 
 and any person, who lias especial in- Treasurer, a Recording Secretary, a 
 
 terest in the objects of the Society, or Corresponding Secretary and a 
 
 who has rendered it valuable service Librarian, and they shall form col- 
 
lectively a T3oarcl of Directors. These to promote the especfal objects of 
 
 ofKcers shall be elected by ballot at tlie Society In such w;iys as may 
 
 the annual meeting, and their term seem most appropriate, shall appoint 
 
 of office shall be for one year from such committees as may seem ex- 
 
 the date of that meeting-, and until pedient, and shall have the charge 
 
 their successors are elected. Vacan- and custody of all the property and 
 
 cies in t!)e lioartl of Diiectors shall collections of the Society, 
 
 be filled for the remainder of the XI. 
 
 year by the remaining- Directors. ^,^^gg bv-laws mav be amended at 
 
 ThedMtiesofall theseofficersshall .^..^ ,.^^.^,,^„. i^eeting or the annual 
 
 be those usually belonging to offices ^.^eeting, on recommendation of the 
 
 they hold. Directois, by a vote of two thirds of 
 
 ^' the members present, provided that 
 
 The Directors shall determine the due notice has been given of the 
 
 use lo be nnule uf the income and proposed change at a previous 
 
 funds of the Society, sliall endeavor meeting. 
 
 4^ 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE IPSWICH 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
 
 V. 
 
 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS 
 
 AND 
 
 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 WITH 
 
 THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING 
 
 Dec. 6, 1897. 
 
 A List of Contributors to the Cabinet. 
 
 Salem prese. 
 
 The Salem Press Co., Salem, Mass. 
 
 1898. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE IPSWICH 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
 
 V. 
 
 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS 
 
 AND 
 
 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 WITH 
 
 THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING 
 
 Dec. 6, 1897. 
 
 A List of Contributors to the Cabinet. 
 
 Salem ipresa. 
 The Salem Press Co., Salem, Mass. 
 
 I8g8. 
 
Fit 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 [A paper read, March 6, 1897, before the Local History Class of the 
 Essex Institute.] 
 
 BY THOMAS FRANKLIN WATERS. 
 
 THE HOUSES. 
 
 Peculiar pathos attaches to the landing of the Pil- 
 grims at Plymouth, when winter was already abroad, their 
 hasty building of their huml>le homes, and the prolonged 
 suffering from cold, scant food, and sickness until summer 
 came. But the settlement of the towns of the Massachu- 
 setts Bay Colony, Salem, Ipswich, and the rest, presents 
 no such pitiful picture. To these points came an orderly 
 migration of gentle folk and artisans, direct from their 
 comfortable English homes, with much of their belong- 
 ings, no doubt. The arrival of the ships that bore them 
 was timed so well that they came upon our coast when 
 the air was sweet with flowers and the fi'agrance of the 
 wild strawberries. The long days of summer afforded 
 them opportunity for building comfortable homes, and 
 settling themselves into their new life, before the ordeal 
 of winter came. In our thoughtlessness we banish hard- 
 ship and suffering from the annals of this fortunate 
 colony. 
 
 We are encouraged in this rosy dream of the first days 
 by the reputed antiquity of many houses still remaining, 
 wearing an air of comfort still, with their low, broad 
 roofs, their huge chimney-stacks, suggestive of generous 
 
 (3) 
 
4 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 fire-places within, tlioir small windows, planned to admit 
 a snfficiency of light and a modicum of cold, and their 
 ample size. These ancient mansions, we are told, date 
 from the very earliest years of the settlement, perchance 
 even from the year of the founding of the town, and 
 accepting the date with confiding credulity, straightway 
 we buikl many similar edifices in our imagination, and 
 house the daring pioneers very luxuriously. 
 
 The "striking incongruity of such mansions as these, and 
 the rough pioneer life in the unbroken wilderness, shonld 
 be enough to make us ske[)tical. Any careful study of 
 the historic data will effectually disprove the truth of this 
 claim of age. No loss than five ancient dwellings in old 
 Ipswich have been declared l)y many to date from KJoS 
 or 1634. I have made ddigent research in our Town 
 Records and at the Registry of Deeds and Wills, and have 
 come to the conclusion that two of them were built about 
 1700, the third about 1670-1(580, and in the case of the 
 two others the disproval of the reputed ownership re- 
 moves the presumption' of an antiquity which is not sug- 
 gested by their architecture. 
 
 We shall make much nearer approach to the truth in 
 our ideal, we may presume, if we remember always that 
 our forefathers were invading a wilderness, and that of 
 necessity their first houses were small, rude, and quickly 
 built, so that they might give their first summer chiefly to 
 clearing the land of forest, and raising some crop to fur- 
 nish their food for the long, cold winter. 
 
 Edward Johnson, in his "Wonder Working Provi- 
 dence," portrays the experiences that he had known 
 personally, incident to these settlements. " After they have 
 found out a place of aboad," he writes, "they burrow 
 themselves in the earth for their first shelter, under some 
 hill side, casting the earth aloft upon timber ; they make 
 a smoaky fire against the earth at the highest side, and 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 5 
 
 thus these poor servants of Christ provide shelter for 
 themselves, their wives and little ones, keeping off the 
 short siiowcrs from tlioir lodgings, but the long rains pen- 
 etrate through to their grate disturbance in the night sea- 
 son, yet in these poor wigwams they sing Psalms, pray, 
 and praise their God, till they can provide them homes, 
 which ordinarily was not wont to be with many till the 
 Karth, l)y the Lord's blessing, brought forth bread to feed 
 them, their wives and little ones." 
 
 Such a tale of woe may seem incredible to us. The 
 skilled woodsman can build a summer camp impervious to 
 rain, and full of comfort, in a few hours, with no other 
 tool than his axe. I have a pleasant acquaintance with a 
 Kangeley guide of long experience, who always amazes me 
 with stories of the facility with which a warm and com- 
 fortable camp can bo fashioned in the deep snow in the 
 thick forests, when the cold is intense, and of the palatial 
 comfort of the log-camp, chinked with moss, covered 
 deeply with snow and warmed with a roaring fire. 
 
 But these .-mcient Puritans were not woodsmen. They 
 were gentlemen in part, and weavers, tailors, blacksmiths, 
 coopers, brickmakers, carpenters and farmers. What 
 knew they of the cunning art of woodcraft? So, I trow, 
 that not only their dug-out in the hill-side, but often 
 their humble cabin, was not sufficient for comfortable 
 warmth. Such was the experience of the Deputy Gov- 
 ernor Thomas Dudley, who wrote from Cambridge in 
 1G30. " 1 thought fit to conunit to memory our present 
 condition, and what hath befallen us since our arrival 
 here, which I will do shortly, after my usual manner, 
 and must do rudely, having yet no table, nor other room 
 to write in than by the fireside, upon my knee, in this 
 sharp winter, to which my family must have leave to re- 
 sort though they break good maimers, and make me many 
 times t\)rg('t what I would say, and say what I would not." 
 
6 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 If there was such scant comfort in the homes of their 
 gentry, what was the lot of the poorest? Rough, simple 
 houses, they must have been. There were no mills to 
 saw their lumber. Every board was sawed by the tedious 
 toil of two sawyers, one working in a saw pit. Every 
 joist was hewed four square with the axe, every nail, bolt, 
 hinge and latch, was hammered out by the blacksmith on 
 his anvil. Brick chimneys and shingled roofs were rare. 
 
 Our surmise as to the style of their dwelling is con- 
 firmed by indubitable record. Matthew Whipple lived 
 on the corner of the present County and Summer streets, 
 in Ipswich, near Miss Sarah Caldwell's present residence. 
 In the inventory of his estate made in 1645, his dwelling 
 house, barn and four acres of land, were appraised at 
 £36, and six bullocks were valued at the same figure. 
 His executors sold the dwelling with an acre of ground 
 on the corner, in 1648, to Robert Whitman for £5. 
 Whitman sold this property, and another house and lot, to 
 William Duglass, cooper, for £22, in 1652. John Anni- 
 ball, or Annable, bought the dwelling, barn, and two 
 acres of land, on the eastern corner of Market and Sinn- 
 mer streets, then called Annable's Lane, for £39, in 1647. 
 Joseph Morse was a man of wealth and social standing. 
 His inventory in 1646 mentions a house, land, etc., valued 
 at £9, and another old house with barn and eight acres of 
 land valued at £8, 10s. and one cow and a heifer, esti- 
 mated at £6, 10s. Thomas Firman was a leading citizen. 
 His house was appraised in the inventory at £15, and the 
 house he had bought of John Proctor, with three acres of 
 land, was estimated to be worth £18, 10s. Proctor's house 
 was near the lower falls on County street, and his land in- 
 cluded the estate now owned by Mr. Warren Boynton, 
 Mr. Samuel N. Baker and others. Few deeds of sale or 
 inventories mention houses of any considerable value in 
 these earlier years. 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 7 
 
 Richard Scolieltl sold a liouse and two acres of laud to 
 Robert Roberts, in 1643, for £11, 17s. In 1649 John 
 West sold John Woodman, for £13, a house and an acre 
 of land, and another half acre near the Meeting House. 
 Robert Whitman sold John Woodman a house near the 
 Meeting House, for £7. In 1652, Richard Scotield, 
 leather dresser, sold Moses Pengry, yeoman, a house and 
 land, for £17, and Solomon Martin sold Thomas Lovell, 
 currier, a house and lot near the present " Dodge's Corner," 
 for £16. Barely in these opening years, the appraised 
 value of an estate mounted to £100. In 1646, this was 
 the valuation of John Shatswell's. It included a "house, 
 homestead, barn, cow house, orchard, yard, etc." Six 
 oxen were appraised at £36, and five cows at £25, Os. 
 The average price received from the actual sale of houses 
 was less than £25. Mr. John Whittinghara had a house 
 on High street containing kitchen and parlor, and cham- 
 bers over the kitchen and parlor, sumptuously furnished, 
 as the inventory records in 1648, and valued with the barn, 
 cow house and forty-four acres of land, at £100. 
 
 The established value of a bullock seems to have been 
 £6, and cows were appraised at about £5. A day's work 
 of a team in drawing timber for the watch house, in 1645, 
 was reckoned at 8 shillings, and in 1646, the inventory of 
 the estate of Joseph Morse reveals the market prices of 
 various commodities. 
 
 20 bushels of Indian corn were rated at £2, 10s. 
 ^ bushel of hemp seede, - - - 2 
 6 small cheeses, 2 
 
 20 lbs. butter, ----- . 10 
 
 These prices fix the purchasing power of money at that 
 period and make it certain that houses, that were quoted 
 at £25 and less, were very simple and primitive. 
 
 Often, we may presume, they were log-houses. 
 
8 THE EARLY HOMES Or THE PURITANS. 
 
 Govevnov Winth.op .ecovds that M.. OUUum had a s^aU 
 house near the wear at Watertown, made all ot clap 
 b :<ls. In his diary, under date of 1646 1- »»;-- 
 •. dreadful tempest at N. E. with wmd and -" ■ » ^J^^ 
 the lady Moodye her house at Salem, beu.g but one story 
 
 height, and'a flat roof with a '">* «l""-y - 
 midst, had the roof taken off in two parts (w.tl. the top 
 of the chimney) and carried six or seven rods off 
 
 Thatch was the common roof covering, and he chm 
 nevs were built of wood, well covered or daubed as 
 Z phrase was, with clay. Governor Winthropment.on 
 that Mr. Sharp's house in Boston took fire, in 1630 (he 
 splinters being not clayed at the top) and tatang the 
 thatch burnt it down." Governor Dudley's account of 
 the fir'e speaks of this and Colborn's house "as good and 
 well furnished as most in the plantation." 
 
 Better houses began to be built at an "-^^JJ^f 
 Winthrop records a violent S. S. E. storm on Ma ch 16 
 1638 "It overthrew some new strong houses, hut the 
 Lord miraculously preserved old weak cottages." 
 
 Thomas Lechford, in his Note Book, preserves an mte, 
 esting contract, made by John D^^'' J"-"'''-;'; '^^f^/^ 
 ,>ous: for William Ri.x, in 1640., it was '» !> , «^^°_;^ 
 long and 14 feet wide, Wth a chamber ttoare fi"-,l> . snm 
 mer and joysts, a cellar floare with joysts hn.sh t, the 
 Toofe and walls clapboarded on the out syde, the chnnney 
 filled without daubing, to be done with hewan timber. 
 The price was to be £21. 
 
 Houses of this dimension were common as late as 
 1665 In that year such inroads had been made upon the 
 i:,:s'and other'valuable trees, that the T-- of Ipsw.h 
 ordered the Selectmen to issue a permit before a tiee 
 could be cut. The certificates issued possess a curious 
 interest. 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. U 
 
 Edmund Bridges Avas allowed timber "to make up liis 
 cellar," in 1667. In 1670, Joseph Goodhue received 
 permit for a house 18 feet square, and Ephraim Fellows 
 for a house 16 feet square. In 1671, Thomas Burnam's 
 new house was 20 feet square, that of Obadiah Bridges 
 18 feet square, and Deacon Goodhue built one 16 feet 
 square. In 1657, Alexander Knight, a helpless pauper, 
 was provided with a house at the Town's expense, and 
 the vote provided that it should be 16 feet long, 12 
 feet wide, 7 or 8 feet stud, with thatched roof, for which 
 £6 was appropriated. 
 
 People of quality erected comfortable houses, no doubt, 
 at a very early period. In 1638, Deputy Governor 
 Symonds purchased the Argilla farm now owned by the 
 heirs of the late Thomas Brown, and straightway planned 
 the house, which was erected at once on the site still to be 
 traced, not far from the present farm house. Such interest 
 attaches to the explicit directions he gave Mr. Winthrop 
 in a letter which remains to us, that I cannot forbear 
 transcribing his exact words. 
 
 "I am indifferent wlietlier it be 30 foote or 35 foote longe; 16 or 
 18 foote broade. I would have wood chimnyes at each end, the 
 frames of the chimnyes to be stronger than ordinary, to beare good 
 heavy load of clay for security against fire. You may let the chim- 
 nyes be all the breadth of the liowse if you thinke good ; the 2 lower 
 dores to be in the middle of the howse, one opposite to the other. 
 Be sure that all the dore waies in every place be soe high that any 
 man may goe vpright vnder. The staiers I think had best be placed 
 close by the dore. It makes noe great matter though there be noe 
 particion upon the first flore; if there be, make one biger then the 
 other. For windowes let them not be over large in any rooms and as 
 few as conveniently may be ; let all have current shutting draw win- 
 dows, haveing respect both to present & future vse. I think to 
 make it a girt house will make it more chargeable tlien neede ; how- 
 ever, the side bearers for the second story being to be loaden with 
 corne etc. must not be pinned on, but rather eyther lett in to the 
 studds or borne vp with false studds and soetenented in at the ends. 
 I leave it to you and the carpenters. In this story over the first, I 
 
\0 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 would have a particion, whether in the uiiddest or over the particiou 
 under, I leave it. ^ , ^^^ 
 
 In the san-ett noe particion, but let there be one or two Income 
 [Lutheran?] windows, if two, both on .me side. I desire to have 
 the sparrs reach downe pretty deep at the eves to preserve the walls 
 the better from the wether. I would have it sellered all over and 
 soe the frame of the howse accordeingly from the bottom. 1 would 
 have the howse stron^e in timber, though plaine & well ^^^ased. I 
 wonld have it covered with very good oake-hart inch board for the 
 present, to be tacked on onely for the present, as you ton d me Let 
 the frame begin from the bottom of the cellar & soe in the ordinary 
 way vpright: for I can hereafter (to save the timber within grounde) 
 run up a thin brick worke without. I think it best to have the walls 
 without to be all clap boarded besides the clay walls. 
 
 This stoutly built two-storied house, with its enormous 
 fireplaces, iis wiilo as the rooms, and its projecting eaves, 
 nmst have been both picturesque and comfortable, though 
 the interior arrangement was very simple. We can 
 hardly believe that houses of this size and style were 
 comnion at this period, though Rev. Natlmiuel Rogers's 
 nia.ise, facing the South Green, had two full stories, and 
 so h:ul Mr. Whittingham'8 on High street. For the most 
 part, these old Ipswich houses were small and rough in 
 outward appearance, and the best and stateliest, innocent 
 of paint, with small windows and diamond-shaped panes 
 of class, daubed with clay instead of plaster, were iar 
 rentoved from the most ancient style, with which we are 
 
 familiar. 
 
 Here is a contract for the building of a pretty comfort- 
 able parsonage-house, in Beverly, "for the use of the 
 ministrie on Cap An Side," as the record says, and the 
 date of it is the 23 : of March, 1G5G-1G57. 
 
 The psents witnesseth a bargain maid betweene John norman of 
 manchester the one partie : & Tho Lothrop & James patch the other 
 ptves for & in consideration of an house: that is to say. John 
 uormanis to build an house for them: which is to be thirtieeyght 
 foote lono-e : 17 : f oote wide & a leueu foote studd, with three chimnies 
 
TiiK ea!;ly homes of the puritans. 11 
 
 towe below & one in the chamber he is also to flnde boards & clap- 
 boards for the finishing the same with a single couering with a porch 
 of eight foote square & Jotted oner one foote ech way to lap the 
 floores booth below & a bone & one garret chamber : & to make doores 
 and windows : foure below and foure aboue & one in the stodie the 
 said John is to make the stoaires & to drawe the clapboards & shoot 
 their edges: & also to smooth the boards of one of the chamber 
 flowres & he is to bring up the frame to the barre or the ferry att his 
 owne charge. 
 
 & the said John norman is to haue for his worke f ourtie flue pounds : 
 to be paid in come & cattell the one halfe att or before the house be 
 raised & the other halve the next wheate haruist. 
 
 in witncssc heare of we haue sett down our hands, 
 wituesse John norman 
 
 Tho : Lothropp. 
 
 A STUDY OF INTERIORS. 
 
 Within, these homes were for the most part very plain 
 and simple. Governor Dudley's house in Cambridge 
 was reputed to be over-elegant, so that Governor Win- 
 throp wrote him : " He did not well to bestow such cost 
 about wainscotting and adorning his house, in the bogin- 
 ing of a plantation, both in regard to the expense and 
 the example. " But^Dwlley was able to reply, that "it 
 was for the warmth of his house, and the charge was 
 but little, being but clap-boards, nailed to the wall in the 
 form of wainscot. " The common finish of the rooms of 
 houses of the l)ctter sort was a coating of clay, over the 
 frame tinVbers and the l)ricks which filled the spaces be- 
 tween the studs. The ceilings were frequently, if not 
 universally, left unfinished, and the rough, uiipainted 
 beams and floor joists, and the flooring of the room 
 above, blackened with the smoke and grimy Avith dust, 
 were a sombre contrast to the white ceilings of the 
 modern home. The living room of the ancient house of 
 the Whipples, probably the oldest in our town, was not 
 
12 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 lathed and plastered overhead until the boyhood of the 
 present owner, yet the finely panelled wood-work of the 
 side walls attests the excellence of the interior in its day. 
 Paint and paper were unknown. Even whitewash was 
 an invention of far later times. 
 
 Nevertheless, I incline to believe that if we could turn 
 back the wheels of time and enter an early Ipswich 
 home, we should find that it was not only habitable, but 
 comfortable, and the furnishings much ])eyond our antic- 
 ipation. For these yeomen and carpenters and weavers 
 very likely had transported some of their furniture across 
 .the sea, and they reproduced here in the wilderness the 
 living rooms of their old English homes. 
 
 Happily our curiosity may be gratified in very large 
 degree l)y the numerous inventories that remain, and we 
 may in imagin-ation undertake a tour of calls in the old 
 town, and see for ourselves what those houses contained. 
 There were but two rooms on the main iloor, the "hall" 
 and the parlor, and entrance to them was made from 
 the entry in the middle of the house. The "hall" of the 
 old Puritan house, was the "kitchen" of a little later 
 times. Indeed, these two words are used of the same 
 apartment from the earliest record. It was the living 
 room, the room where they cooked and ate and wrought 
 and sat ; in one home at least, that of Joseph Morse, a 
 well-to-do settler, the room Avhere his bed was set up, 
 wherein he died in 1646. 
 
 The chief object in this family room was ever the fire- 
 place, with its broad and generous hearth and chimney, 
 ample enough to allow boys bent on mischief to drop a 
 live calf from the roof, as they did one night, into poor 
 old Mark Quilter's kitchen. As brick chimneys were not 
 the rule at first, safety could be secured only by building 
 their wooden chimneys, daubed with clay, abnormally 
 
THE EAKLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS, 13 
 
 large. No wonder the worthy folk who wrote those inven- 
 tories invariably began with the fireplace and its appur- 
 tenances. Piled high with logs, roaring and snapping, 
 it sent forth most comfortable heat, and cast a warm 
 glow over the plainest interior, and beautified the hum- 
 blest home. " Here is good living for those that love 
 good fires," Pastor Higginson wrote. Bare walls, rough, 
 unfinished ceilings, floors without carpets or rugs, all took 
 on an humble grace ; privation and loneliness and home- 
 sickness could be forgotten, in the rich glow of the even- 
 ing firelight. 
 
 Several pairs of andirons or cobirons were frequently 
 used to support logs of different lengths. In one hall, at 
 least, two pair of cobirons, and a third pair ornamented 
 with brasses are mentioned. Within easy reach, were the 
 bellows and tongs, the fire-pan for carrying hot coals, the 
 "fire-fork" and ''fire-iron, " for use about the hearth, we 
 presume. 
 
 Over the fire hung the trammel or coltrell, as it is 
 called in one inventory, pot hooks, from the wooden or 
 iron bar within the chimney that was supplanted by the 
 crane in later times, and pots and kettles of copper, brass 
 or iron, and of sizes, various. Some of these kettles must 
 have been of prodigious size. Matthew Whipple had 
 three brass pots that weighed sixty-eight pounds, and a 
 copper that weighed forty pounds. The rich John Whit- 
 tingham's kitchen, in his High street home, boasted a 
 copper that was worth £3 10s, and Mr. Nelson of Eowley 
 had "a great copper " that was inventoried at £10 sterling. 
 The family washing, soap-making, candle-dipping and 
 daily cookery, no doubt, required them all. 
 
 A copper baking-pan, a great brass pan, spits for roasts, 
 iron dripping pans to catch the juices, gridirons and fry- 
 ing-pans, an iron peele or shovel for the brick oven, a 
 
14 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 trivet (a three-legged support for hot pans or pots, or 
 irons), and the indispensable warming-pan, were common 
 appendages of this central orb. 
 
 Lesser articles — skimmers, skillets and ladles, chafing 
 dishes and posnets, smoothing irons and ])ox irons that 
 were heated from within, and sieves covered with hair- 
 cloth or tiffany, were found as well. Upon the open 
 shelves stood the rows of pewter plates or platters, and 
 latten or brass ware, all bright and shining in the fire 
 light, and upon nails, 
 
 " The porringers that iu a row 
 Hung high and made a glittering show." 
 
 Trenchers and trays and platters of wood were still com- 
 mon ; "juggs"and leather bottles found place. Pewter 
 salts, pots, bottles, spoons, cups and flagons, candlesticks 
 of pewter or iron, spoons of silver or ^' alchimie," an alloy 
 of brass, were common. 
 
 The dresser or cupboard or shelf l)ore the l)ooks that 
 were found in almost every family : " the great Bible" and 
 smaller Bibles, the Psalm book, some sad volumes of 
 Doctor Preston's or Mr. Dike's or Doctor Bifield's theo- 
 logical writings, the "physike book" in one instance, and 
 the silver l)Owl, or other cherished remnant of former 
 luxury . 
 
 For furniture, there were tables and frames on which 
 boards were laid and removed, forms or long settees, 
 stools and cushions, but only a chair or two, for chairs 
 were luxuries then. 
 
 Other clumsy things, that ought to have found place in 
 barn or "leanto," are mentioned so regularly in the list of 
 hall or kitchen chattels, that we are compelled to think 
 they were really there — the " chirne," and powdering tub, 
 as they called the great tub used for salting meats, barrels 
 and keelers, cowles for water-cai rying and pails, bucking 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 15 
 
 tubs for washing and buckets, beere vessels and sundry 
 articles of unknown use, "earthen salts," "cheese-breads," 
 "beekor balke," and "haylcs." 
 
 Either those halls must have had extraordinary capacity 
 for storage, or the occupants must have had scant room 
 in many a house. Queer, confused rooms they must have 
 been at best, in their furnishings and the multitude of 
 employments continually going on, as suggested by the 
 implements, the spinning and weaving, the sewing and 
 knitting, the washing and ironing, cooking and brewing, 
 butter and cheese-making. Their garnishings, too, were 
 quaint. Strings of dried apples and corn, fat hams 
 swinging in the smoke of the chimney aifid, grim and 
 stern, the ever present fire-arms, ready for use at a 
 moment's warning. The briefest inventory includes these. 
 
 Matthew Whipple's "hall," on the corner of Summer and 
 County streets, must have been a veritable arsenal. Upon 
 its walls hung three muskets, three pair bandoleers, three 
 swords, and two rests, or crotched sticks, in which the 
 long heavy musket barrel was rested while aim was taken, 
 a fowling piece, a "costlett," or armor for the breast, a pike 
 and sword, a rapier, a halberd and bill. In John Knowl- 
 ton's "hall," we should have found a musket, bandoleers, 
 rest, knapsack, moulds and scourer. John Lee, the owner 
 of the land still known as Lee's, or Leigh's meadow, on 
 the Argilla road, had a sword and belt, pistols and holster, 
 and Luke Heard owned a "pistolett." Head pieces and 
 corselets were not uncommon. John Winthrop's kitchen 
 may have been a depot of supply, for it contained four- 
 teen muskets, rests and bandoleers. 
 
 The frequent mention of candlesticks suggests that 
 candles were in common use in these first Ipswich homes, 
 yet a more primitive method was common in the poorer 
 families at least. 
 
16 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 Higginson tells us how the Salem houses were lighted, 
 at the beginning of the settlement. " Although New 
 England have no tallow to make candles of, yet by the 
 abundance of the fish thereof, it can aft'ord oil for lamps. 
 Yea, our pine trees that are the most plentiful of all 
 wood, doth allow ns plenty of candles, which are very 
 useful in a house. And they are such candles as the In- 
 dians commonly use, having no other, and they are noth- 
 ing else but the wood of the pine tree, cloven in two 
 little slices, something thin, which are so full of the 
 moysturc of turpentine and j)itch, that they burn as cleere 
 as a torch." "Candlewood," is the name of a fine farm 
 district of our town to-day. It assures us that the Ips- 
 Avich planters knew the value of the fat pine strips. 
 " Old lamps," are sometimes mentioned, perhaps the open 
 iron or tin cup with a wick lying over one side fed with 
 fish oil, or lamps brought with their household goods. 
 
 The frugality- of the early living is frequently remarked 
 on. Felt says, "For more than a century and a half, the 
 most of them had })e;i and bean porridge, or broth, made 
 of the liquor of boiled salt meat and pork, and mixed 
 with meal, and sometimes hasty pudding and milk, both 
 morning and evening." But those great spits (Matthew 
 Whi}iple had four that weighed together twenty pounds), 
 brass baking pans and dripping pans, kettles and pot?;, 
 gridirons, frying pans and skillets, tell of more appetiz- 
 ing fare. 
 
 The cattle in the stalls and the abounding game in forest 
 and sea, furnished the material for substantial and gener- 
 ous living for the great majority, we will believe. Yet 
 the best-spread table would have looked strange to us. 
 Wooden })lates, sometimes a square Int of wood, slightly 
 hollowed or perfectl}^ plain, and platters for the central 
 dish, at best dishes and plates of bright pewter; no forks, 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 17 
 
 for forks did not attain common use till the latter years 
 of the century ; no coffee or tea, but plenty of home- 
 brewed beer and cider and stronger spirits for drinks, — 
 these things seem rude in style and deficient in comfort. 
 
 In the parlor, or "the fine-room," surprises await us as 
 well. Like the hall, it had its fireplace, and its goodly 
 array of hearth furniture, but its furnishings were rarely 
 elegant. The most conspicuous article, even in the homes 
 of rich men, like Matthew Whipple and John Whitting- 
 ham, was the best bed, of imposing size and stately ele- 
 gance, with its curtains and valance, or half curtain, that 
 hung from the cross pieces to the floor, and is still in use 
 with ancient bedsteads, — fitted most luxuriously with a 
 mat upon the cords, and with beds that awake our envy. 
 Matthew Whipple's best feather bed, bolster and nine 
 pillows weighed one hundred and six pounds, and were 
 valued at £5-6-0. Mr. Whittingham's parlor bed and 
 furnishings were worth £12-0-0, Thomas Barker's of 
 Rowley, £13-0-0. What an amount of "solid comfort" 
 is represented by an hundred weight of feathers with a 
 warming pan, in those bleak Puritan winters ! 
 
 The furnishings were ample. Mine host Lumpkin, 
 one of the earliest inn-keepers, had 2 flock beds and 2 
 bolsters, in addition to the feather bed ; also five blankets, 
 one rug and one coverlet. Strangely enough, a rug or 
 carpet was a bed furnishing and not a floor covering and 
 mention remains of a rug for the baby's cradle. 
 
 In John Jackson's house, close I)y the present Metho- 
 dist meeting-house, was "a half-headed bedstead," that 
 rejoiced in " an old dornix coverlet, " and it had " a side 
 bed for a child. " Lionel Chute, the schoolmaster, in 
 his East street home, had an " old damakell coverlet. " 
 Thomas Firman had " damicle curtaynes and vallens. " 
 A trundle bed was common. Beside the bed were a table, 
 
18 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 a " joyned table, " as it is called, made with turned legs, 
 and "joyned stools, " few chairs, but plent}^ of cushions, 
 and a " ciishen stoole " occasionally. Whittingham's 
 parlor had eleven curtains, and its two windows were 
 adorned with curtains and curtain rods, one of the few 
 instances mentioned of which I am at present aware. 
 
 In the parlor, too, were the chests, the common strong 
 boxes in which they brought their goods and the more 
 elaborate ones for storage of bedding and table linen. 
 One chest in Whipple's parlor was furnished with a glass 
 and there were three simpler ones. These chests were 
 highly prized by their owners, and they were important 
 pieces of furniture when the closet and modern bureaus 
 and chiffoniers had not yet found place. Lionel Chute 
 mentions in his will, "all things in my chest, and white 
 deep box with the locke and key." We read of great 
 chests and small chests, long boarded chests, great 
 boarded chests and John Knowlton's "chest with a 
 drawer :" also of trunks and boxes. Kobert Mussey 
 bequeathed his daughter Mary in 1(U2 his home, adjoin- 
 in": that of John Dane the elder, "in the West street in 
 the town, " also " my best Bible, " " a great brass pan to 
 be reserved for her until she comes of years, " and "the 
 broad box with all her mother's wearing linen. " 
 
 The " cubbered " as it was spelled, was common, and it 
 bore a "cubberd clothe " " laced " or " fringed. " 
 
 In some of the finest houses there was a clock, valued 
 at £1 in Matthew Whipple's, £2 in Thomas Nelson's of 
 Rowley. In Whipple's parlor, too, there was "a staniell 
 bearing cloth ; " and a " baize bearing cloth. " This was 
 used, it has been affirmed, for wrapping babies, when 
 carried to baptism, and Puritan l)abies invariably went to 
 church on the first Sunday after birth. On January 22, 
 1694, Judge Sewall records— "A very extraordinary 
 
THE EAELY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 19 
 
 storm by reason of the falling and driving of the snow. 
 Few women could get to meeting. A child named Alex- 
 ander was baptized in the afternoon. " I fancy that many 
 wee new-born children were taken to the Elder's hos- 
 pitable fireside, before and after the baptism in the icy 
 cold meeting house, and those bearing cloths may have 
 been a kind of public property, and often seen in the 
 first house of worship, for Whipple died the year the 
 old house was sold, 1646. 
 
 The family still for extracting the fragrant oil from 
 rose leaves and the medicinal virtues from roots and 
 herbs found place in the stately Whittingham parlor ; and 
 in Giles Badger's of Newbury there were a " a glass howl, 
 beaker and jugg, " the only suggestion of toilet conven- 
 ience which I remember. A case of glass bottles now 
 and then is mentioned. 
 
 But of pictures for the wall and carpets for the floor, 
 and the ornaments now deemed essential for parlor 
 adorniugs, there were few. The finest Puritan parlor of 
 these early days was only a primitive best bed-room. In- 
 deed, it was not always a spare room. Joseph Morse, 
 whose will was probated in 1646, bequeathed his son 
 John "the bed and all y^' bedding he lyeth on, standing 
 in the parlor. " 
 
 Above stairs the sleeping apartments of the family 
 were found. For the most part, they were cold and 
 cheerless, mere lofts, as the houses were of one story. 
 In one house at least, in Rowley, the floor boards were 
 laid so loosely that a person above could look down 
 through the cracks and see whatever was occurring below, 
 as a witness testified before the court. If such wide 
 spacing was common the heat from the hall fire would 
 have made the " chamber over the kitchen " the coveted 
 room. 
 
20 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 But Mr. Whittingham's house had a set of fire irons in 
 the chamber over the parlor, and this excess of dignity 
 betokens not only more of comfort than fell to the com- 
 mon lot, but a larger house, with two full stories, as the 
 fittings of the room indicate as well, — an interesting item 
 architecturally, since Mr. Whittingham died in 1648. 
 
 The contents of that chamber are so interesting that 
 they deserve a full record as showing how much of luxury 
 even was found in the better class of Ipswich houses of 
 this early period. 
 
 " A bedstead, two fether beds, curtains, rugg, etc." £13- 0-0 
 " One fether bed, one boulster, two quilts, two 
 
 pair blankets, one coverlet, and trundlebed," 6- 0-0 
 "Four trunks, one chest, one box, two chairs, four 
 
 stools, two small trunks," 3- 5-0 
 
 "9 pieces of plate, 11 spoons 25- 0-0 
 
 "10 pr. sheets, £8 ten others £4 12- 0-0 
 
 "3 pr. pillow beers 8' 1- 4-0 
 
 "3 " " " 5» 15-0 
 
 "Four table cloths 2-10-0 
 
 "1 doz. diaper, 2 doz. flaxen napkins 1-10-0 
 
 "2 doz. of napkins 12-0 
 
 "the hangings in the chamber," 1-10-0 
 
 "3 hoUand cupboard cloths" 2- 4-0 
 
 2 half sheetes 1-10-0 
 
 1 diaper and damask cupboard cloth 1- 0-0 
 one screene 10-0 
 
 2 pair cob-irons, 1 pr. tongs 15-0 
 one carpett 3-10-0 
 
 "one pair curtaius and vallance 5- 0-0 
 
 "one blew coverlet," 1- 0-0 
 
 This was a regal room for the times, with its carpet 
 and screen, its hangings upon the walls, its rich store of 
 family silver, and its sumptuous beds and bed linen. 
 Think of twenty pairs of sheets, all spun and woven by 
 hand, and a single bedstead with its belongings, worth 13 
 pounds sterling, more than twice the whole value of some 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 21 
 
 of the dwellings of that day ! But Shakespeare's will 
 specified the " second best bed " for his wife's portion — 
 and extraordinary value commonly attached to these high 
 posted, canopied, curtained structures. Yet this room had 
 no looking glass nor toilet articles, nor bureau nor case 
 of drawers. 
 
 In the other chamber we find a variety of miscella- 
 neous articles besides the beds and bedding, a saddle, rolls 
 of canvas of different value, 10 yds. of French serge, 
 G yds. of carpeting, remnants of holland and a valuable 
 assortment of wearing apparel, worth £22, unfortunately 
 for our information, with no mention of garments in 
 detail. 
 
 In Matthew Whipple's chamber, there were 7 children's 
 blankets, and a pillion cloth and foot stool. At Joseph 
 Morse's, the chamber was a store room, where were de- 
 posited, as we have mentioned : 
 
 20 bushels Indian corn £2- 10-0 
 
 mault 
 
 half bushel hemp seede 2-0 
 
 6 small cheeses 2-0 
 
 20 pounds butter 10-0 
 
 "hemp drest and undrest." 10-0 
 
 One other fine interior must be noted — that of 
 Nathaniel Eogers — pastor of the church from June, 1636, 
 to 1655, whose residence stood very near the old Baker 
 house, so called, fronting on the South Green, and whose 
 house lot reached down to the River, and was bounded by 
 Mr. Saltonstall's property on the S. W. and Isaac Com- 
 ing's on the N. E. 
 
 Mr. Rogers died in 1655 leaving an estate, real and 
 personal, valued at £1497, a princely fortune in those 
 days. His hall contained a small cistern, with other im- 
 plements, valued at 17s. (this was an urn, probably of 
 
22 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 pewter, for holding water and wine, and the " other im- 
 plements" were wine-glasses perhaps), two Spanish 
 platters, of earthen or china ware, very rare at that 
 time, a chest and hanging cupboard, a round table with 
 live joined stools, six chairs and five cushions. Evidently 
 this was a dining room, for the kitchen was a separate 
 room, with an elaborate set of pewter dishes, flagons and 
 the like that weighed a hundred and hfty pounds, and the 
 usual paraphernalia of cooking utensils including a 
 " jacke " for turning the spit. 
 
 The parlor contained some rare articles, a great chair, 
 two pictures, a livery cupboard, a clock and other imple- 
 ments worth three pounds, window curtains and rods, and 
 the one solitary musical instrument in all the town, so far 
 as early inventories show, "a treble violl," by which is 
 meant, it may be supposed, a violin. Yet this elegant 
 room had a canopy bed and down pillows. 
 
 The chamber furnishings were exceptionally fine. Its 
 bed and bedding were valued at £14-10-0. A single 
 " perpetuanny coverlet " was appraised at £1-05-0. There 
 was a gilt looking glass, a "childing wicker basket'' for 
 the babies' toilet, perhaps, a table basket, and a sumptu- 
 ous store of linen. A single suit of diaper table linen 
 was reckoned at £4, two pair of hoi land sheets at £3- 
 10s., five fine pillow-beeres or cases, £l-15s., and goods 
 brought from Old England worth over twenty pounds. 
 
 In the chamber over the hall were a yellow rug, a 
 couch, silver plate worth £35-18s., and the only watch I 
 have ever found mentioned, valued at £4, in addition to 
 the common furniture. 
 
 The study gloried in a library worth £100-0-0, an ex- 
 traordinary collection of books, revealing scholarly tastes 
 as well as a plethoric purse, a cabinet, a desk and two 
 chairs, and a pair of creepers or little fire irons. 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 23 
 
 In contrast with the comfort and luxury of these tine 
 homes, "the short and simple annals of the poor " would 
 be of deep interest. Unfortunately for us, as well as 
 for the humble folk themselves, who dwelt in houses 
 sixteen and eighteen feet square, their belongings were 
 so few and cheap that an inventory seemed superfluous, 
 and we are left largely to our own surmising as to how 
 they lived. One glimpse into the humbler sort of home 
 is permitted us in the inventory of William Averill. His 
 will was entered in 1652. He gives to each of his seven 
 children the sum of live shillings, " for my outward estate 
 being but small. " lu his inventory his house and lot were 
 appraised at £10, and the furnishings enumerated are : 
 
 1 iron pott, 1 brass pott, 1 frying pan, 4 pewter platters 
 
 1 flagon, 1 iron kettle, 1 brass kettle, 1 copper, 1 brass 
 
 pan, and some other small things, £2-17-0 
 
 2 chests, 1 fether bed, 1 other bed, 2 pair of sheets, 2 
 
 bolsters, 3 pillows, 2 blankets, 1 coverlid, 1 bedstead, 
 
 and other small linen, 5-10-0 
 
 2 coats and wearing apparel 3- 0-0 
 
 a warming pan 3-0 
 
 a tub, 2 pails, a few books 10-0 
 
 a corslett 1- 0-0 
 
 The total of house, land, cattle and goods being £50. 
 
 He was not desperately poor then, but his circum- 
 stances were somewhat narrow. His family numbered 
 nine souls, yet they had but one bedstead, and beds and 
 bedding only adequate for this, and four pewter platters 
 for the daily meals. How these nine Averills ate and 
 slept would be an entertaining story, and a reproof to 
 much discontent. 
 
 In Coffin's History of Newbury I find the following, 
 under the date 1657 : " Steven Dow did acknowledge to 
 him it was a good while before he could eate his masters 
 food viz. meate and milk, or drinke beer, saying he did 
 
24 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 not know it was good, })ecause he was not used to eat 
 such victuall, but to eate bread and water porridge, and to 
 drink water. " No doubt many a family of the poorer 
 sort lived as frugally as he. 
 
 The house of John Winthrop, jun., who led the lit- 
 tle band of settlers to our town in 1633, is the most 
 interesting of the earliest homes. "An Inventorie of 
 Mr. Winthropps goods of Ipswitch, " made by William 
 Clerk, about the year 1636, while Mr. Winthrop was in 
 England, has recently come into the possession of the 
 Historical Society. Thanks to the carefulness of the 
 ancient recorder, we know the contents of every room, 
 and we tind far less of luxury than Mr. Rogers enjoyed. 
 Indeed, the humblest of his fellow-citizens might have 
 felt at home in the unpretentious domicile of the excellent 
 young leader. The inventory was made at so early a 
 date, moreover, that it gives us certain knowledge of the 
 rooms and their furnishings of one of the original houses, 
 it is safe to presume. 
 
 Imp"; In the Cham'^ ov' the Parlor 1 feath"^ bed 1 banckett 
 1 covlett 1 blew rugg 1 boster & 2 pillowes. 
 trunck marked wih R. W. F. wherein is 
 1 mantle of silk wth gld lace 
 1 hoUand tablecloth some 3 yards loung 
 Ipr. SSS hoU [twilled hollaud?] sheets 
 1 pillo bear half f iill of childs liuuing, etc. 
 
 5 childs blanketts whereof one is bare million 
 1 cushion for a child of chamlett 
 
 1 cours table cloth 3 yards long 
 
 6 cros cloths and 2 guives? 
 
 9 childs bedds 2 duble clouts 1 ?•■ hoU sleeves 
 4 apons whereof 1 is laced 
 
 2 smocks 2 pr sheets 1 napkin 
 
 1 whit square chest wherein is 
 1 doz. dyp. [diaper?] napkins I damsk napkin 
 
 1 doz. hoU napkins 
 
 2 doz. & 2 napkins 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 25 
 
 2 cubord cloths 
 11 pillow beares 
 11 SSS napkins 
 2 table cloths 
 
 4 towills 
 
 1 SSS holl shirt 
 
 2 dyp towills 
 
 3 dyp table cloths 
 
 1 p"- SSS holl sheets 
 
 1 long great chest where in is 
 1 black gowne tam'y 
 1 gowne sea grecne 
 
 1 child s baskett 
 
 2 old petticotts 1 red 1 sand coll"" serg 
 1 pr leath'' stockins 1 mufl' 
 
 1 window cushion 
 
 5 qnishion cases 1 small pillowe 
 1 peece stript linsy woolsy 
 
 1 pr boddyes 
 
 1 tapstry covlett 
 
 1 peece lininge stnff for curtins 
 
 1 red bayes cloake for a woman 
 
 1 pr of sheets 
 
 In the Cham'' ov^" the kyohin 
 
 1 feath»' bed 1 boster 1 pillowe 2 blanketts 
 2ruggs bl. & w' 
 
 2 floq bedds 5 ruggs 2 bolsters 1 pillowe 
 1 broken warming pan 
 
 In the Garrett Charn^' ov'' the Storehouse 
 
 many small things glasses, potts etc. 
 
 In the Parlor 
 
 1 bedsted 1 trundle bedsted v/^^ curtains & vallences 
 
 1 table & G stooles 
 
 1 muskett, 1 small fowleiug peece w"> rest and bandeleer 
 
 ^ 1 trunk of pewter 
 
 # 1 cabbinett, wherin the servants say is 
 
 rungs [rings?] iewills 13 sil"" spoones this I cannot open 
 
 :f^ 1 cabbinett of Surgerie 
 
 In the kyttchin 
 
 1 brass baking pan 
 5 milk pans 
 
26 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 1 small pestle & morter 
 
 1 Steele mill 
 
 14 muskets, rests & bandeleers 
 
 2 iron kettles 2 copp"" 1 brasse kettle 
 
 1 iron pott 
 
 2 bl jacks 
 
 2 skillitts whereof one is brasse 
 
 4 porringors 
 
 1 spitt 1 graf 
 
 1 p' racks 1 p"' andirnes 1 old iron rack 
 
 1 iron pole 1 grediron 1 p'' tongs * 
 
 2 brass ladles 1 pr bellowes 
 2 stills ■w"^ bottums 
 
 In M^ Wards hands 
 
 1 silv"" cupp 6 spoones 1 salt of silver 
 
 In the ware howse 
 
 2 great chests naled upp 
 
 1 chest 1 trunk w'^'^ I had ord"' not to open 
 
 1 chest of tooles 
 
 ^ 6 cowes 6 steeres 2 heiffers 
 
 # dyv" peeces of iron and Steele 
 
 Mr. Winthrop's wife and infant daughter had died not 
 long before, and a pathetic interest attaches to the con- 
 tents of the chests. The trundle bed in the parlor would 
 indicate that this had been the family sleeping room. 
 Evidently there were but four rooms and the house we 
 can easily imagine was small and unassuming. 
 
 HOW THEY DRESSED. 
 
 A demure Puritan simplicity, we may think, character- 
 ized the dress of our forefiithers. Life in the wilderness 
 may seem to harmonize only with coarse and cheap attire, 
 for an age of homespun logically admitted of no finery. 
 Such preconceptions are wide of the truth. Puritan 
 principle required a protest against current fashion as 
 against religious and social usages ; but the elegance and 
 
THE EABLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 27 
 
 expensiveiiess of both male and female dress in Old Eng- 
 land had been so great that a goodly degree of reaction 
 and repression could find place and yet leave no small 
 remnant of goodly and gay attire. Not a few of those 
 men and women of old Ipswich came from homes of 
 luxury, — Dudley and Bradstreet from the castle home of 
 the Earl of Lincoln ; Saltonstall from contact with the 
 nobility in his knightly father's house ; Winthrop and 
 Whittingham from fine family connections. Many fair 
 English costumes found place in their chests and strong 
 boxes that came over the seas, and the plain houses and 
 plainer meeting-house were radiant, on Sabbath days and 
 high days, with bright colors and fine fabrics. 
 
 The common dress of men was far more showy than 
 the fashion of to-day. A loose fitting coat, called a doub- 
 let, reached a little below the hips. Beneath this, a long, 
 full waistcoat Avas worn. Baggy trousers were met just 
 below the knee by long stockings, which were held in 
 place by garters, tied with a bow-knot at the side. 
 About the neck, a " falling band " found place, a broad, 
 white coHar, that appears in all pictures of the time ; and 
 a hat with conical crown and broad brim completed the 
 best attire. A great cloak or heavy long coat secured 
 warmth in winter. Their garments were of various 
 material and color. Unfortunatel}^ wearing apparel is 
 usually mentioned in the bulk in inventories ; but occa- 
 sional specifications afibrd us an idea of the best raiment. 
 
 Mention is made of " a large blew cote " and " a large 
 white coat ;" of a fine "purple cloth sute, doublett and 
 hose " belonging to John GoflTe or Goss of Newbury, who 
 also had a short coat, a pair of lead-colored breeches, a 
 green doublett, a cloth doublett, a leather doublett, also 
 leather and woolen stockings, two hats and a cloth caj). 
 The men generally had their rough suits of leather and 
 
28 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 homespun for the farm work, and the delicate clothing for 
 special occasions. So we find musk-colored broadcloth 
 and damson-colored cloth, cloth grass-green, blue waist- 
 coats and green waistcoats, cloth hose, and hose of 
 leather and woolen stuff', boots and shoes, black hats, 
 home-made caps, gloves, silver buttons, of which John 
 Cross owned three dozen and one, and sometimes a gown. 
 
 Of the ladies' wardrobe, I am loth to speak. Certain 
 popular pictures of Priscilla at her spinning, and sweet 
 Puritan maidens watching the departure of the Mayflower, 
 have pleased our fancy, and forthwith we clothe the 
 women of the days of old in quaker-like caps and dresses, 
 graceful in their simplicity, — nun-like garbs, over which 
 Dame Fashion had no tyranny. But the truth must be 
 told. 
 
 Widow Jane Kenning, who lived near the corner of 
 Loney's Lane, had for her best array, "a cloth gowne, " 
 worth £2 5s., "a serge gown" valued at £2, "a red petti- 
 coat with two laces, " appraised at a pound sterling, and 
 lesser ones of serge and paragon, a cloth waistcoat and a 
 linsey woolsey apron. That " cloth waistcoat " was no 
 mean affair, I judge. The lawyer, Thomas Lcchford of 
 Boston, who indulged in a silver-laced coat and a gold- 
 wrought cap for himself, records : " Received of Mr. 
 Geo. Story, four yards and half a quarter of tuft holland 
 to make my wife a wastcoate at 2s. 8d. a yard." Widow 
 Kenning's was worth 8s. Lecliford also enters under 
 date 1640, Feb. 1 : " I pay'd John Hurd [a tailor in 
 Boston], delivered to his wife by Sara our mayd, for 
 making my wife's gown, 8s." "Tailor made" dresses 
 are not a modern invention, then, and if Boston dames 
 were patrons of tailors, the ladies of aristocratic Ipswich 
 were not a whit behind. 
 
 For common wear, blue linen, lockram or coarse linen. 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PUKTTANS. 29 
 
 linsey-woolsey, mohair, a mixture of linen and wool, and 
 holland were the common materials. 
 
 Dame Eliz. Lowle of Newbury had her riding suit and 
 muff, silver bodkins and gold rings. Some interesting let- 
 ters to Madame Rebekah Symonds, widow of the Deputy 
 Governor, from her son by a former marriage in London, 
 in the Antiquarian papers, reveal these wardrobe secrets. 
 He wrote in 1664= of sending his mother a "flower satin 
 mantle lined with sarsnet, £1 10s., a silver clasp for it 
 28. 6d., cinnamon tatfity 15s., two Cambrick whisks with 
 two pare of cufts £1 " also, in the same ship, " a light blew 
 blanket, 200 pins, 1 1 yards chamlet, also Dod on the Com- 
 mandments (bound in green plush), also a pair of wed- 
 ding gloves, and my grandmother's funeral ring." In 
 1673, he sent " one ell i of fine bag Holland, 2 yds. | of 
 lute-string, a Lawn whiske, wool cards one paire, a Heath 
 Brush, 2 Ivorie Combe, ye bord box rest. " 
 
 In her sixtieth year Madam Symonds, keenly alive to the 
 demands of fashion, had written her son for a fashionable 
 Lawn whiske ; but he, anxious to gratify her, yet desirous 
 as well that his mother should be dressed in strict accord 
 with London fashion, replied that the " fashionable Lawn 
 whiske is not now worn, either by Gentil or simple, 
 young or old. Instead whereof I have bought a shape 
 and ruffles, which is now the ware of the gravest as well 
 as the young ones. Such as goe not with naked necks 
 ware a black wifle over it. Therefore I have not only 
 Bought a plaine one yt you sent for, but also a Lustre 
 one, such as are most in Fashion." 
 
 She had sent for damson-colored Spanish leather for 
 women's shoes. This, lie informed her was wholly out of 
 style and use, and ''as to the feathered fan, I should also 
 have found in my heart, to have let it alone, because none 
 but very grave persons (and of them very few) use it. 
 
30 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 That now 'tis grown almost as obsolete as Russets, and 
 more rare to be seen than a yellow hood." 
 
 Nevertheless, to please the exacting leader of the 
 Ipswich ton, he sent, with ten yards of silk, and two 
 yards of Lustre " a feather fan and silver handle, two 
 tortois fans, 200 needles, 5 yds. sky calico, silver gimp, 
 black sarindin cloak, damson leather skin, two women's 
 Ivorie knives, etc." 
 
 Madame Symonds was no more addicted to the utter- 
 most extreme of fashion than were the women of the first 
 years of the settlement and the men themselves, we must 
 confess. It is one of the anomalies of history that the 
 most religious of all people, as we have come to think 
 them, the Sabbath-keeping, church-going Puritans, should 
 have l)een so far in thraldom to the world, the flesh and 
 the devil, that they were guih}'^ of frholous excess in 
 aping the fashions of the mother-land. But so it was. 
 
 In 1634, the love of fine clothes was so notorious, that 
 the General Court felt constrained to lament " the greate 
 sup fluous, and unnecessary expences occaconed by 
 reason of some newe and imodest fashions, as also the 
 ordinary wearing of silver, golde and silk laces, girdles, 
 hat-bands, etc." and ordered forthwith that no person, 
 either man or woman, "shall hereafter make or buy an 
 aj)pell either woolen, silke or lynnen, with any lace in it, 
 silver, golde, silke or threade," under i)enalty of forfei- 
 ture of such clothes — "also noe (pson, either manor 
 woman, shall make or buy any slashed cloathes, other 
 than one slash in each sleeve and another in the liackes ; 
 also all cut-works, imbroidered or needle worke, cappes, 
 bands and rayles, are forliidden hereafter to be made or 
 worn, under the aforesaid penalty." Apparel already 
 in use might be worn out, but the immoderate great 
 sleeves, slashed apparel, immoderate great " rayles," long 
 
THE EARLY HOiMF.8 OF THE PURITANS. 31 
 
 wings, etc., were to be curtailed and remodelled more 
 modestly at once. 
 
 In 1039, when our town had been gathering strength 
 five 3'ears, the tiat again went forth against " women's 
 sleeves more than half an ell wide in the widest place, im- 
 moderate great breches, knots of ryban, broad shoulder 
 bands, and rayles, silk roses, double ruffes and cuflTes, 
 etc. " Sleeves were a target for Shakespeare's wit. 
 
 "What, this a sleeve? 
 
 There's snip, and nip, and cut and slish and slash, 
 Like to a censor in a barber's shop." 
 
 No doubt the women of Ipswich needed admonition 
 in these particulars, and some of the men most likely 
 walked abroad with their doublet sleeves slashed to dis- 
 play the fine linen shirt sleeves beneath, with too large 
 trousers and knots of ribbon in their shoes, or wearing 
 boots with flaring tops, nearly as large as the brim of a 
 hat, very conspicuous, if made of "white russet" leather, 
 as Edward Skinner's in 1641. Perchance they dared to 
 wear their hair below the ears, and falling upon the neck. 
 The English Roundhead with short, cropped hair, in 
 obedience to Paul's injunction, was the ideal of the sterner 
 Puritans of our Colony, but there was from the beginning 
 a persistent determination by some of the more frivolous 
 sort, to wear long hair. Higginson jocosely discovered 
 the origin of the fashion in the long lock worn by Indian 
 braves. The General Court set its face as a flint against 
 this in 1634. It was a burning theme of pulpit address, 
 and the clergy prescribed that the hair should by no 
 means lie over the band or doublet collar, but might 
 grow a little below the ear in winter for warmth. 
 
 Nath. Ward, in his Simple Cobbler, dispensed wisdom : 
 "If it be thought no wisdome in men to distinguish them- 
 selves in the field by the Scissers, let it be thought no 
 
32 THE EA!a.Y HOINFES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 injustice in God not to distinguish them by the sword," and 
 " I am sure men use not to wear such manes." It was 
 derisively suggested that long nails like Nebuchadnezzar's 
 would be next in Fashion. 
 
 Rev. Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley was so bitter in his 
 detestation of the habit that he cut off his nephew from 
 his inheritance because of his persistence ; and in his 
 Election sermon before the General Court, he assailed 
 long hair with fiery zeal. 
 
 So enormous was the offence that on May 10, 1649, 
 Governor Eudicott, Deputy Governor Dudley and seven 
 of the Assistants thus declared themselves : " Forasmuch 
 as the wearing of long hair after the manner of ruffians 
 and barbarous Indians has begun to invade New England, 
 contrary to the rule of God's word, which says it is a 
 shame for a man to wear long hair, etc.. We, the magis- 
 trates, who have subscribed this paper, (for the shewing 
 of our own innocency in this behalf) do declare and man- 
 ifest our dislike and detestation against the wearing of 
 such long hair, as against a thing uncivil and unmanly, 
 whereby men doe deforrae themselves, and offend sober 
 and modest men, and doe corrupt good manners. We 
 doe, therefore, earnestly entreat all the elders of this 
 jurisdiction (as often as they shall see cause to manifest 
 their zeal against it in their public administration) to take 
 care that the members of their respective churches be not 
 defiled therewith ; that so such as shall prove obstinate 
 and will not reforme themselves, may have God and man 
 to witness against them. " 
 
 Some gay-plumed ladies of his Ipswich church may 
 have been in his mind, when grim Mr. Ward discharged 
 himself of his ill-humor against the sex, affirming " When 
 I heare a nugiperous Gentle-dame inquire what dress 
 the Queen is in this week, what the nudius tertian of 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE TUIllTANS. 33 
 
 the Court, I look at her as the very gizzard of a trifle, 
 the product of a quarter of a cypher, the Epitome of 
 nothing, fitter to be kickt, if she were of a kickable sub- 
 stance, than either honored or humored." 
 
 "To speak moderately, I truly confess it is beyond the 
 ken of my understanding to conceive, how those women 
 should have any true grace or valuable vertue, that have 
 so little wit as to disfigure themselves with such exotick 
 garbs, as not only dismantles their native lovely lustre, 
 but transclouts them into gant bar-geese, ill-shapen, 
 shotten shell-fish, Egyptian hieroglyphics, or at the best 
 into French flurts of the pastry, Avhich a proper English 
 woman should scorn with her heels. It is no marvel they 
 wear drailes on the hinder part of their heads, having 
 nothing as it seems in the fore-part but a few Squirrel 
 brains to help them frisk from one ill-favor'd fortune to 
 another." 
 
 His indignation against tailors for lending their art to 
 clothe women in French fashions was intense: "It is a 
 more commtm than convenient saying that nine Taylors 
 make a man ; it were well if nineteene could make a 
 woman to her minde ; if Taylors were men indeed, well 
 furnished but with meer morall principles, they would 
 disdain to be led about like apes, by such mimick Mar- 
 mosets. It is a most unworthy thing for men that have 
 bones in them to spend their lives in making fidle-cascs 
 for f utilous women's phansies ; which are the very petti- 
 toes of infermity, the gyblets of perquisquilian toyes." 
 
 Ridicule, precept and statute law were alike powerless to 
 check this over-elegance. Again in 1651, the General 
 Court repeated its "greife . . . that intollerable excesse 
 and bravery hath crept in upon us, and especially amongst 
 people of meane condition, to the dishonor of God, the 
 scandall of its professors, the consumption of estates, and 
 
34 THE EAULY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 altogether unsuteable to our povertie." Hence it pro- 
 ceeded to declare its " utter detestation and dislike that 
 men or women of mean condition, educations and callings 
 should take upon them the garl) of gentlemen by the 
 wearing of gold and silver lace, or buttons, or poynts at 
 their knees, to walke in greate bootes, or women of the 
 same ranke to wear silke or tiflany hoodes or scarfes, 
 which though allowable to persons of greater estate or 
 more liberal education, yet we cannot but judge iutoller- 
 able in person of such like condition." 
 
 So, at last, it was ordered that no person whose visible 
 estate did not exceed £200 should wear such buttons or 
 gold or silver lace, or any bone lace above 2s. per yard 
 or silk hoods or scarfs, upon penalty of 10s. for each 
 oifence. Magistrates and their families, military officers, 
 soldiers in time of service, or any whose education or em- 
 ployments were above the ordinary were excepted from 
 the operation of this law. 
 
 The judicial powers were in grim earnest, and at the 
 March term of the Quarter Sessions Court, in Ipswich, 
 some of her gentle folk felt the power of the law. 
 
 Ruth Haffield, daughter of the widow whose farm was 
 near the bridge, still called " Hatfield's," was " presented '' 
 as the legal phrase is, for excess in apparel, but upon the 
 affidavit of Richard Coy, that her mother was worth £200 
 she was discharged. George Palmer was fined 10s. and 
 fees fov wearing silver lace. Samuel Brocklebank, 
 taxed Avith the same ofience, was discharged. The wife 
 of John Hutchings was called to account shortly after for 
 wearing a silk hood, but she proved that she had been 
 brought up above the ordinary rank and was discharged. 
 John Whipple made it evident that he was worth the 
 requisite £200 and his good wife escaped. Anthony 
 Potter, Richard Brabrook, Thomas Harris, Thomas Maybe 
 
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 35 
 
 and Edward Brown were all called upon to justify 
 their wives' finery. 
 
 In 1659 the daughter of Humphrey Griffin presumed to 
 indulge in a silk scarf, and her father was fined 10s. and 
 court fees. John Kimball was able to prove his pecu- 
 niary ability and his wife wore her silk scarf henceforth 
 unquestioned. As late as 1675, Arthur Abbott, who is 
 mentioned as the bearer of fine dress goods from Madame 
 Symonds' son in Loudon, and who very naturally may 
 have brought his good wife some finery from the London 
 stores, was obliged to pay his 10s. for his wife's public 
 wearing of a silk hood. Benedict Pulcipher for his wife, 
 Haniell Bosworth for his two daughters, John Kindrick, 
 Thomas Knowlton and Obadiah Bridges for their wives' 
 over dress, were called to account before judge and jury. 
 
 The middle of the century found one of the most 
 whimsical and extraordinary fashions in vogue in Eno-- 
 land, and New England was infected as well, we presume. 
 Ladies decorated their faces with court- plaster, cut in 
 fantastic shapes. Bulwer, in his "Artificial Changelino-," 
 published in 1650, in England, speaking of these patches 
 says " some fill their visage full of them, " and he de- 
 scribes the shapes one fine lady delighted to wear : " a 
 coach with a coachman and two horses with postilions on 
 her forehead, a crescent under each eye, a star on one 
 side of her mouth, a plain circular patch on her chin." 
 
 In " Wit Restored," a poem printed in 1658 : 
 
 "Her patches are of every cut 
 For pimples and for scars ; 
 Here's all the wandering planets' signs 
 And some of the lixed stars, 
 Already gummed to make them stick. 
 They need no other sky." 
 
 As the century waned, the ofience of wearing long hair 
 paled into insignificance beside the unspeakable sin of 
 
36 THE EARLY HOMES OF THE PURITANS. 
 
 wearing wigs. Happily, or unhiippily, as the point of 
 view varies, the ministers could not agree in this. The 
 portrait of Rev. John Wilson, of Boston, who died in 
 1667, presents him wearing a full Avig, and many of the 
 clergy were addicted to the same head-gear ; but public 
 sentiment was strong against the fashion, and the General 
 Court in 1675, condemned "the practise of men's wearing 
 their own or other's hair made into periwigs." Judge 
 Sewall alludes to the hated custom with spiteful brevity 
 in his Diary. 
 
 "1685— Sept. 15. Three admitted to the church. Two wore peri- 
 wigs." 
 
 1697— Mr. Noyes of Salem wrote a treatise on periwigs. 
 
 1708— Aug. 20. Mr. Cheever died. The welfare of the province 
 was much upon his heart. He abominated periwigs." 
 
 The Judge felt such extreme virulence toward these 
 "Horrid Bushes of Vanity," that he would not sit under 
 the ministrations of his own pastor, who had cut off his 
 hair and donned a wig, but worshipped elsewhere. 
 
 In our neighbor town of Newbury, the clerical wig 
 was so much an affront that, in 1752, Eichard Bartlett was 
 taken to task for refusing to commune with the church 
 because the pastor wore a wig, and because the church 
 justified him in it, and also for that " he sticks not from 
 time to time to assert with the greatest assurance that all 
 who wear wigs, unless they repent of that particular sin 
 before they die, w^ill certainly be dammed, which we judge 
 to be a piece of uncharital^le and sinful rashness." 
 
 But the battle was already lost. In 1722, here in 
 Ipswich, just about on the site of the Seminary building, 
 Patrick Farrin, chirurgeon, boldly hung out his sign, 
 " periwig-maker " and the gentlemen of Ipswich could 
 have their wigs and keep them curled, powdered and 
 frizzled as fashion required. 
 
 Women, too, were given to marvellous coiffures. 
 
THE EARLY HOMER OF THE PURTTAN8. 37 
 
 Cotton Mather apostrophized the erring sex in 1G83 — 
 " Will not the haughty daughters of Zion refrain their 
 pride in apparel ? Will they lay out their hair, and wear 
 their false locks, their borders and towers like comets 
 about their heads?" They were called "apes of Fancy, 
 friziling andcurlying of their hayr." They had fallen far 
 away from the Puritan " liangs " to which Higginson al- 
 ludes in his comment on the Indians. " Their hair is gen- 
 erally black and cut before like our gentlewomen." Then, 
 their hair was built aloft and extended out "like butterfly 
 wings over the ears." "False locks were set on wyers to 
 make them stand at a distance from the head." 
 
 A bill is mentioned by Felt, as contracted in this town 
 in 1697 " for wire and catgut in making up attire for the 
 head." 
 
 But le^al restriction of dress was at an end. The 
 whim of the wearer, and the state of the purse, henceforth 
 determined the fashion of head dress and raiment. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 BY THOMAS FRANKLIN WATERS. 
 
 It is a partial recompense for the sleepy, unprogressive 
 life that has prevailed in old Ipswich for a century or 
 more that a large number of substantial mansions of the 
 colonial type have been preserved in their pristine sim- 
 plicity. They have escaped the smart remodelling inci- 
 dent to vigorous prosperity, which often despoils such of 
 their old chimneys, and improves them, as the phrase is, 
 with porticoes, piazzas, bay-windows and modern cover- 
 ings for the roof, until only a memory of the original 
 house remains. Nearly every one of our ancient mansions 
 retains its severe Puritan plainness of architecture, the 
 great chimney stack, jutting-over stories, small windows 
 and modest front door. The only change they have suf- 
 fered is the ancient one which was in vogue more than 
 two centuries ago, when new rooms were built on the 
 back side, and new rafters were run towards the ridge-pole, 
 giving the familiar " lean-to " roof. 
 
 Many of these houses are of venerable age, beyond a 
 doubt, but not so old by many years, I am convinced, as 
 popular belief assigns them. It pleases our local pride to 
 call them relics of the earliest times. It gratifies their 
 owners or occupants to see them gazed at with wide-eyed 
 wonder by the stranger to whom the story of their great 
 age is told. The visiting artist or lover of antiquarian 
 
 (39) 
 
40 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 lore is enraptured with their appearance and the traditions 
 that cluster about them, and straightway publishes abroad 
 the quaint charm of these old landmarks. When our 
 250th anniversary was celebrated, certain old dwellings 
 were placarded to the effect that they were built in 1635, 
 or thereabouts. Statements of this nature are still being 
 made at frequent intervals. 
 
 In the interest of historic truth alone, I am compelled 
 to call attention to the facility with which error can be 
 made in this field, the importance of recognizing certain 
 cardinal principles of accurate historical research, and the 
 pressing need of an unbiassed application of these princi- 
 ples to the antiquities of our town, before the errors al- 
 ready made are hopelessly crystallized. 
 
 A strong presumption against the veracity of any 
 reputed date, before the middle of the seventeenth century 
 at the least, is found in the known facts relating to the 
 architecture of our earliest times. 
 
 The builders of this town found it a wilderness, hardly 
 broken by the few squatter settlers who had dwelt here 
 prior to their coming. They built as any pioneer builds 
 to-day, I imagine — as the Plymouth Pilgrims did — sim- 
 ple homes of logs, or hand-hewed timber, with thatch- 
 roof and wooden chimney, well covered with clay to save 
 it from burning. They had no time for elaborate house- 
 building, for land had to be cleared, crops sown and 
 tended, and provision made for their support through the 
 coming winter. They had no material for nice carpentry. 
 Permission to build the first saw-mill, of which any record 
 remains, was not granted until 1649. Every joist and 
 board was sawed by hand in saw pits, or smoothed with 
 the broad-axe. Every nail, hinge and lock was hammered 
 out by the blacksmith. 
 
 Adequate evidence of reputed age must of necessity be 
 documentary. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 41 
 
 Tradition is whimsical and fantastic. It chains poor 
 Harry Main on Ipswich bar, and locates a ghost in his 
 bouse, recently demolished, which was vanquished by the 
 united efforts of the three ministers then resident here, 
 and effectually cast out. It frightens old Nick out of the 
 meeting house when Whitefield preaches and shows his 
 footprint in the ledge. 
 
 Tradition is ludicrously unhistoric. It links the ro- 
 mance of the regicides with a house, that was not built 
 until long years after the last of the famous three had been 
 buried in his secret grave. Tradition is no more reliable 
 than the common gossip of the town. It has a grain of 
 truth to-day. To-morrow it will be wholly false. A month 
 hence, its falsehood will be curious and wondrous. 
 
 A sober and reliable man recently affirmed that, in his 
 boyhood, the farm house recently purchased by Mr. Camp- 
 bell of Mr. Asa Wade was moved from a neighboring 
 corner to its present location ; but Mrs. Julia Willett, 
 who was married in the old house that stood about where 
 the present one is, and went to live at Willett's mill near 
 by, states that the present house was built, where it stands, 
 about 1833, and -Mr. Francis H. Wade is confident that 
 the house which was moved is the one now owned and 
 occupied by Mrs. William Kimball. How easily the his- 
 tory of these houses is confused and misstated only sixty 
 5''ears away from the fact ! 
 
 An ancient type of architecture is an insufficient proof 
 of extreme age. One of our most venerable houses was 
 torn down when Mr. George E. Farley's house was built, 
 and its site is occupied by his residence. The old relic 
 had all the marks of great age : huge chimney, projecting 
 over-stories, low, sloping " lean-to " roof, great summers 
 or central beams in the low studded lower rooms, and very 
 small windows. 
 
42 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 This corner was purchased by William Donnton of 
 Thomas Lovell in 1695, an unpretending hundred-rod 
 lot with no building of any sort mentioned as standing upon 
 it. These old deeds are very explicit and that so large an 
 item as a house could have been omitted in the descrip- 
 tion of the estate is incredible. At Donnton's decease his 
 daughter Elizabeth, wife of Robert Perkins, sold her right 
 and title in " the mansion or dwelling house and barn, 
 with part of the homestead on which they stand to our 
 loving brother-in-law, Joseph Holland," in 1721. In 1765, 
 at Widow Holland's death, it was purchased by Francis 
 Holmes, a physician. This old mansion was built, there- 
 fore, subsequently to 1695. This type of architecture, it 
 is believed, established itself about 1660, but it continued 
 well into the following century. 
 
 Contemporaneous documentary evidence, then, deeds 
 of sale, wills, town records, etc., must be the decisive 
 test, and when the credible written document conflicts 
 with the unwritten tradition or the recorded tradition even, 
 the tradition must go to the wall. Even this evidence 
 must be carefully weighed, for there is possibility of error 
 lurking here. 
 
 The question of the identity of a house now in existence 
 with a house mentioned in an early deed or record is al- 
 ways pertinent. As in our own time, a man may buy an 
 estate, remove the old house, build anew, and sell again, 
 and no evidence of this appear in the deeds, except from 
 an enhanced price ; so a succession of houses may have 
 occupied the same lot in the past, without a word of allu- 
 sion in the deeds to any change. It is an historic fact that 
 houses had been built very near the beginning of our town 
 on many lots, which may be readily recognized, and on 
 some of which old houses still remain ; but it is far from 
 certain that these are the identical early dwellings. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 43 
 
 The use ot material from an old house in construction 
 of a new one may also prove a false scent. An old brick 
 with a date stamped upon it may be found ; but this may 
 have been used as a souvenir of some earlier building. 
 Unsupported by more substantial evidence it cannot carry 
 much weight. 
 
 An interesting illustration of the blending of the old 
 and the new has just been afforded by the building of an 
 addition to the house owned by the late William Kinsman 
 on the South side. On stripping off the modern clap- 
 boards it was seen that the boarding was very old. One 
 board of clear white pine, extra thick, was twenty-three 
 inches wide. Many hand-wrought nails were found. As 
 cut nails were not made until 1790, it might have been 
 surmised that this was the identical old house that deeds 
 of sale mention far back into the preceding century. But 
 it is known that this old building was either destroyed, or 
 changed so completely that a new house resulted about 
 thebeginningof this century, and careful inspection shows 
 old nail holes that indicate an earlier use of these old 
 boards. 
 
 The question of age then, it will be seen, is one that 
 admits of no certain solution in many instances. Identity 
 may not be disproved, but it is not established for lack of 
 proof to the contrary. The principles we have already 
 outlined, as underlying all historic judgment, compel us 
 to admit the existence of doubt as to the validity of the 
 supposed date, where great antiquity is assumed. 
 
 It will be recognized readily now, that the accurate 
 determination or even approximation ol age of any build- 
 ing involves much careful research. Step by step, advance 
 must be made toward the goal. No guesswork, no hasty 
 assumption, no romantic fancies can be tolerated. The 
 toil involved is great, but it is as fascinating as the pry- 
 
44 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOISES. 
 
 iiiir open (if any secret in nature or in history. In my 
 o\vn researches I have arrived at certain conckisions which 
 I proceed to state, as an ilkistration of the method which 
 8eems to nie necessary, in every case, before probable ac- 
 curacv can be assumed. 
 
 JOHN WHIPPLE S HOUSE. 
 
 The old house now owned by Mr. James W. Bond, near 
 the depot, shall be the first considered. In the original 
 division of lauds, according to the town records, Daniel 
 Denison received two acres near the mill, Mr. Fawn's 
 house-lot being southwest, and ]Mr. Fawn's lot was bound- 
 ed by Mr. Samuel Appleton's on the southwest. The 
 Denison land included the area bounded by Market, Win- 
 ter and Union streets at present. The Appleton owner- 
 ship of land beyond the old house is unquestioned. Mr. 
 Fawn's house-lot included the site of the old mansion. 
 
 As early as 1638. allusion is made in the town rec- 
 ords to the house-lot "formerh' John Fawn's." Felt says 
 that he removed to Haverhill in 1641. He may have gone 
 earlier. In the year 1642, John Whipple was iu occu- 
 pation of this property, for in that year the town ordered 
 that John Whipple "should cause the fence to be made 
 between the house late Captain Denison's and the sayd 
 John AVhipple, namely on the side next Capt. Denison's." 
 Denison had sold his house and land here to Humphrey 
 Griffin on Jan. 19, 1641, the record informs us, so that 
 the allusion to a change of ownership occasions no diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 Mr. John Fawn executed a quitclaim deed in October, 
 1650. which confirmed the sale of a house and 2^ acres of 
 land to Mr. John Whipple, formerly sold unto said John 
 Whipple by John JoUey, Samuel Appleton, John Cogswell, 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSE*. 45 
 
 Robert Muzzey and Humphrey Bradstreet. The nature 
 of this earlier transactioD is a mystery, but Fawn's title 
 was not wholly extinguished until this deed was executed. 
 
 The will of John Whipple, senior, signed and sealed 
 May 19, 1669, gave his house, etc.. to his son .John. 
 Capt. John Whipples will dated Aug. 2, 168-3, lett his 
 property to his sons, John, Matthew and Joseph, and his 
 dausrhter. Joseph, not yet of age, was to have the house 
 where he lived, if the other sons agreed. In the actual 
 divisiou " the mansion house, his father died in, with the 
 bam, out-houses, kiln, orchard, etc., with 2 J acres of land 
 more or less," was given to John. 
 
 The Whipple malt kiln is frequently mentioned from 
 very early times. The building mentioned in this will is 
 probably the same that stood where the mill store-house is 
 now, which was removed about sixty-five years ago to the 
 lot adjoining the South parsonage, built up a story, and 
 still serves the better purpose of shop and woodshed, its 
 boards and timbers blackened by years of malting. 
 
 !Major John Whipple in his will, 1722, gave his daugh- 
 ter, Marv Crocker and her heirs, his homestead and many 
 of the fumishinors ; and a remembrance to his son-in-law. 
 Benjamin Crocker. ^Ir. Crocker was a teacher of the 
 srammar school and preached frequently. Major Joseph 
 Hodgkins married a daughter of Benjamin Crocker, and 
 bought out the others, I am inionued. At his decease, 
 Mr. Nathaniel Wade, a son-in-law, was administrator and 
 sold the house and an acre of land to one Moore or More, 
 who in his turn sold to Mr. Abraham Bond. Another 
 acre was sold to !Mr. Estes. 
 
 The pedigree ot this property seems beyond a doubt. 
 Mr. Saltonstall never owned a foot of laud here. His 
 ownership of the mill in the near vicinity is beyond ques- 
 tion. He also owned the "^lill Garden." as it is called 
 
4t) SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 in the old records, but the location of this latter property 
 is settled beyond question by the deed of sale, by Richard 
 and Nathaniel Saltonstall to John Waite and Samuel 
 Dutch (April 2, 1729), of one-third of the " Mill Garden," 
 comprising one and one-half acres, bounded on the south- 
 east by the Town River, on the north-east and north-west 
 by the County Road, and on the south-west by the road 
 leading to the mills, with house, dye-house, stable, mills, 
 etc., lately the property of Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall of 
 Haverhill . 
 
 Dutch disposed of his interest in the two grist mills 
 and the piece of land called the Mill Garden near the 
 mills, to John Waite, Jr.. on Feb. 19, 1730. This 
 " Garden " included, therefore, all the land bordering on 
 the River from the Choate Bridge, down Market street, 
 to the corner of Union, and then up Union street to 
 the Mill. The house mentioned in the former deed was 
 not Mr. Saltonstall's residence. His town dwelling and 
 a goodly fourteen acre home-lot were on the South side, 
 and his deed of sale to Samuel Bishop (Sept., 1680), 
 with other deeds, which will be mentioned in the study of 
 "a group of old houses near the South Green," shows 
 that his mansion was near the southern end of the Green. 
 
 Pleasing as it is to the popular mind to associate the name 
 of the high-born Saltonstall with this old mansion, if we 
 value truth, as I interpret it, we must drop the old fable. 
 As to the present house, it cannot reasonably be identified 
 with the house of 1640 or thereabout, on the general 
 grounds we have mentioned. The first John Whipple left 
 an humble estate, the second John was very wealthy. His 
 estate inventoried £3314. His household effects were 
 elaborate and multitudinous. The probabilities are that 
 he built the present mansion some time subsequent to 1669 
 aud prior to 1683. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 47 
 
 THE APPLETON HOUSE. 
 
 The comfortable residence of Mr. George D. Wildee, 
 on the corner of Market and Central streets, is much more 
 ancient than its appearance indicates, and is one of the 
 most interesting of our old mansions. 
 
 Happily, it has been owned by a succession of well- 
 to-do people, who have kept it in excellent repair. The 
 original shape of the house has been lost, however, as it 
 was formerly three stories high, and several modern addi- 
 tions have been made. Mr. Hammatt surmised that it 
 was built about 1681. This cannot be true. Col. John 
 Appleton bought the lot, containing about an acre and a 
 half, of Jacob Davis, for £33, February 25, 1707. There 
 was no house on the land at that time. An old map of 
 this locality shows that it was there in 1717. Between 
 these two dates, probably about 1707, the house was built. 
 
 Colonel Appleton was Chief Justice of the Court of 
 Common Pleas for many years, and Judge of Probate for 
 thirty-seven j'^ears. He was also a Deputy and Councillor. 
 In his day, the old mansion was one of the finest in our 
 town, and was renowned for its elegance and open hos- 
 pitality. Governor Shute on his way to New Hampshire 
 tarried here in 1716, and many a distinguished traveller 
 enjoyed its good cheer. 
 
 Col. John's son, Daniel, succeeded to the ownership on 
 his father's death. He was also a Colonel, a Representa- 
 tive, a Justice of the Court of Sessions, and Register of 
 Probate from January 9, 1723, to Aug. 26, 1762. 
 
 Another Register of the old Probate Court, Daniel 
 Noyes, who filled the office from Sept. 29, 1776, to May 
 29, 1815, owned and occupied this house, already so 
 closely associated with the judicial annals of our town. He 
 was 11 citizen of the finest quality. He was graduated from 
 
48 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 Harvard in 1758, taught the Grammar school from 1762 
 to 1774; was delegate to the Congress of the United 
 Colonies in 1774-5, and became Postmaster in 1775. 
 
 Mr. Abraham Hammatt, the eminent antiquarian, pur- 
 chased and remodelled the house, and from him it has 
 come by inheritance to its present owner. 
 
 Before it was remodelled, it contained a dark chamber 
 or closet, which came to have no small celebrity as the 
 reputed hiding place ol one of the Regicides. No record 
 or tradition remains of any sojourn of a Regicide in this 
 vicinity, and the house was not built for years after the 
 last of the eminent fugitives had been laid to rest in his 
 secret grave. 
 
 Nevertheless, the romantic tale found ready credence, 
 and still survives. The late Mrs. Wilhelmina Wildes 
 used to declare that it was the invention of some airy 
 seminary girl, who roomed in the old house. Be that as 
 it may, the dark room in question was very likely the re- 
 pository of the probate records. It is well known that 
 " Squire " Lord, who succeeded Mr. Noyes as Register, 
 kept the books in his house until the brick probate office 
 was built, and it is more than probable that Mr. Noyes 
 and his predecessor, Colonel Appleton, provided a place 
 of deposit under their own roof. 
 
 "YE SPARKS ORDINARY. 
 
 Close by the Wildes mansion the Baker house, so called, 
 now occupied by Mr. George K. Dodge, affords an inter- 
 esting: studv. Is it identical with the famous old hos- 
 telry kept by John Sjjarks, at which Judge Sew^all used 
 to lodge, and many another famous man ? 
 
 This location was originally granted to William Fuller, 
 
SOMS; OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 49 
 
 the gunsmith of the Pequod expedition. To the half acre 
 the town granted liim, he added half an acre more, which 
 he purchased of William Simmons, and another small lot 
 which was bought of Christopher Osgood, who then ad- 
 joined him on the lower side, making about an acre and 
 a quarter in all. He sold this with the " small dwelling " 
 he had built to John Knowlton, shoemaker, in 1639. 
 ^Vm. White succeeded in the ownership, and sold "the 
 dwelling house, barn, orchard, garden and Parrocke or 
 inclosure of earable land adjoining, " two acres in all, to 
 "John Sparks, Biskett Baker," in lt571. In that year he 
 received his first license "to sell beere at a pennj'a quart, 
 provided he entertain no Town inhabitants in the night, 
 nor suffer any to bring wine or liquors to be drunk in his 
 house.'" He built a bake house for the furtherance of his 
 business. For twenty years he kept his ordinary, and 
 then sold an acre and a half of his property with the 
 l)ake house and barn to Col. John Wainwright, but con- 
 tinued to live on the remainder. In 1705, John Roper 
 sold the Colonel the house, " formerly in possession of 
 Mr. John Sparks, now in possession of Mary, widow of 
 John, with a small parcel of land." 
 
 When Colonel \\'^ainwright sold the whole estate to 
 Deacon ^'ath. Knowlton in 1707, it included two distinct 
 tenements, as they were styled : the one higher up the 
 Hill, occupied by Thomas Smith, inuholder ( which was 
 probabh^ the old tavern) ; the other, at the southeast 
 corner, occupied still by the widow Sparks, who had a 
 life interest in it. Deacon Knowlton divided the estate 
 into three parts and sold them in 1710. Ebenezcr Smith 
 l)()ught the lot on the southeast corner of the estate, 
 with six rods frontage, and a small dwelling house. It 
 is specified that it adjoined the Appleton property, now 
 the Wildes estate. This then is easily identified as the 
 
50 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 location now occupied by Mr. Charles W. Brown, the 
 apothecary. 
 
 The middle lot, containing an acre of land with house, 
 barn, etc., was sold to John Smith, shoemaker. The 
 upper lot, measuring three rods on the street, without a 
 house, was bought by Ephraim Smith, brother of John. 
 John Smith sold a part of his lot to Edward Eveleth 
 in 1732, and all the rest of his estate, with the house, to 
 Jacob Boardman in 1734. Boardman sold to Patrick 
 Farren, a periwig-maker, and to James McCreelis of the 
 same craft in 1735. McCreelis bought the other half and 
 sold the whole to Nath. Treadwell, innkeeper, in 1737. 
 Jacob Treadwell, son of Nathaniel, received "the tavern 
 house " and land as his portion of the paternal estate in 
 1777. The Treadwell tavern was frequented by John 
 Adams and the Bench and Bar of pre-revolutionary days, 
 and figures in the diaries of the time. Moses Treadwell, 
 jr., came into possession in 1815 and in 1834 his execu- 
 tors sold to Joseph Baker, Esq., of Boston, whose name 
 still attaches to the house. 
 
 Evidently the house that the widow Sparks occupied 
 stood about where Mr. C. W. Brown's house is to-day, as 
 we have mentioned above. Was this the inn, or w^as the 
 building, called the "bake-house, " really the ordinary? 
 The house is called a small house. Thomas Smith, the 
 purchaser of the bake-house, etc., was an inn-keeper. 1 
 surmise that the latter alternative is the more probahlo. 
 Is the present Baker house identical with that old " bake- 
 house ? " Its whole appearance indicates later architecture 
 and more noble use. The probabilities all seem to me 
 against such identification. But I know of no data which 
 can establish its exact age. It was built evidently fortwf) 
 families. The two large chimneys seem to have been 
 built in their present location, and not to replace an 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 51 
 
 original central chimney stack. The arrangement of stair- 
 ways, etc, indicates this double use. The house that 
 Jacob Boardman sold to Patrick Farren and James Mc- 
 Creelis in 1735 was a double house and probably this. 
 Boardman bought the place in 1734 and it is wholly im- 
 probable that he would have built a new house and sold it 
 at once. So it belonged to John Smith, we may presume, 
 and John Smith may have bought it in 1710 and it may be 
 the very house that Thomas Smith, innholder, used for an 
 ordinary in 1707. But of this we cannot be sure. The 
 only thing we can seem to affirm with any certainty is 
 that it was probably erected prior to 1734. 
 
 The old house that now occupies the corner of Winter 
 and Market Sts. was moved there some fifty years ago 
 from its original location between the Baker house and 
 Mr. Brown's. Christian Wainwright, the widow of John, 
 bought this lot in 1741. There is no mention of a house 
 in this deed, but in her deed of sale to Daniel Staniford, 
 in 1748, the house is specified. It was built between 
 these two dates. 
 
 JOHN proctor's house AND ITS NEIGHBORS. 
 
 Three neighbors of the olden time were John Proctor, 
 Thomas Wells and Samuel Younglove, and it has been 
 affirmed so often, that it has become an axiom, that Mr. 
 Samuel N. Baker's residence is the old Proctor house, 
 that the ancient dwelling that stood where the Town House 
 is was Wells's, and that Younglove occupied an ancient 
 house, which disappeared long ago, farther along the street. 
 If we search carefully we may arrive at a different con- 
 clusion. 
 
 Johu Proctor's lot, on which his house stood, occupied 
 the square now bounded by South Main, Elm and County 
 
52 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 streets and the River. Of this there can be no doubt. 
 Proctor sold to Thomas Firman in lf)47, and in the fol- 
 lowing year, in the inventory of Firman's estate, Mr. 
 Proctor's property was appraised at £18 10s., a low valua- 
 tion indicating a small and cheap house with this amount 
 of land. George Palmer owned it in 1651, as he sold 
 then to Ralph Dix, and in 1661 Dix sold this 2^ acres and 
 house toEzekiel Woodward. Incidentally we learn where 
 the house stood. Liberty was granted Cornet Whipple, 
 in 1673, "to sett up a fulling mill at the smaller falls, 
 near Ezekiel Woodward's house. " Woodward's house 
 then was on the County-street side of the lot, and where 
 else should we naturally suppose it? County street, from 
 the corner by the church to the river, was one of the most 
 ancient thoroughfares. The present South Main street, on 
 which the Baker house fronts, was not opened until 1646, 
 when the cart britlije was built. Years after the bridire 
 was built, in 1672, Ezekiel Woodward sold Shoreborne 
 Wilson a half-acre tract, which had a frontage on the 
 street, now called South Main, of seven rods, and was 
 liounded by his lot on the south and east, and on the 
 north, by " the Common and the River, " which would 
 indicate that the two rods " fisherman's way " was contin- 
 uous alone the river bank at that time. Seven rods, 
 measured from the river bank, includes the site of the 
 Baker mansion, and at this dato, 1672, there is no evi- 
 dence that any building of any sort had been erected on 
 this lot. 
 
 Woodward sold the remainder of his land and hous<' to 
 John Hubbard in 1079. Hubbard sold to Nathaniel Rust, 
 senior, 1685, one acre of this pro[)erty, the eastern por- 
 tion, with the house, reserving a right of way, where Elm 
 street now is, and on the same day, he sold Shorei)<»rne 
 Wilson the remainder, the western p:nt on South Main 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 53 
 
 street, reserving one rod wide against Knowlton's fence 
 for a right of way, as in the previous deed, no edifice be- 
 ing noentioned. 
 
 Wilson sold his house and an acre and half of land to 
 John Lane in 1694. As he bought the vacant lot in 1672, 
 the house was erected between these two dates, 1672 and 
 1694. 
 
 John Lane sold the property to Edward Bromrield and 
 Francis Burroughs of Boston, in 1697, and from them it 
 passed to Samuel Appletoii in 1702. After his death, 
 Jasper Waters and Jasper Waters, junior, of London, 
 linen drapers, creditors, pos.sibly, of the deceased mer- 
 chant, purchased the widow's right of dower, and sold the 
 estate to Isaac Fitts, hatter, consisting now of a mansion 
 or dwelling house, barn, etc., in the year 1734. 
 
 Fitts sold the northern corner of this property "near 
 the southerly abutment of Town Bridge " to Thomas Bur- 
 nam, junior, April 5, 1736 ; and now, for the first time, 
 it is mentioned that a house and barn are located here. 
 The conclusion of the matter is, therefore, that the Baker 
 mansion is the old Shoreborne Wilson residence, built be- 
 tween 1672 and 1694, and that the old Ross tavern, as it 
 came to be, now owned by Mr. Warren Boynton, was built 
 between 1734 and 1736. 
 
 Thomas Wells's house and land came into the hands of 
 Stephen Jordan, and were sold by him to Samuel Young- 
 love, jr., and by him to George Hart. Various deeds 
 make it plain that the house was on or near County street. 
 
 Samuel Younglove, senior, owned a lot, which fronted 
 on South Main street, and his house is located pretty defi- 
 nitely by his deed of sale of house, barn and an acre of 
 land to Dea. William Goodhue in 1669, and in Joseph 
 Goodhue's deed to Isaac Fellows, junior, 1694. It stood 
 not far from the old gambrel-roofed house on the estate of 
 the late Johu Heard. 
 
54 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 One word in this connection as to the site of the orig 
 nal Foot Bridge, alhided to in our earliest records. The 
 record mentions that Thomas Wells's houselot was " on 
 the further side the River, near the foot-bridge." Locat- 
 ing Wells on the corner of Elm and County streets, we 
 may locate the Foot Bridge at the only natural and easy 
 place for such a bridge in this vicinity. Originally the 
 land on which the saw mill now stands was a rocky island, 
 separated by a narrow stream only from the mainland on 
 the sonth. A single tree trunk would have reached from 
 the old highway to the island, another long log would have 
 spanned the rocky river bed at its narrowest. A foot- 
 bridge here would have afforded easy access to the meet- 
 ing house and the centre of the little community. Here, 
 I believe, the foot-bridge of ancient Ipswich really was. 
 
 But the record remains, I am aware, that, in 1655, the 
 Town "agreed with John Andrews Junior, to bring so 
 many sufficient rayles to the Bridge-foot as will cover the 
 Bridge over the River, neare the mill for the sum of £3, " 
 and it has been assumed that thus the foot-bridge was 
 near the mill. 
 
 But foot-bridge and bridge-foot differ as trul}' as a 
 horse chestnut differs from a chestnut horse. The bridge- 
 foot evidently means the end of the bridge, or the ap- 
 proach to the bridge, for the bridge in question is th*^ 
 cart-bridffe as the record itself makes evident. Thus the 
 same Mr. Andrews was ginuted six acres of salt marsh 
 for gravelling "the one half the Bridge the rayles are 
 laid," and John West is awarded as much more for the 
 other half. No conceivable foot-bridge would have in- 
 volved such large expense. 
 
 Confirmation of this sense of the word is found in the 
 assignment of Isaiah Wood as surveyor of highways, 
 " from the loot of the Town-bridge to the turning of the 
 highway on this side WindmilUHill, " in 1678. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOD8ES. 55 
 
 ON THE RIVER BANK. 
 
 The river bauk from the mill-dam to the Bridge waa 
 wholly unoccupied and ungranted as late as 1693, except 
 one small lot by the dam, which was occupied by Samuel 
 Ordway's blacksmith shop. lu March of that year, the 
 Selectmen laid out this stretch of land in twenty-three lots, 
 ranging from thirty-six feet to eighteen feet in width, and 
 granted them to as many individuals. It was stipulated 
 by the Town that these lots were given " provided that 
 they make up the banck strong front to ye low water mark 
 and no further into the River, and that they build or front 
 up their several parts within twelve months after this time, 
 and that they build no further into the Street than the 
 Committee shall see tit, and that they cumber not the high- 
 way nor stop the water in the street, but make provision 
 for the water to run free into the river under such build- 
 ings, and also that each man's part be sett out, and that 
 each person provide and make a good way by paving a 
 way four foot wide all along before ye said buildings for 
 the conveniency of foot travellers, and to have posts sett 
 up upon the outside to keep off Teams from spoyling the 
 same, and that it be done with stone, or if they are timber, 
 must be purchased of others, if they have not of their 
 own timber. " 
 
 These rigorous conditions discouraged the improvement 
 of the lots. They reverted to the Town, apparently, for 
 the most part. Robert Lord built a shop, and Mrs. Dean 
 owned a house on this territory, prior to 1722, Rev. 
 Augustine Caldwell identides the Dean house with a. 
 dwelling that formerly occupied the site of the old lace 
 factory now used as a tenemrnt house." 
 
 Joseph Abbey received a grant, made a wall and built 
 a house near Mrs. Dean's. In 1723, he petitioned the 
 
.58 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 town for help, as his place had cost him more than he an- 
 ticipated, and received ten pounds. His house was built 
 about 1722, probabI>^ and Mr. Caldwell states that this is 
 the old house formerly occupied by Mr. Wesley K. Bell. 
 
 Nathaniel Fuller bought the lot assigned his brother Jos- 
 eph, twenty-eight feet wide, in 1693. Thomas Knowlton 
 bought Cornelius Kent's lot, eighteen feet wide, and sold 
 to Fuller, whose lot was then forty-six feet in width. He 
 built the wall, filled in the lot suitably for building, and 
 erected a dwelling. Allusion to " Nathaniel Fuller, de- 
 ceased " in 1726, shows that his house antedates that year. 
 In 1739, Nathaniel Knowlton of Haverhill gave a quitclaim 
 deed of the house, etc., of the late Nathaniel Fuller to 
 Nathaniel Fuller, junior, tailor, and it is described as 
 "joining the Town Bridge." This is the house owned by 
 the late Mrs. Susan Trow. It had originally a central 
 chimney stack. 
 
 Isaac Fitts, hatter, petitioned for forty feet on the river 
 bank, adjoining Fuller's land in 1726, that he might set 
 a dwelling thereon. This was granted provided he built 
 within two years. He built at once, for Joseph Abbe 
 asked the Town in 1727 to add twenty feet more of the 
 river bank to his former grant '' the front to extend from 
 the Easterly corner in a straight line toward Isaac Fitts's 
 dwelling, which is the easterly corner of said Abbe's shop." 
 Fitts sold to Arthur Abbott, innholder, for £240, in 
 1733, his house, shop, half the well, and eight rods of 
 land, " being partly a grant made to Capt. Daniel Rmge, 
 the other to me by the Town." The lot had sixty feet 
 frontatre, and abutted on the south on the land dwelt on 
 by Jonathan Lord. Abbott sold to Cornelius Brown, of 
 Boxford, for £370 bills of credit, bounded by Jonathan 
 Lord and Nathaniel Fuller, in 1738. Daniel Brown, of 
 Cambridge, sold to Daniel Badger, painter, in 1760 ; Mary 
 Badger to Timothy Souther; one-fourth interest in 1794, 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 57 
 
 bounded by Nathaniel Rust and John Kimball. This is 
 the old '' Souther " house, next south of Mr. Baker's store. 
 
 William Jones desired "the remaining part of the 
 River's bank next Joseph Abbe's grant down the River 
 to the place reserved for a highway which is about 60 
 feet, " in 1727, This was granted him, and the Committee 
 recommended that a way twenty feet wide to the river be 
 reserved. This public way to the river remains, adjoining 
 the property lately owned by Wesley K. Bell, Esq. The 
 house, on the south side of this way, is the one erected 
 by Mr. Jones at this time, now owned and occupied by 
 Mr. Edward Ready. 
 
 The lot adjoining the twenty feet way in 1726 was 
 granted Joseph Manning, who was desirous of settling in 
 his native town, but had no dwelling place. It was eighty 
 or ninety feet long. Dr. Manning built his house forth- 
 with, and occupied it to the time of his death, 1786. By 
 the provision made in his will, it then became the property 
 of his daughter Anstice, wife of Francis Cogswell, who 
 sold the house, warehouse, and one hundred and six feet 
 frontage, to Joseph Cogswell, in 1808. Here Joseph 
 Green Cogswell, the eminent teacher of the Round Hill 
 school and librarian of the Astor Library, was born. It is 
 owned now by Mr. Josiah Stackpole. 
 
 The house between this and the Souther house is al- 
 luded to as occupied by Jonathan Lord as early as 1733. 
 and was probably built about the time its neighbors were. 
 It is quite a remarkable circumstance that six very com- 
 fortable houses stand here side by side, every one of which 
 was built in the near vicinity of 1725. 
 
 A GROUP OF OLD HOUSES NEAR THE SOUTH GREEN. 
 
 Richard Saltonstall owned fourteen acres, about eight 
 acres of which lay to the south of the brook, then called 
 
58 ^OME OT.n irswTcn houses. 
 
 Saltonstall's Brook, and frequently alluded to under that 
 name, and the remainder north of it, extending from the 
 highway to the river. This is the brook that crosses the 
 road by Mr. Josiah Stackpole's soap factory. Mr. Salton- 
 stall's hoiise was somewhere north of the brook. 
 
 This whole property, including his mansion, he sold to 
 Samuel Bishop rei)re8enting the estate of Thomas Bishop, 
 September, 1680. Job Bishop sold to Capt. Stephen 
 Cross in 1684. Cross divided the property. In 1689, 
 Nathaniel Rust was in possession of the part on the south 
 of the brook. The half acre, north of the brook, front- 
 ing on the street was sold to Elisha Treadwell and by him 
 to John Treadwell in 1689, and by him to Thomas Man- 
 ning in 1691. Manning also acquired a rod more frontage 
 in 1692 and a quarter of an acre in the rear in 1696. This 
 tract did not include Saltonstall's house. 
 
 Capt. Stephen Cross left the remainder of his estate to 
 his two minor sons, Stephen and John, in 1691 ; and in 
 1706, Stephen sold to Benjamin Dutch, sadler, his right 
 and title to the dwelling house Dutch occupied, and the 
 land for £65. 
 
 Dutch sold Thomas Norton, tanner, for £140 in 1730, 
 a house and six rods square of land, bounded by Manning 
 and Dutch's other land and the highway. This is the 
 house that now stands in dismal decay just opposite the 
 Parsonage, and it seems to have been built between 1706 
 and 1730. Even if Dutch acquired only a half interest in 
 the Cross house and five acres of land for £65 in 1706, 
 the increase in value between that and £140 for a house 
 and only thirty-six rods of land, indicates that a new 
 house must have been erected on this site. At Mr. Nor- 
 ton's decease, it became the property of his widow. Sub- 
 sequently Margaret Norton executed a deed of half of it to 
 her brother, George Norton. Then it belonged to Thomas 
 Appleton, to John Wade, etc. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 59 
 
 Returning now to the south of the brook, Nathaniel 
 Rust sold an acre, bounded by the brook and the street, 
 including buildings, tan-yard, etc., to Thomas Norton in 
 March, 1700, and in November of that year Norton mar- 
 ried Mercy Rust, daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Rust. Mr. 
 Rust, it will be remembered, was ordered to furnish the 
 gloves for Mr. Cobbett's funeral in 1685. 
 
 In 1701, Rust sold his son-in-law the seven acres ad- 
 joining the tan-yard lot, and in 1710, he sold Norton and 
 Daniel Ringe, who had married his two daughters, his 
 house aud laud where the South Church now stands. Nor- 
 ton and Ringe sold out to Ammi Ruhamah Wise in 1723, 
 and I suspect that, at this time. Deacon Norton, as he was 
 then called, built the substantial house that stands to-day 
 in excellent repair, under the great elm tree, aud evincing 
 in its interior finish a wealthy builder. 
 
 Thomas, the son of the Deacon, a Harvard graduate, 
 and once teacher of the Grammar school, married Mrs. 
 Marj' Perkins in 1728, and his father took to wife the 
 widow Mary Ray men t of Beverly, 1729. 
 
 This double marrying seems to have resulted in the pur- 
 chase of the Dutch house by the senior Thomas, in the 
 following June, as Thomas Norton, junior, was witness 
 to the signature. 
 
 Deacon Norton died in 1744, and Thomas, junior, in- 
 herited the estate. Thomas Norton, junior, died in 1750. 
 At his death, his widow was apportioned the "Dutch 
 house" and its thirty-six rods of land. His son Thomas 
 received the homestead, barn, bark-house, old house, Beam 
 house, tan-yard and pits, half the little house, etc. The 
 homestead was appraised at £226, 13, 4. In 1771, Nor- 
 ton sold the whole property to Dummer Jewett for £240, 
 and in 1791, his widow sold it to the County of Essex " to 
 be improved and used as a House of Correction." The 
 
60 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 prison was built near the site of the residence of the late 
 Rhoda B. Potter, and the grounds inclosed with a high 
 red fence. The old mansion was the keeper's residence. 
 Many old people remember it while it served this use. 
 
 Despite its fresh appearance, the comfortable house 
 lately owned and occupied by Mrs. Potter, is of vener- 
 able age. It was built on the corner now occupied by the 
 Meeting: House of the South Parish, and when that edi- 
 fice was erected in 1837, it was removed to its present 
 location. The well belonging to it remained visible until 
 recently, in the old corridor in the cellar, near the door. 
 
 I presume from its interior architecture that the present 
 house is identical with the one owned and occupied by 
 Dr. Samuel Rogers, a prominent citizen, for many years, 
 on the original site. Rogers purchased the property of 
 Daniel Wise, in June, 1750. Wise received it from his 
 father. Major Ammi Ruhamah Wise, son of the celebrated 
 Rev. John Wise of the Chebacco Parish. Major Wise 
 purchased from Daniel Ringe and Thomas Norton, in 
 1723, who bought the estate of Nathaniel Rust, their 
 father-in-law, in 1710. Rust acquired the property, with 
 a house and barn, on June 2, 1665, by purchase, from Dea- 
 con William Goodhue, but I am unable to find the deed 
 of Goodhue's purchase. I presume it was a part of the 
 original Younglove grant. It seems improbable that the 
 house mentioned in the deed of 1665 should have been 
 good enough in 1837 to be removed and repaired. The 
 joint ownership ot Ringe and Norton may indicate a 
 double house at that period. It would not be hard to 
 believe that Major Wise built it in the days of his pros- 
 perity, but this must be wholly a matter of surmise. 
 
 The old Wade mansion was built in 1728 and has al- 
 ways remained in the family. It was inherited by Nathan- 
 iel Wade, who served with conspicuous honor in the 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 61 
 
 Revolutionary War. When Benedict Arnold went over to 
 the British, Washington at once sent an order to Colonel 
 Wade to take command of West Point and hold it, say- 
 ing " We can trust him." The original military order, 
 bearing Washington's signature is a priceless relic, now 
 in the possession of Mr. Francis H. Wade. An attic room 
 in this house has always been called "Pomp's" room. 
 Pomp was a slave of the olden time, but a very jolly fel- 
 low with a gift for doggerel rhyme which was exercised on 
 many occasions. One day, the tradition runs, he came 
 back from town with the astounding news : 
 
 " Here is more of old Choate's folly 
 He's torn down the old bridge 
 And turned out Walley." 
 
 The old town bridge was replaced by the stone bridge 
 in 1764, and in the same year Rev. John Walley resigned 
 his pastorate at the South Church. Colonel Choate was 
 so conspicuous a citizen and official that his name is still 
 borne by the bridge. He was very prominent in church 
 affairs as well. 
 
 The worthy Thomas Norton, junior, owned a slave 
 •Phillis, valued in the inventor}'^ at £26, 13s. 4d. These 
 old mansions are filled with weird memories. Pomp and 
 Phillis are mementoes of slave life in our county. 
 
 The residence of Mr. F. T. Goodhue is venerable and 
 interesting. Rev. John Rogers, in 1734, deeded his son 
 Samuel, a physician, about half an acre here, described as 
 " all yt part of my homestead or old orchard, lying before 
 the land that was Mr. Francis Crompton's, from the South 
 corner, opposite said Crompton's land by a strait line to 
 ye street or highway, with all building, trees, etc." It 
 hardly seems likely that the house would not have been 
 mentioned specifically if it were then built. 
 
62 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 Dr. Rogers sold his dwelling house, land, etc., to 
 John Wulley, first pastor of the South Church, and Mr. 
 Walley sold it to his successor, Joseph Dana, in 1766, 
 "excepting the hangings being painted canvass in the 
 Front Room, nearest to the meeting house, as also the 
 hanofinofs in the chamber over said room which, it is mu- 
 tually agreed, said Joseph Dana shall take down with all 
 convenient speed and deliver to said John Walley at his 
 order." 
 
 I should judge from the deeds that Samuel Rogers built 
 the house in 1734 or subsequently. 
 
 Old people remember an ancient house, that stood near 
 the corner of the Heard land, facing the east. This was 
 the home of Col. John Choate, Esq., in early days, and 
 was purchased by him of the heirs of Francis Crompton. 
 Crompton bought the land, three acres, without any sure 
 mention of a house in the deed, in 1693. Averill,the ear- 
 lier owner, was a poor man, if I associate the correct in- 
 ventory with his name. Crompton probably built the 
 house. It fell into decay and was removed more than fifty 
 years ago. 
 
 Before leaving this locality, it may be of interest if we 
 trace the outline of the original Saltonstall property, since 
 it establishes incidentally several interesting facts. 
 
 We have mentioned that the Thomas Manning property 
 and the Thomas Norton property included an acre or more 
 of the Saltonstall estate. Benjamin Dutch sold a lot con- 
 taining thirty square rods, six rods frontage and five rods 
 depth, adjoining Mr. Norton to Joseph Appleton in 1730 
 for £72. It is styled a "certain piece of upland" and 
 no house was included in the purchase. But Joseph Ap- 
 pleton had a house here some years later, and it is likely 
 that he built it about the time of his purchase. A well 
 near the street in Mr. Theodore Cogswell's vacant corner 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 63 
 
 lot here may have been Appleton's well. It is interesting 
 to note the fiict that, although the deeds mention this house 
 repeatedly, it disappeared so long ago that no remem- 
 brance or tradition of its existence has survived. The 
 remainder of the Saltonstall property, four acres less or 
 more, was sold by Benjamin to Nathaniel Dutch, for £150 
 in 1737. It was bounded on the northeast partly by Rev. 
 Mr. Rogers' land and partly by common land, that is, the 
 old training field ; but it embraced quite a portion of the 
 present Common, for the Joseph Appleton lot was bounded 
 by it on the north. 
 
 Nathaniel Dutch sold 95 rods in 1733 to William Story, 
 Esq., Isaac Dodge and Samuel Lord, jr., a committee of 
 the First Parish, and Joseph Appleton, Esq., John Baker, 
 Esq., and Isaac Smith, gentleman, a committee of the 
 South Parish, "for the purposes of a burying yard for- 
 ever." " Beginning at the east corner thereof at a stake 
 in Dutch's line, twelve feet southeast of the southeast 
 corner of said John Baker's homestall," it was bounded 
 thirteen and one-half rods on Baker's land, then seven rods 
 on the west side on Dutch. It was a rectangular lot, 
 13^ rods by 7. The remainder of his four acres was 
 mortgaged by Dutch to William McKean (the deeds men- 
 tion "about five acres ") in 1785. McKean acquired pos- 
 session and sold to Dr. John Manning in 1793. 
 
 Manning sold John Wade, a strip of "twenty-one feet 
 deep and as wide as the land he had bought lately of 
 Thomas Appleton " in 1794. In July of that year he sold 
 the town, for £13, 10s., " twenty-two square rods of land 
 lyino- on the road opposite the house of Col. Nathaniel 
 Wade, beginning four feet from the easterly corner of the 
 house lately owned by Joseph Appleton, Esq., deceased, 
 in front toward the road and extending northerly as the 
 wall now stands to a stake and stones in the training field, 
 
64 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 and from thence southeast to the old road, thence on the 
 old bounds on the road to the first bounds mentioned, for 
 the purpose of widening the road for the convenience of the 
 public." It would appear from this that the road was 
 much narrower then than now. 
 
 In May, 1795, Dr. Manning sold the two Parishes a 
 piece of land adjoining the burying ground, "beginning 
 one rod and a half from the southeast corner of the old 
 burying place in a right line toward the road, then south 
 four rods, then west 20 rods, then north seven rods, 
 and along the burying ground to the first bound." This 
 gave the burying ground a width of fourteen rods, a depth 
 of thirteen and one-half rods on the Baker line and of 
 twenty rods on the southerly side. A second enlargement 
 was made, not many years ago, when Rev. John Cotton 
 Smith purchased the land of William Kinsman, which has 
 been divided into lots on the south side of the j^ard. In 
 June, 1795, Manning sold Thomas Baker an acre of land 
 between the burying ground and the river, and in May of 
 that year, he had sold the town for 5s, " from desire of 
 accommodating the Town with a more convenient training 
 field; beginning at the southeast corner of the homestead 
 of the heirs of John Baker, Esq., deceased, thence south- 
 east to land I lately sold the inhabitants of the Town, 
 thence southwest until it comes within four rods and (> feet 
 of the house formerly owned by Joseph Appleton, Esq., 
 thence west northerly til it strikes the burying ground 
 23 feet to the north of the southerly corner thereof, thence 
 northeast to the bounds first mentioned, containing al)out 
 half an acre." 
 
 The curious antiquarian can locate these lines with ap- 
 proximate accuracy, and it appears probable, that if the 
 stone wall now separating the burying ground from the 
 Heard estate were prolonged in the direction it runs until 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 65 
 
 it reached well into the present highway, we should have 
 the northern bound roughly traced of the original Salton- 
 stall grant. The training field and Green were much 
 smaller therefore than to-day. 
 
 While this boundary of the Saltonstall estate is fresh in 
 mind, attention may well be given to a claim made by the 
 widow of President John Rogers, who then occupied the 
 estate of Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, to land now included in 
 the Common or the public thoroughfare, by virtue of a 
 grant of six acres made by John Winthrop in 1634. In 
 the town record, under date of April 8, 1686, the entry 
 is made : 
 
 " Whereas, Mrs. Rogers claimeth part of the land with- 
 out the line from the gate and stable end, upon a line to 
 the land of Mr. Saltonstall's, and some land in the end 
 of the now orchard before the land of William Avory's, all 
 this upon the satisfaction of a grant of land to Mr. Win- 
 throp of six acres of land in 1634. 
 
 " Voted and granted that, provided that Mrs. Rogers 
 give in to the Selectmen in the Town's behalf, that she 
 and her heirs shall secure the Town from any further de- 
 mand for satisfaction of said grant from Mr. Winthrop and 
 his heirs and her and her heirs, that then the Town will 
 pay to said Mrs. Rogers within one year the sum of ten 
 pounds in Common pay, and she secure the Town from 
 any claims of herself or her heirs, from the land on the 
 outside of a straight line, from the said gate to Mr. Sal- 
 tonstall's fence, formerly as the stable end stands, and 
 from all the land on this end of the now orchard cov- 
 ering the length of four rayles as the fence stands upon a 
 square from the paile fence to William Avory's fence, 
 then the said sum shall be paid by the Town." 
 
 The original deed with seals and signatures is in the 
 Town Record, and it provides "that the said land laid 
 
66 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 downe shall lie common and be not impropriated by any 
 particular future grant to any person or persons." 
 
 Further specification is made in the deed of " a straight 
 line from the fence of Stephen Cross formerly Richard 
 Saltonstall's, Esq., ranging to her gate post, and so 
 stretching the length of four rails beyond the causeway 
 end, and then on a square to the fence of William 
 Averill's." 
 
 The meaning must be guessed out for neither Resolu- 
 tion nor Deed is luminous. I have always interpreted 
 this transaction as securing the Town's title to the land 
 bordering on Mr. F. T. Goodhue's property, and some 
 portion of the old training field. One fact is beyond 
 question. Mr. Winthrop's "six acres near the River," 
 granted in 1634, included the whole or part of the fine 
 open meadow belonging to the Heard estate. This be- 
 longed to the Rogerses, and Rogers must have purchased 
 from John Winthrop. 
 
 THE "winthrop HOUSE," SO CALLED. 
 
 The name of Winthrop has been associated with the 
 old Burnhiim house on the ArgillaRoad, now occupied by 
 Mr. Perley Lakeman, but without reason. 
 
 In 1636-7, the town granted George Giddings about 
 16 acres of land, meadow and upland, having the high- 
 way to Chebacco on the northeast. In 1667, Giddings 
 sold Thomas Bnrnham "my dwelling house, wherein said 
 Thomas now dwelleth " and twelve acres of land, bounded 
 north by Mr. .Jonathan Wade's land, west and south by 
 land of Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, and east }>y the highway 
 leading to Chebacco. 
 
 Giddings owned no other land on this road, and the 
 bounds given locate it beyond a doubt. Generations of 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 67 
 
 Burnhams possessed it, until the sale to the present 
 owner a few years since. 
 
 There is not a scrap of documentary evidence, known 
 to me, that suggests Winthrop's ownership. As for the 
 house itself, Dr. Lyon, of Hartford, an expert in olden 
 architecture, pronounces it to have been built in the latter 
 part of the seventeenth century or the early years of the 
 followin": one. 
 
 THE HOWARD HOUSE. 
 
 Fronting the new stone bridge, on Turkey Shore, is 
 the well preserved " Howard house " as it is sometimes 
 called. Mr. Caldwell in his Notes to the Hammatt papers 
 states that it was owned by Aaron Wallis, half a century 
 ago. Before him Capt. Ebenezer Caldwell, who died in 
 1821, was its possessor. His first wife was Lucy, daugh- 
 ter of Samuel Ringe. Ringe bought the property of 
 Stephen Howard, who inherited it in 1766 on the death 
 of his father, Samuel Howard. Samuel bought the 
 shares owned by his brothers William and John at hia 
 father's, William Howard's, death. To this it may be 
 added, Howard bought six acres of land with the dwelling 
 in 1679 of Uzal Wardell. Susanna Ringe, the wife of 
 Warden, junior, sold her father-in-law, Uzal Wardell, 
 her third of her father's, Daniel Ringe's estate in 1669. 
 Ringe bought of Thomas Emerson in 1648, a dwelling 
 house and six acres of land by original grant. 
 
 Is this house the same that Daniel Ringe bought in 
 1648? I cannot believe it, though the deeds are contin- 
 uous. The question of identity, which was stated in the 
 beginning of this series of papers, is well illustrated in 
 this case. The probability of such extreme antiquity is 
 very slight. Judging from its architecture. Dr. Lyon be- 
 
68 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 lieves this house was built near the beginning of the last 
 century. 
 
 THE HO VET HOUSE. 
 
 The ancient Hovey house, last used as a barn by Mr. 
 Foss, but, unfortunately, now a thing of the past, is gen- 
 erally assumed to have been built in 1668, because Daniel 
 Hovey was granted permission to fell trees " for a house " 
 that year. More pertinent evidence is the grant of the 
 previous year, 1667, to Daniel Hovey, "to fell timber 
 
 for a and repayring his house." A bouse that 
 
 needed repairing in 1667 is not likely to have defied the 
 tooth of Time for two hundred and twenty-seven years 
 longer, and then, still stout and strong,, have suffered de- 
 struction only by fire. 
 
 THE REGINALD FOSTER ESTATE. 
 
 The same question of identity confronts us in the fine 
 old mansion, now owned by Mr. Daniel S. Burnham, on 
 Water street. The pedigree of this property is beyond 
 question. Charlotte Burnham, wife of Abraham, pur- 
 chased half of it in 1862, from Enoch P. Fuller, He bought 
 it of Nathaniel Fuller in 1840. Fuller purchased from 
 Thomas Dodge in 1796, Dodge from John Holland in 
 1792, Holland from John Harris in 1778. Richard Sut- 
 ton and Elizabeth, his wife, sold Abner Harris, ship- 
 wright, the southwest end of the dwelling house, " late 
 our honored grandfather's, Jacob Foster deceased," in 
 1758. Jacob Foster, father of this Jacob, I presume, re- 
 ceived it from Reginald Foster. Reginald Foster bought 
 of Roger Preston in 1655, a house and land reaching from 
 the present Green street to Summer street. 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 69 
 
 Again, I cannot believe this house identical with the 
 
 house of 1655, but make no assertion as to its probable 
 age. 
 
 THE NORTON - COBBETT HOUSE. 
 
 This fine old mansion, venerable in its architecture, 
 hallowed with its association with the great and good men 
 of the early days, has long been counted the most historic 
 house of Ipswich, and possibly the oldest. An honest 
 desire to establish its antiquity, and confirm its legendary 
 renown, impelled me to very careful study of every doc- 
 ument that I could discover. To my own chagrin, the 
 conclusion, to which candor has impelled me, divests the 
 old landmark of all its poetry, and much of its age. A 
 review of the grounds leading to this may not be unin- 
 teresting to those that have the love of antiquarian lore. 
 
 In the year 1638, Thomas Firman sold Rev, John 
 Norton a house and lot "which said lot was granted first 
 unto Mr. John Fawne in the year 1634, " and by him 
 sold to Firman. The boundaries given locate the prop- 
 erty unmistakably. 
 
 In this house, or a better one of his own building, Mr. 
 Norton dwelt until he resigned his pastorate and removed 
 to Boston as the successor of Rev. John Cotton. His 
 successor. Rev. Mr. Cobbett, occupied his house and 
 eventually purchased it. At his decease, the estate be- 
 came the property of his widow. In 1696, his son John 
 sold the house and three acres of land for £70 to Major 
 Francis Wainwright, who owned the Robert Payne estate 
 adjoining. 
 
 After a few months ownership. Major Wainwright sold 
 to John Annable " Taylor " for £24 — " A house that was 
 formerly in the tenure of John Cobbett, late of Ipswich, 
 
70 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 with the land on which said house standeth, and also all 
 the land before the said house to the street, together with 
 four foot breadth from the said house at the western end 
 thereof, and four foot breadth northerly from said house, 
 and four foot easterly from said house, these three points 
 all bounded by said Wainwnght's land and southerly by 
 the Highway or Street, the westerly line that comes to said 
 street to take in but half the well, and the easterly line 
 to run straight from four foot of from the said house to 
 the said street." March 9, 1696-7. 
 
 Evidently Major Wainwright retained the land that 
 originally belonged with the house, and a few years later 
 he sold to Matthew Perkins, land and the orchard upon it, 
 'lioiinded by John Baker's land on the East, the Highway 
 on the South, the land of John Annible and said Wain- 
 wright on the West, as the old wall formerly stood, the 
 land of AVainwright on the North, as the wall stands, al»o 
 the common right bought of John Cobbett." October 11, 
 1701. 
 
 The Perkins property thus lay between the old Cobbett 
 house and Baker's. 
 
 The Cobbett house with its four feet of land on three 
 sides was sold by Annable to William Stone for £35 with 
 Wainwright on three sides and half of the well, etc. 
 March 16, 1701. 
 
 Stone sold his house with one-quarter of an acre to Robert 
 Holmes, tailor, for £40, bounded easterly by Capt. Mat- 
 thew Perkins, west and north by Wainwright. January 
 20, 1710-11. 
 
 Stone had boujjht of Wainwri^jht " 3 foot in front next 
 ye street joining on the westerly side of the land he bought 
 of John Annable and to run until it comes to nothing at 
 the north corner of said line," for £3, 12s. This he as- 
 signed to Holmes on the same date, so that the western 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 71 
 
 line was now seven feet from the house on the front, and 
 included the whole well. 
 
 Robert Holmes sold his son Robert Holmes , junior, 
 taylor, "a certain parcel of land on the South East side 
 of my homestead, beginning at ye easterly corner next 
 Capt. Matthew Perkins his homestead and from there to 
 extend North West 15 feet into my homestead, from thence 
 to run on a straight line keeping equal distance from Per- 
 kins's land to ye country' road, and up said road Southerly 
 to ye corner of said Perkins's homestead, and by said Per- 
 kins's homestead to ye bound first mentioned, as also all 
 my right, title and interest in ye new end of ye dwelling 
 house standing on said bounded premises." February 20, 
 1732-3. 
 
 In accordance with the terms of his father's will Robert 
 Holmes, junior, succeeded to the whole estate at his 
 mother's death. He enlarged the estate by purchasing 
 of Thomas Staniford, innholder, for £3, a small piece of 
 land adjoining the northeast side of the homestead of 
 Robert Holmes, late of Ipswich, deceased, abr)ut three 
 rods, bounded south by homestead, southwest and north- 
 west by Staniford, northeast by land of widow Esther 
 Perkins. April 10, 1742. 
 
 Administration was granted on the estate of Robert 
 Holmes to Samuel and Abigail Heard, September, 1776. 
 
 " Samuel Heard, cordwainer, and Abigail, his wife, 
 being the only child and heir of Robert Holmes, late of 
 Ipswich, Taylor," for £33, 6, 8, sell "Nathaniel March, 
 Taylor, a dwelling house, with small parcel of land under 
 and adjoining, part of the real estate of our honored father, 
 beginning at Southeast corner by land of Abraham Cald- 
 well, thence by said Caldwell's land easterly, 6 rods and 
 10 feet, thence northerly by land of Capt. Thomas Stani- 
 ford, one rod, eleven feet and a half, thence westerly on 
 
72 SOME OLD IP8\TICH HOUSES. 
 
 land of the said Abigail Heard 6 rods 10 feet, and thence 
 southerly one rod, 9 J feet by Highway, also the privilege 
 of using the well on the other part of deceased real es- 
 tate." March 1, 1777. 
 
 Nathaniel March sold to Nathaniel March, junior, for 
 $900, the house and fifteen rods of land, bounded south- 
 easterly by Daniel Russell six rods ten feet, northerly by 
 Staniford one rod eleven and one-half feet, westerly by 
 Abigail Heard six rods ten feet, southerly by highway one 
 rod nine and one-half feet, with privilege of using the well 
 on said Abigail's land ; Nathaniel and Elizabeth, his wife, 
 to have the privilege of the use of the northwest room of 
 said house, during their natural life. November 21, 1796. 
 
 The portion of the Holmes property, which Samuel and 
 Abigail Heard reserved when they sold the house to March, 
 was sold by them to Samuel Heard, junior, and Ebenezer, 
 besinnins: at the north corner on land of heirs of Staniford 
 on the street, southerly by street one rod nine and one-half 
 feet, to land of Nathaniel March, easterly on March's land 
 six rods ten feet, northerly by Staniford's land one rod 
 seven and one-half feet, westerly on Staniford's land six 
 rods ten feet. May 19, 1803. Samuel, junior, and 
 Ebenezer Heard sold this plot, "part of garden spot for- 
 merly owned by Nathaniel March," for $30 to Elizabeth 
 March. April 8, 1808. 
 
 Nathaniel and Hannah March sold to Daniel Russell for 
 $80 " a certain dwelling house with land under and adjoin- 
 ing containing 15 rods, beginning at the south corner by 
 highway and land of Daniel Russell, thence north west by 
 said highway 1 rod 9 feet and ^ to land of Elizabeth 
 March, thence northeasterly by Elizabeth's laud 6 rods 
 and 10 feet to land of heirs of Thomas Staniford, thence 
 south easterly 1 rod 11^ feet to land of Russell, south- 
 westerly by land of Russell 6 rods 10 feet to Highway, 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 73 
 
 being the same I purchased of my late father, Nathaniel 
 March by deed November 21, 1796," and on the same 
 day Elizabeth March sold the garden spot adjoining to 
 Russell for $40. 
 
 Daniel Russell sold his son, Foster Russell, for $76 "a 
 certain piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in 
 Ipswich aforesaid, formerly owned by Nathaniel March, 
 deceased, containing 14 rods more or less, beg-inninsf at 
 the soutiierly corner thereof by the highway and my own 
 land, thence running north westerly 38 feet to land owned 
 by the Methodist Society, thence by laud of said Society 
 to land of Dr. Thomas Manning, thence south easterly by 
 Manning 36 feet to my own land, thence south westerly 
 by my own land to highway." August 30, 1833. 
 
 Thus there is not a link lacking in the chain. From 
 Firman and Norton, we trace the ownership of the house, 
 through Cobbett, Wainwright, Amiable, Stone, the 
 Holmeses, and the Marches to Daniel Russell. Russell 
 bought the house and land in 1818. In 1833, he sold the 
 land to Foster Russell, but there is no mention of any 
 house. Evidently it had disappeared. 
 
 But what of the old house still standino-? 
 
 It is well remembered that Richard Sutton owned the 
 southeast half of this dwelling, and Daniel Russell the 
 northwest half. Russell bought his half of Abraham 
 Caldwell of Beverly in 1796, bounded northwesterly 
 partly on land of Nathaniel March, southeasterly on land 
 of Richard Sutton. 
 
 Caldwell purchased of Samuel Sawyer in 1772, Robert 
 Holmes abutting on the northwest. Ephraim Kindall 
 bought this half of Jonathan Newmarsh in 1768, who 
 bought of Benjamin Brown in 1762. Brown acquired it 
 in 1754, by purchase, of William Dodge, of Lunenburg, 
 and Esther, his wife, and Samuel Williams, junior. 
 
74 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 Dodsre's deed recites that the line of division beginning 
 at a stake by land of Robert Holmes, extends to a stake 
 standing in the middle of the homestead of Capt. Matthew 
 Perkins, late of Ipswich, thence southwesterly to a stake, 
 thence northvvesterl}- twenty-two feet through the middle 
 of the curb of the well to a stake standing near, thence 
 southwesterly through the dwelling house and middle of 
 the chimney to the street, with one-half the dwelling, 
 with all privileges, etc., settled by a Commission ap- 
 pointed and impowered by the Court of Probate to divide 
 the estate of said Matthew Perkins to and among his two 
 daughters, Esther Harbin and Mary Smith, according to 
 his will. Williams sold the interest he bought of William 
 Harbin. 
 
 Among the tiled papers relating to the estate of Capt. 
 Matthew Perkins, we find the divisions of the real estate 
 between Esther Harbin and Mary Smith in 1749. Esther 
 received the northwest half, the division line being de- 
 fined word by word as in the deed of Dodge to Brown. 
 Mary received the southeast half. Esther left her estate 
 to her four children to whom it was apportioned in 1752. 
 Her heirs sold to Brown . 
 
 Capt. Matthew Perkins, we observed at the beginning, 
 bought the Norton-Cobbett orchard in 1701. Between 
 that date and 1709, he built the house, for in the latter 
 year he gave his son Matthew his former homestead, low- 
 er down the street. 
 
 The present old house is, therefore, Capt. Matthew Per- 
 kins' mansion, and the Norton-Cobbett house stood very 
 near on the northwest side, but has long since disap- 
 peared. 
 
 Every item of evidence corroborates this identification. 
 The successive deeds of the old Cobbett property men- 
 tion Captain Matthew, the widow Esther Perkins, Abra- 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 75 
 
 ham Caldwell and Daniel Russell as eastern abutters. 
 The deeds of the present house mention Holmes and March 
 as western neighbors. The well of the present house is 
 precisely where the deeds locate it ; the Cobbett well was 
 on the west side of the house. This house stands near 
 the road ; the other must have stood back somewhat, as 
 the land covered by the house with only four feet on each 
 of three sides and the frontage measured about a quarter 
 of an acre. 
 
 The present Foster Russell house, by the measurements 
 of the deeds, occupies a part of the site of the old one. 
 Finally, Mrs. Susan Lakeman, the daughter of the late 
 Daniel Russell, was born in the Perkins' mansion in 1815. 
 She remembers distiuctly that it was always said that her 
 father tore down an old house close by in 1818, called 
 "the March house." lu that year he bought the proper- 
 ty of Nathaniel March. 
 
 As to the old Cobl)ett well, it is beyond question iden- 
 tical with the well that still remains in the cellar of the 
 Foster Russell house, which served as a public waterini^ 
 place for many years, I ara informed, before the house 
 was built, and still supplies Mr. Augustine Spiller by a 
 pipe that pierces the cellar wall. 
 
 THE JOHN POTTER HOUSE. 
 
 The well-preserved old mansion beneath the spreading 
 elms on the corner of East street and "Hog Lane," as the 
 ancient nickname was,—'' Brooke Street " as it is recorded 
 in the old deeds, — is of much interest. 
 
 This lot was owned in 1648 by Francis eTordan, the 
 town-whipper, whose gruesome business it was to wield 
 the lash and lay it smartly upon the backs of evil-doers, 
 
76 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 at the public whipping-post. In 1655, there was a house 
 here, occupied by Jeffrey Skelling or SntHing, a man of 
 questionable character, who tasted the lash more than 
 once. I can hardly believe that a man of his prtjclivities 
 was likely to occupy so fine a house. 
 
 Richard Belcher of Charlcstown sold, to John Potter, 
 for £88, in 1708, the two acres in this corner, with all the 
 buildings, including the "old house, new out-houses, etc." 
 The mention of an " old house " at this date renders it 
 very improbable that the present building was then in 
 existence. 
 
 A few years ago, the slope of the hill on the east side of 
 the present house was dug away, and an old cellar was 
 disclosed. Two old spoons of a style in vogue prior to 
 1700 were found. Very likely this was the site of the 
 old Francis Jordan property, and John Potter probably 
 built the present mansicm sul)sequent to 1708. 
 
 SOME OLD HIGH-STREET DWELLINGS. 
 
 A few more old mansions, on High street, must not be 
 overlooked. Here again that question of identity dis- 
 turbs us in the case of the old Caldwell house. 
 
 Richard Betts sold to Cornelius Waldo, for £30, his 
 dwelling house, land, etc., in 1652. Waldo sold the 
 same property to John Caldwell, in 1654 for £26. Jiihn 
 Caldwell's estate, about the year 1692, was inventoried, 
 the house, land at home and three acres of other land at 
 £109. This three-acre lot is probably identical with the 
 "four acres, be it more or less, within the Ctmimon fields, 
 neare unto Muddy River," which he bought of William 
 Buckley, and which Buckley had bought for £7 of Thomas 
 Manning in 1657. The homestead was valued, then, at 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 77 
 
 about a hundred pounds sterling. Caldwell bought it for 
 £26, occupied it some forty years, and left it worth £100. 
 It has been said that record remains of enlargement, etc. , 
 but repairs and enlargement sufficient to enhance the 
 value nearly four times must have been very destructive 
 of the original Waldo house, I fear. It is more likely 
 that Caldwell built the present house, and its architecture 
 points to the latter years of the seventeenth century as 
 the time of its erection. 
 
 The tine mansion, lately purchased and improved by 
 Mr. John E. Brown, is the colonial home Rev. Nathaniel 
 Rogers built for himself in 1727-8. 
 
 The very old house, the home of Mr. Caleb Lord, until 
 his death, and its larger neighbor, the old Jacob Manning 
 house, atJbrd a very fascinating study. Mr. Lord in- 
 formed me that this house was owned by his father, 
 "Capt. Nat.," and his predecessor was "Deacon Caleb." 
 Caleb Lord, Hatter, and Daniel Low, bought it with 
 eighteen rods of laud in 1751, of Job Harris. Hams 
 bought the dwelling, barn, and two and three-fourths 
 acres of land of Rev. Jabez Fitch, when he left the pas- 
 torate of the Ipswich First Church in 1727 and went to 
 Portsmouth. There was at this time but one dwelling on 
 this goodly lot of nearly three acres. Harris sold Caleb 
 Lord the house, etc., "at the north corner of the home- 
 stead," but he resided still in another house on the same 
 lot and, in 1770, bequeathed his son John the southerly 
 half of his dwelling. The other heirs sold out to John 
 in 1772. John Harris sold to the town, in 1795, about 
 two acres with the buildings. This purchase was made to 
 secure a Poor-house, and consideral)le changes were made 
 then and later to fit it for its new use. Mr. Caleb Lord 
 remembers that the door was on the end toward the street. 
 
 When the town purchased the present Poor Farm, this 
 property was sold to Jacob Manning, jr., in May, 1818. 
 
78 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 The deed describes it, as the work-house and land, "be- 
 ginning at tiie corner of Nathaniel Lord's hmd, 12 feet 1 
 inch from his shop, on said Higii street East to land of 
 heirs of Jan)es Harris deceased, Westerly 5 rods 12^ links 
 to land this day conveyed to Lord, i. e. wood house and 
 turf or peat house, and the pump with the rigging and 
 gear thereto belonging, also reserving to John Lord 4th, 
 liberty to remove the building called the pest house and 
 chimney and underpinning stones." 
 
 This is the large house on the south corner of Manning 
 street. I think that Job Harris built it for his new resi- 
 dence and then sold the older Fitch house to Caleb Lord. 
 This surmise is confirmed by the purchase that Mr. Fitch 
 made of about four rods of land on the back side of his 
 house from Francis Young in 1708. It was a piece one 
 rod wide from the land or house of Mr. Fitch, and ex- 
 tended in a straight line one rod broad to the northerly 
 end of his barn or woodhouse. This shows that the Fitch 
 house occupied the extreme corner of the lot. This land 
 may have been needed for the enlargement that has been 
 made on this side. Mr. Fitch bono;ht the house with an 
 acre and a half of land of William Payne and his wife 
 Mary, the onl}^ daughter of William Stewart, deceased, in 
 the year 1704, for £150. In 17 19, he enlarged the lot 
 by purchasing an acre of Thomas and Alexander Lovell 
 fronting on the street and joining his land on the south. 
 
 Stewart bought of Roger Derby, who had removed to 
 Salem in 1692. Derby or Darby bought a house and two 
 acres of Philip Fowler in 1672, and in 1652 John Hassell 
 owned a house here. Hassell was the original grantee. 
 Again the query arises, who was the builder of the present 
 decrepit dwelling? Certainly it was owned by Job Harris 
 and there is no reason for doubting Fitch's ownership, or 
 even Stewart's. Beyond Stewart, or possibly Derby, I 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. ' 79 
 
 do not venture, hut there is no absolute limit, save that it 
 is incredil)le that it was Hassell's original house. 
 
 I wonder if Stewart occupied this house before he 
 bought it? If he did, peculiar interest attaches to the 
 narrative of John Dunton, a book pedler, who visited 
 Ipswich, in the course of his saddle-bag peregrinations, in 
 1685 or 1686. In any event, the gossipy description of 
 the Stewarts will not be unwelcome. Dunton wrote to his 
 wife, minutely enough to satisfy her womanly curiosity, 
 after this fashion : 
 
 "My Landlady, Mrs. Wilkins, having a sister at Ips- 
 wich which she had not seen for a great while, Mrs. Com- 
 fort, her daughter (a young gentlewoman equally happy 
 in the perfections both of her body and mind), had a 
 great desire to see her aunt, having never been at her 
 house, nor in that part of the country ; which Philaret 
 having a desire to see, and being never backward to 
 accomodate the Fair Sex, profers his service to wait upon 
 her thilher, which was readily accepted by the young 
 lady, who felt herself safe undei his protection. Nor 
 were her parents less willing to trust her with him. All 
 things being ready for our ramble, I took my fair one up 
 behind me and rid on our way, I and my Fair Fellow 
 Traveller to Mr. SteAvard's whose wife was Mrs. Comfort's 
 own Aunt : whose J(iy to see her Niece at Ipswicli was 
 suiEciently Expressed by the Noble Reception we met 
 with and the Treatment we found there ; which far outdid 
 whate'er we cou'd have thought. And tho myself was 
 but a stranger to them, yet the extraordinary civility and 
 respect they shewed me, gave me reason enough to think 
 I was very welcome. It was late when we came thither, 
 and we were both very weary, which yet would not 
 excnse us from the troul)le of a very splendid su[)per, 
 before I was permitted to go to bed ; which was got ready 
 
80 SOME OLD IPSWIGH HOUSES. 
 
 in 80 short a time as would have made us think, had we 
 not known the contrary, that it had been ready provided 
 against we came. Though our supper was extraordinary 
 yet I had so great a desire to go to bed, as made it to me 
 a troublesome piece of kindness. But this being happily 
 over, I took my leave of my Fellow Traveller, and was 
 conducted to my apartment by Mrs. Stewart herself, 
 whose character I shant attempt to-night, being so weary, 
 but reserve till to-morrow morning. Only I must let you 
 know that my apartment was so noble and the furniture 
 so sjiital)le to it, that I doubt not but even the King him- 
 self has oftentimes been contented with a worser lodging. 
 
 "Having reposed my self all night upon a bed of Down, 
 I slept so very soundly that the Sun, who lay not on so 
 soft a bed as I, had got the start of me, and risen before 
 me ; but was so kind however as to make me one of his 
 first visits, and to give me the bon jour ; on which I 
 .straight got up and dressed myself, having a mind to look 
 about me and see where I was : and having took a view 
 of Ipswich, I found it to be situated by a river, whose first 
 rise from a Lake or Pond was twenty miles up, breaking 
 of its course through a hideous swamp for many miles, a 
 a harbor for bears ; it issueth forth into a large bay, where 
 they fish for whales, due East over against the Island of 
 Sholes, a great place for fishing. The mouth of that river 
 is barred. It is a good haven town. Their Meeting 
 House or church is built very beautifully. There is a 
 store of orchards and gardens about it, and good land for 
 Cattel and husbandry. 
 
 " But I remember I promised to give you Mrs. Stewards 
 Character, & if I hadn't yet gratitude and justice would 
 exact it of me. Her stature is of a middle size, fit for a 
 woman. Her face is still the magazine of beauty, whence 
 she may fetch artillery enough to Wound a thousand lov- 
 
SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 81 
 
 ers ; and when she was about 18, perhaps there never was 
 a face more sweet and charming — nor could it well ])e 
 otherwise, since now at 33, all you call sweet and ravish- 
 ing is in her Face ; which it is as great a Pleasure to be- 
 hold as a perpetual sunshine without any clouds at all ; 
 and 3'et all this sweetness is joined with such attractive 
 vertue as draws all to a certain distance and there detains 
 them with reverence and admiration, none ever daring to 
 approach her nigher, or having power to go farther off. 
 She's so obliging, courteous and civil as if those qualities 
 were only born with her, and rested in her bosom as their 
 centre. Her speech and her Behaviour is so gentle, sweet 
 and affable, that whatsoever men may talk of magick there 
 in none charms but she. So good a wife she is, she frames 
 her nature to her husband's : the hyacinth follows not the 
 Sun more willingly, than she her husband's i»leasure. Her 
 household is her charge. Her care to that makes her but 
 seldom a non-resident. Her pride is to be neat and cleanly, 
 and her thirst not to be Prodigal. And to conclude is 
 both wise and religious, which makes her all I have said 
 before. 
 
 " In the next place I suppose yourself will think it rea- 
 sonable that unto Mrs. Stewards I should add her husband's 
 Character : whose worth and goodness do well merit. As 
 to his stature tis inclining to tall : and as to his aspect, 
 if all the lineaments of a sincere and honest hearted man 
 were lost out of the world, they might be all retrieved by 
 looking on his face. He's one whose bounty is limited by 
 reason, not by ostentation; and to make it last he deals 
 discreetly ; as we sowe our land not by the sack but by 
 the handful. He is so sincere and upright that his \vord 
 and his meaning never shake hands and part, but always 
 go together. His mind is always so serene that that 
 thunder but rocks him asleep which breaks other men's 
 
82 SOME OLD IPSWICH HOUSES. 
 
 slumbers. His thoughts have an aim as high as heaven, 
 tho their residence be in the Valley of an humble heart. 
 He is not much given to talk, tho he knows how to do it 
 as well as any man. He loves his friend, and will do 
 anything for him except it be to wink at his faults, of 
 which he will be always a severe reprover. He is so good 
 a husband that he is worthy of the wife he enjoys, and 
 would even make a bad wife good by his example. 
 
 "Ipswich is a country town not very large, and when a 
 stranger arrives, tis quickly known to every one. It is 
 no wonder then that the next day after our arrival the 
 news of it was carried to Mr. Hubbard, the Minister of 
 the town, who hearing that I was the person that had 
 brought over a great Venture of Learning, did me the 
 honor of making me a visit at Mr. Steward's, where I laj^ 
 and afterwards kindly invited me and my fellow traveller 
 to his own house, where he was pleased to give us very 
 handsome entertainment. His writing of the History of 
 Indian Warrs shews him to be a person of good parts and 
 understanding. He is a sober, grave and well accom- 
 plished man — a good preacher (as all the town affirm, 
 for I didn't hear him) and one that lives according to his 
 preaching. 
 
 "The next day 1 was for another Ramble in which Mr. 
 Steward was pleas'd to accompany me. And the place we 
 went to was a town call'd Rowley, lying six miles North- 
 East from Ipswich, where most of the Inhabitants had 
 been Clothiers. There was that Day a great Game of 
 Foot Ball to be playd, which was the occasion of our 
 going thither : There was another Town that playd against 
 them, as is sometimes Common in England : but they 
 played with their bare feet which I thought was very odd : 
 but was upon abroad Sandy Shoar free from Stones, which 
 made it more easie. Neither were they so apt to trip up 
 
SOME OLD IP8WICH HOUSES. 83 
 
 one anothers heels, and quarrel as I have seen em in Eng- 
 land." 
 
 With this bit of romance, I conclude my present study of 
 the old houses of Ipswich. Many more remain to be 
 investigated, and unsuspected rewards may await the 
 diligent student. In due time I ho))e every old dwelling 
 will have its history carefully written. 
 
 My aim has been not so much to exhaust the field, for 
 this is impossible, nor to pronounce final judgments, as 
 to illustrate the only sure way of approximating the truth. 
 The work nmst be done cautiously and candidly, with a 
 mind open to the truth, however sharp the conflict with 
 cherished traditions or deei)ly seated prejudices. Kesort 
 must always be made to original documents. Regard must 
 be had to inherent probabilities. Results obtained by the 
 application of this method may fairl}' be considered a con- 
 tribution to the permanent history of our town. 
 
 The conclusion to which we must come is that many 
 houses are not as old as they have been thought ; that 
 many substantial houses have passed away ; that the his- 
 tory of one house is very easily transferred to another ; 
 that tradition is very unhistoric ; that definite decision is 
 impossible in many cases ; but that, after all allowance is 
 made, a remarkable number of ancient dwellings, still in 
 use, were built in the earlier half of the last century, and 
 a few remain from the closing decades of the seventeenth 
 century, which were built l^efore all the pioneers who 
 knew Winthrop, and cleared the wilderness and built the 
 town, had passed away. 
 
INDEX OF HOUSES, 
 
 WITH NAME OF PRESENT OWNER, OR THAT BY WHICH IT IS 
 COMMONLY KNOWN. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Abbey, Joseph, house. . . . . . . 55, 56 
 
 (Mr. Wesley K. Bell's old house) 
 
 Appleton. Col. John 47 
 
 (Mr. Geo. D. Wildes's residence) 
 
 Appleton, Joseph, 62 
 
 Baker, Joseph, 50 
 
 Baker, iSamuel N., . . . . . . . 63 
 
 Boyuton, Warren, ...... 53 
 
 (Ross Tavern) 
 
 Brown, John B., 77 
 
 Burnham, Daniel S., . . . . . . 68 
 
 Caldwell, John, 76 
 
 Campbell, Chas. A., 39 
 
 Choate, Col. John, 62 
 
 Dana, Rev. Joseph, ....... 61 
 
 (Mr. Frank T. Goodhue's residence) 
 
 Dean, 55 
 
 Dounton, Wm., . 42 
 
 Duuton's, John, narrative, 79-83 
 
 Fitts, Isaac, ........ 83 
 
 (Souther house) 
 
 (84) 
 
INDEX. 85 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Foot-Briclge. 54 
 
 Foster, Reginald, 68 
 
 (Mr. Dan. S. Burnham's residence) 
 
 Fuller, Nath., 56 
 
 (Mrs. Susan Trow's late residence) 
 
 Goodhue, Frank T., 61 
 
 Howard, Wm.,. ....... 67 
 
 Hovey, Daniel, 68 
 
 Jones, Wm., ........ 57 
 
 (Mr. Edward Ready's residence) 
 
 Kinsman, Wm,, ....... 43 
 
 Lord, Dea. Caleb, 77 
 
 Lord, Jonathan, ....... 57 
 
 Manning, Dr. Joseph, ...... 57 
 
 (Mr. Josiah Stackpole's residence) 
 
 Mill, Garden, 45 
 
 Nortou-Cobbett, so called, 69-75 
 
 Norton. Dea. Thos., 58. 59 
 
 Poor, house. High St., ..... . 77 
 
 (Jacob Manning house) 
 
 Potter, John, ....... 75 
 
 Potter, Mrs. Rhoda B., 60 
 
 Proctor, John, ....... 51 
 
 Ready, Edward, ....... 57 
 
 Rogers, Rev. Xath 77 
 
 (Mr. John B. Brown's residence) 
 
 Ross Tavern, ........ 53 
 
86 
 
 INDKX. 
 
 Saltonstall, Richard, 
 
 South Burying Ground, 
 
 South Common, .... 
 
 Souther, Timothy, .... 
 
 Sparks's Ordinary, 
 
 Stackpole, Josiah, .... 
 
 Training-field, .... 
 Tread well Tavern, .... 
 
 (Joseph Baker house) 
 Trow, Mrs Susan, 
 
 Wade, Col. Nath., .... 
 Wainwright, Christian, . 
 
 Wells, Thos., 
 
 Whipple, John, .... 
 
 (called the Saltonstall house) 
 
 Wildes, Geo. D 
 
 Wiuthrop, John (so-called), 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 44, 
 
 45, 
 
 58 
 
 
 63, 
 
 64 
 
 • 
 
 65, 
 
 66 
 56 
 48 
 57 
 
 64 
 50 
 
 56 
 
 60 
 51 
 53 
 44 
 
 47 
 
 66 
 
 Younglove, Samuel, Senior, 
 
 52 
 
MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEP:TING AND 
 KEPORTS OF OFFICERS. 
 
 The annual meeting of the Ipswich Historical Society 
 was held in the Parish House, Monday evening, Dec. 6, 
 and although not so largely attended as it might have been 
 it was nevertheless a very enthusiastic gathering. A great 
 deal in the advancement of the Society's interest was ac- 
 complished and several new and important lines of work 
 started. 
 
 President Waters called the meeting to order and the 
 reports of Treasurer J. I. Horton, Secretary John H. 
 Cogswell and President Waters, were read and accepted. 
 The reports are given in full below. Mr. Waters' paper 
 was a valuable historical addition to the society's reports 
 and he was warmly commended for the same. 
 
 The purchase of a permanent location in the " Whipple 
 House," at railroad square, was talked of, and a com- 
 mittee of three, George A. Lord, Fred A. Willcomb and 
 J. I. Horton, were chosen to inquire into the feasibility 
 of the plan. 
 
 The President was instructed to appoint a committee of 
 five on membership, to consist in part of ladies. Mr. 
 Gates moved that a committee of ladies be chosen in the 
 same way to take charge of the rooms on certain after- 
 noons in the w eek. He suggested that in summer particu- 
 larly quite an income could be secured by keeping the 
 rooms open and charging a small admission fee. 
 
 (87) 
 
88 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 Proceed i no; to the election of officers tlie old board was 
 reelected as follows : 
 
 President, Rev. T. Frank Waters. 
 
 Vice Presidents, Hon. C. A. Say ward and Hon. Fred 
 A. Willcomb. 
 
 Secretary, John H. Cogswell. 
 
 Corresponding Secretary, Rev. M. H. Gates. 
 
 Treasnrer, J. I. Horton. 
 
 Librarian, M. V. B. Perley. 
 
 The question of securing lecturers for the season of 
 1897-8 was discussed, and the chair was instructed to 
 select a committee of four to look after this matter, the 
 president to be a member ex oficio. Mr. Waters ap- 
 pointed Rev. Mr. Gates, Rev. Mr. Constant and Messrs. 
 Kavanagh and Hovey. 
 
 It was voted that the reports of the meeting be printed 
 after the usual manner of the Society's publications. These 
 reports follow : 
 
 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 Our Society has assumed for itself a three-fold function : 
 that of gathering material for our Historical Exhi])ition, 
 of contributing through its publications to the general 
 fund of historical knowledge, and of erecting memorials 
 of striking events and distinguished citizens of the olden 
 time. 
 
 A beginning at least has been made in each department, 
 and gratifying growth is seen in the size and variety of 
 our exhibit in the room in Odd Fellows' Block. Already 
 the floor is well occupied, and the cabinets are comfort- 
 ably filled. Some of the articles given or loaned during 
 the past year are of striking interest, and we may count 
 ourselves most fortunate in possessing them. Most ven- 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 89 
 
 erable of all is the pair of great andirons, with well- 
 worn knobs, on which the date 
 
 115 
 
 9|6 
 
 is still visible, though the wear of so many generations 
 has nearly obliterated the uppor figures. The smaller 
 figures, which now occupy the place of the upper two, 
 were stamped some fifty years ago, to preserve the date, 
 but the original 1 and 5 are not wholly effaced. Accom- 
 panying the andirons are the huge spit some four feet long, 
 and the skewers used in fastening the great roasts securely 
 to the spit. These have belonged to successive genera- 
 tions of the Shatswell family, and are still owned by 
 descendants of that line, Mr. Robert Stone and Colonel 
 Shatswell. How much romance attaches to these ancient 
 fireirons ! They were hammered out by some blacksmith 
 of Old England, while Queen Elizabeth was hunting and 
 dancing and coquetting as in her youth, but England had 
 grown serious and Puritanical under the pressure of the 
 great Puritan awakening. Spenser's Faerie Queen had 
 delighted the English-speaking world only six years be- 
 fore, and three years only had elapsed since the first gleam 
 of the great light that Shakespeare shed, presaged his 
 coming glory. John Milton was not born until these 
 andirons had done twelve years of humble service in some 
 English kitchen, and they were blackened with the soot 
 of thirty-two years when John Bunyan saw the light. 
 Oliver Cromwell began his grand career as humbly as 
 any babe in 1599. The excellent John Winthrop, to 
 whom our Commonwealth owes so much, was a boy of 
 eight when these irons were used for the first time, and 
 they had been used ten years when John Winthrop, jr., 
 our patron, was born. The Plymouth settlement was far 
 
90 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 in the future. No i)rophet had dreamed of this great 
 Western empire. How the history of nations and of 
 peoples has been wrought and fashioned since the English 
 smith shaped these ancient irons ! 
 
 And with the andirons came an old "box-iron," another 
 heirloom of the Shatswells, which may be of equal age. 
 Of later date and yet venerable with years, the Sliatswell 
 spinning wheel claims our regard. This was the maiden 
 property of Hannah Bradstreet, of Rowley, the bride of 
 Richard Shatswell in 1751. It is a tradition in the family 
 that the north end of the present Shatswell mansion was 
 built for the home of the young couple, and that when 
 the frame was raised, the bride-to-be drove the first pin, 
 and had a conspicuous place in the festivities incident to 
 the "raising." 
 
 When the Revolutionary war was impending, Richard 
 Shatswell was under suspicion of being a Tory, as the 
 story runs. ' Flis spirited wife rebelled in her turn against 
 the i)atriotic prohibition of tea. She loved her cup, and 
 as she had laid in a plentiful supply while the forbidden 
 commodity was still in the market, she continued to use 
 it, while every other tea-table contented itself with some 
 innocent substitute. The town officials waited upon her 
 to remonstrate against her unpatriotic indulgence. She 
 received them graciously and satisfied them that no trea- 
 son lurked in her love of the obnoxious herl). A few 
 months later her daughter appeared in meeting on a Sab- 
 bath day in a new bonnet of exceptional elegance, which 
 provoked another visit from the fathers of the town, but 
 tiie mother convinced them again that nothing savoring of 
 toryism dwelt in the gay finery of the damsel. "Two 
 years passed away," the family chronicler writes, " and the 
 daughter Hannah had found a lover. It was the begin- 
 ning of winter. The army had just gone into winter 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 91 
 
 quarters and the young suitor was daily expected home. 
 Wishing to appear well in his eyes, the maiden had spun 
 and woven with her own hands a new linen dress from 
 flax raised upon the homestead ; and some ribbons long 
 hild aside had been washed and ironed to trim it. The 
 damsel appeared in it at church after her lover's arrival. 
 Here was fresh cause of alaru) and forthwith on Monday 
 morning came the officious committee to protest against 
 the extravagance. The old lady's spirit was now aroused. 
 "Do you come here," was her well remembered repW, 
 " do you come here to take me to task because my daugh- 
 ter wore a gown she spun and wove with her own hands? 
 Three times have you interfered with my family affairs, 
 three times have you come to tell me that my husband 
 would be turned out of his office. Now, mark me ! There 
 is the door. As you came in you may go out. But if you 
 ever cross my threshold again you shall find that calling 
 Hannah Bradstreet a tory will not make her a coward." 
 
 On this wheel, the tradition is, the maiden of '76 did 
 her spinning and it continued to be indispensable to the 
 housekeeping of later good dames until all spinning 
 wheels rested from their labors and found their heaven of 
 rest in the attics of the houses, wherein they had filled an 
 honored place in earlier years. 
 
 The quaint old sign of Corporal Foster, that hung many 
 years before his hostelry on the old Boston Turnpike in 
 Linebrook, is now our piop(>rty by the kind gift of Mr. 
 Fred H. Plouff. In after years it became a gate at the 
 entrance to Mr. Edward Plouff's, son-in-law of the Cor- 
 poral. While serving this base purpose it was painted to 
 match the dwelling, but swung in the wind and rain until 
 the ancient lettering again appeared. Old and decrepit, 
 bruised and battered, it came at last to our kindly haven, 
 but now restored with loving fidelity to its original col- 
 
»S5 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 oring, it has " renewed its youth like the eagle," and 
 
 clearly as in the day when the Corporal's masterpiece was 
 
 first displayed it declares the two-fold business of the 
 
 smithy and hostelry in its quaint rhyme : 
 
 " I shoe the horse, 
 I shoe the ox, 
 I carry the tools 
 Within my box. 
 I make the nails, 
 I make the shoe 
 And entertain 
 Some strangers too." 
 
 The restored punch bowl again suggests the good cheer 
 of the tap-room, and the date, 1806, is warrant of its 
 venerable age. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Edward Roberts has presented us with two 
 especially valuable relics. While working in his early 
 manhood with his father, the late Thomas Roberts, a mas- 
 ter builder, in erecting a business block in Boston on High 
 street, near Summer, the house near by, occupied by 
 Daniel Webster for years, was cleared of its contents 
 preliminary to Mr. Webster's removal to Marshfield. The 
 major-domo requested Mr. Roberts to help him handle 
 sundry large and heavy boxes and bundles, and to requite 
 this service he pulled down an engraving of Webster from 
 its place on the library wall and gave him, and handed him 
 also an old portable desk with the remark, "You will do 
 well, young man, if you travel as far as this desk has. Mr. 
 Webster always took this with him in his chaise." Desk 
 and engraving now adorn our room, and a third Webster 
 relic was already in our hands, a fine linen towel, which 
 was spun and woven by his mother in the New Hampshire 
 home. 
 
 A fine old chest with frame of English oak has been 
 contributed by Mr. John Sherburne. 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 93 
 
 The old Denisoii Light Infantry flag has pleasant com- 
 pany now in the flintlock musket and bayonet, cartridge 
 box and belts, and cap with wa^dng plume, worn by the 
 late Asa Kinsman a half century ago, the gift of Gustavus 
 Kinsman. 
 
 The Treadwell's island shell heap has yielded other hu- 
 man remains for our prehistoric relics, including a skull, 
 found in many fragments, which the skill of Dr. Stock- 
 well has restored so far that we can see its general shape, 
 and discover the mark of the two deadly blows which 
 brought the relief of death, perhaps, to some long-tortured 
 sufiierer. 
 
 Mr. Richard M. Saltonstall has contributed a sumptuous 
 volume of Saltonstall Genealogy, and Mr. Robert C. 
 Winthrop has given repeated evidences of his regard in 
 the gift of many valuable volumes. Miss Joanna Cald- 
 well has deposited a very valuable collection of family 
 documents. Many other articles have been deposited in 
 our care, and in recognition of the kindness of the do- 
 nors, I submit a list of names of all who have contributed 
 to our success in this manner. 
 
 The room has been open to the public every Saturday 
 afternoon with two or three exceptions during the year. 
 Many strangers found their way thither in the vacation 
 months, and many of our townspeople, especially the 
 children, have come to show their interest. A Visitors* 
 Book has been kept, and six hundred and eighty names 
 have been recorded. Many have registered more than 
 once, but others have made no entry, and this large num- 
 ber is a fairly correct indication of the number of visitors 
 since Dec. 13, 1896. 
 
 The publications of the Society have been increased by a 
 single pamphlet containing the addresses at the dedication 
 of the Memorial Tablets and the annual reports. Another 
 
94 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 of larger size will soon be placed in the hands of our 
 mem)>ers. It is a matter of regret that the limited funds 
 of our Society prevent it from undertaking the work of 
 publishing old records and valuable documents, as well as 
 original contributions to our local history. 
 
 The marking of historic spots is an inviting work, and 
 one that should be accomplished as speedily as possible. 
 A generous meml^er of the Society has already signified 
 his desire of erecting suitable markers on the site of the 
 residence of John Winthrop and that of Ann Bradstreet, 
 as soon as the localities shall be determined with reasonable 
 probability. Denison's place of residence is easily iden- 
 tified. Elder Paine deserves recognition for his munifi- 
 cent gift of the first school house of which we know. 
 Deputy Governor Symonds' Argil la f:irm house was a 
 notable place in its day. Its site is accurately known and 
 should be marked. A memorial, worthy of Rev. John 
 Wise and the brave co-patriots of 1687, should find place 
 anions: us. Their resistance to Governor Andros has ffiven 
 rise to the legend on our town seal. The town owes them 
 a larger debt of gratitude than can be discharged in this 
 simple fashion. 
 
 In line with this work, the preservation of old land- 
 marks may be included. Many of the most interesting 
 old houses have disappeared, and the death-knell of (others 
 may be sounded ere we are aware of any danger. Our 
 town owes no small portion of its great and growing at- 
 tractiveness to strangers to its venerable mansions. A 
 cultivated young lady, from Detroit, Mich., came here 
 during the sunmier in the course of an historical pilgrim- 
 age to towns of historical renown, particularly to those 
 with which hei* own ancestral history was interwoven. 
 After seeing our places of interest, and the many old 
 houses with lean-to roofs and great chimney-stacks, she 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 95 
 
 exclaimed, "I have just visited Plymouth and Concord 
 and Lexington and other places, but I have nowhere found 
 so many residences of venerable age, and the beauty of 
 the town charms me." 
 
 Hezekiah Butterworth, the author of many books of 
 travel, and romances founded on historic facts, spent a 
 few hours in surveying our old landmarks, and as we sat 
 on the top of our beautiful Town Hill, after looking at the 
 ancient gravestones in the quiet yard, he gazed at the 
 splendid landscape and said with much earnestness, "I 
 have been amid the mountains of our own land, and among 
 the Alps and the Andes, I have lived years in Europe, I 
 have seen more sublime views, but I know of no more 
 varied and beautiful quiet rural scenery than this." 
 
 One of our old houses, the very oldest in all probabil- 
 ity, is fast falling into complete decay, the old Whipple 
 house, as I must call it, now owned by Mr. James W. 
 Bond. In its day it was a grand mansion, and some of its 
 rooms are inspiring to-day even in their ruin. Is it not 
 worth our while as a Society to purchase it if it be possi- 
 ble, and repair and restore it to some semblance of its old 
 self? It possesses rare interest as a specimen of the 
 architecture of the later 17th century. Dr. Lyon, of 
 Hartford, Conn., an expert admirer of olden architec- 
 ture, has visited it again and again. The most careless 
 sight-seer is impressed with its antiquity. It should })e 
 rescued from utter ruin for its own intrinsic value. 
 
 But apart from this, our room will soon he too small for 
 exhibition purposes. If space were available, it would 
 be well used with exhibits of tools and machiner}^ of an- 
 tiquated pattern, with cumbrous articles of domestic fur- 
 niture, and with many departments of our historical 
 collection, in which a beginning should be made. This 
 old house, with its hallowed memories, so broad and capa- 
 
96 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 cious, would be an admirable home for our Society. It 
 is a wooden edifice to be sure, but a larffe vault might be 
 constructed for the most precious heirlooms. If some 
 generous and broad-minded friend of the Society and of 
 the town were minded to erect for us a fire-proof building 
 of brick or stone, that would bo our ideal. But such a 
 structure exists as yet only in our dreams. This old man- 
 sion is not beyond our reach, and it has the fine attributes 
 of age and yize. Once housed within its venerable walls, 
 with our collection of andiron.s, and all the appurtenances 
 of the fire-place in their proper places, with kitchen and 
 parlor and chamber supplied with proper furniture, with 
 room for many collections, our Society would spring at 
 once into conspicuous honor and usefulness. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 T. Frank Waters. 
 
 REPORT OF THE SECRKTARY, DEC. 6, 1897. 
 
 On the evening of December 7, 1896, the annual meeting 
 of the Historical Society was held at the Society's room 
 in the Odd Fellows Building. 
 
 The President gave an interesting review of the work 
 of the Society during the year, enumerating the many 
 gifts which had been made, and closing with an euloof}' on 
 Mr. John Perkins who had died durino; the year. His 
 remarks on Mr. Perkins were supplemented by Mr. Nourse, 
 who moved that a committee be appointed to draft reso- 
 lutions expressing our appreciation of Mr. Perkins as a 
 man and a citizen. The committee appointed were J. W. 
 Nourse, T. F. Waters and Joseph I. Horton, who reported 
 the following resolution which was unanimouslj^ adopted 
 by the Society: "The recent departure of our brother 
 John Perkins has reminded the Ipswich Historical Society 
 of the first loss in its membership, through death. 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 97 
 
 "As the name which he bore was the first name of a 
 person written in our town records and has been associa- 
 ted with the town in each generation from its beginning, 
 so those virtues that are first in the malting of good 
 citizens, and that give efficiency to all forms of social 
 organization, are found continually illustrated in his life. 
 Brother Perkins possessed, in a marked degree, self- 
 control, loyalty, brotherly kindness and patriotism. 
 
 " Therefore be it Resolved : That we will cherish the 
 quality of citizenship of which he gave us so fine an ex- 
 ample ; and, while we lament his departure, we will enter 
 this minute upon our records in grateful memory of his 
 too brief association with us." 
 
 After listening to the reports of the Treasurer and 
 Secretary (which were adopted), the Society proceeded to 
 the election of officers for the ensuing year as follows : — 
 President T. F. Waters, Vice Presidents Hon. Chas. A. 
 Sayward and Hon. Frederick Willcomb, Treasurer Joseph 
 I. Horton, Corresponding Secretary Milo H. Gates, 
 Recording Secretary John H. Cogswell, Librarian Martin 
 V. B. Perley. 
 
 The Society has had during the past year five lectures : 
 the first, by Hon. Robert S. Rantoul of Salem, was given 
 in the Parish House January 22, on the " First Cotton 
 Mill in America" which he claimed was situated in North 
 Beverly near the Old Baker Tavern, and the famous well 
 from which Washington drank while on his triumphal 
 tour through New England. It has been claimed that the 
 First Cotton Mill in America was established by Samuel 
 Slater in 1791, at Pawtucket, R. I.; but Mr. Rantoul 
 proved by clear and conclusive testimony that a year 
 before Mr. Slater set foot in America, cloth and corduroy 
 were manufactured at the Mill in North Beverly. Cotton 
 at that time could not be obtained in this country but was 
 
98 MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING AND 
 
 imported from Barbadoes, Surinam and Pernambuco. Mr. 
 Rimtotil gave a minute description of the Mill and ex- 
 hibited a picture of the Mill and its surroundings. The 
 building was destroyed by fire in October 1828. At the 
 close of the address Mr. Rantoul was given a hearty vote 
 of thanks, and the President supplemented the lecture by 
 stating that Israel Thorndike, one of the owners of this 
 primitive mill, married the daughter of Dr. Joseph Dana, 
 for many years pastor of the South Church in this 
 town. 
 
 February 8th we again assembled in the Parish House 
 to listen to an address from Geo. G. Russell of Salem, on 
 Andersonville Prison. Mr. Russell enlisted at the age of 
 sixteen and saw many years of fighting and hardship. He 
 was taken prisoner May 6, 1864, and confined in Ander- 
 sonville, and other rebel prisons. His description of the 
 horrors of these " earthly hells " was most thrilling and he 
 richly deserved the hearty vote of thanks which he re- 
 ceived at the close of his lecture. 
 
 A mcetino; was called to meet at the Historical rooms 
 on April 12th to listen to a paper from Mr. M. V. B. 
 Perley on the Linebrook Parish. An important meeting at 
 the Town Hall, on that evening, kept many away from the 
 meeting and so few were in attendance that it was thought 
 best to postpone its delivery until some future time. Mr. 
 Perley is a native of that portion of our town, and is 
 thoroughly acquainted with his subject. And it is earnestly 
 hoped that we may be permitted to listen to the paper 
 during the present winter. 
 
 June 8th, we met at the Parish House to listen to an 
 address from Mrs. Mary Newbery Adams of Michigan, (m 
 "The place of Ipswich, in the development of our coun- 
 try." Mrs. Adams is a descendant of one of our early 
 settlers and is very much interested in our local history. 
 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 99 
 
 The last, and one of the best lectures the Society has 
 yet enjoyed, was given by Rev. Temple Cutler of Glou- 
 cester, November 22d, on " Rufus Choate." Mr. Cuiler 
 resided many years in Essex, which enabled him to gather 
 from the lips of those well acquainted with Mr. Choate 
 very many things which have never been given to the public 
 concerning him, and which made the lecture intensely 
 interesting to an Ipsw^ich audience. He spoke of his love 
 of nature, his attachment to his native town, and especially 
 to the lonely island where he was born. The lecture was 
 both entertaining and instructive, and we only regret that 
 it could not have been heard by many more of our people. 
 
 REPORT OF THE TREASURER. 
 
 Ipswich, Mass., Dec. 6, 1897. 
 Joseph I. Horton in account with Ipswich Historical Society. 
 
 DR. 
 
 December 6, 1897. 
 
 To balance from 1896 $ 4 87 
 
 To amount received for membership dues, donations, etc., 152 20 
 
 Total 157 07 
 
 OR. 
 
 December 6, 1896. 
 
 By amount paid for rent §100 00 
 
 By amount paid for printing 38 50 
 
 By amount paid janitor 150 
 
 By amount paid A. Tenney 100 
 
 By amount paid J. W. Goodhue 100 
 
 By amount paid F. H. Wade 7 00 
 
 By amount paid for incidentals 7 20 
 
 By balance in National Bank ------ 87 
 
 Total $157 07 
 
 EespectfuUy submitted, 
 
 Joseph I. Horton, Treasurer. 
 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MUSEUM OF THE IPSWICH 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO NOVEMBER, 1897. 
 
 Mrs. Jambs Alfrey, slippers of 
 Lady Mumsey. 
 
 Chas. Appleton, Hamilton, two 
 broadsides. 
 
 D. F. Appleion, ancient Peti- 
 tion, 1658, books and manu- 
 scripts, hour glass, sun dial, 
 flax wheel, photograph, win- 
 nowing fan. 
 
 Frank R. Appleton, map of 
 Ipswich, pictures of IpsAvich, 
 England. 
 
 W. SuMNEK Appleton, "Ancestry 
 of Priscilla Baker." 
 
 Willis L. Augur, Harrison 
 badge, 1840. 
 
 Ja>ie6 Averill, Salem, specta- 
 cles, book, coin. 
 
 John Baker, ancient spoon. 
 
 Samuel N. Baker, arm rest and 
 baluster rail from old meeting 
 house of 1st Parish, shoe 
 buckles, papers. 
 
 Mrs. Calvin Bachelder, Major 
 Woodbury's cobbling pincers. 
 
 Mrs. Eliz. H. Baker, loan, round 
 trunk, ancient plates. 
 
 John E. Blakemore, business 
 card of Paul Revere. 
 
 James W. Bond, newspapers. 
 
 Mks. J. W. Bond, military cap, 
 worn by Abraham Lord. 
 
 Warren Boynton, spinning 
 wheel, reels, lamp, candle- 
 sticks. 
 
 (100) 
 
 John A. Blake, Dr. Manning's 
 tooth puller. 
 
 Mr.s. K. K. Brown, chair, swift, 
 broadside. 
 
 Mks. Chas. W. Brown, piece of 
 old elm. 
 
 John B. Brown, loan, tea caddy, 
 old account book. 
 
 Allen W. Brown, flint lock 
 musket; canteen. 
 
 Frank Burn ham, loan, cup from 
 Benedict .Arnold house. 
 
 George Caldwell, panel pic- 
 ture. Great Neck. 
 
 Joanna Caldwkll, embroidered 
 pocket, busk, knitting sheath, 
 sickle, china, lamp, gridiron, 
 Caldwell deeds. 
 
 Mary T. Caldwell, Roslindale, 
 flre bucket, S. E. Strong, No. 2. 
 
 Sarah Caldwell, pew door, 
 spectacles, book. 
 
 Mary L. Chapman, Salem, ser- 
 mons, book. 
 
 Philip E. Clarke, almanacs, an- 
 cient deeds, flax, linen thread. 
 
 Thomas Condon, notices of 
 memorial services, fractional 
 currency. 
 
 Edwaud Constant, Victoria ju- 
 bilee medal. 
 
 Caroline L. Conant, two plates. 
 
 Shekman Cook, watcii chain. 
 
 Fred G. Cross, family mortar and 
 pestle. 
 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSEUM. 
 
 101 
 
 Edwin H. Damon, lock from Har- 
 ry Main bouse. 
 
 Mks. Edwin H. Damon, embroi- 
 dery. 
 
 Lyman H. Daniels, picture of 
 ship Boston. 
 
 Frank R. Daniels, loan, Indian 
 
 implements. 
 Mks. Susan B.Dickinson, Indian 
 implements, pewter platter, 
 canister; loan, antique chair. 
 Mrs. Eliza Dodge, hymn book, 
 confederate money, candle 
 sticks, old Italian paintings. 
 
 Mrs. Harry K. Dodge, attach- 
 ment, 1721. 
 
 Arthur W. Dow, loan, file of 
 Ipswich register and other pa- 
 pers. 
 
 Gko. F. Durgin, souvenir album, 
 75th anniversary of Methodist 
 Church. 
 
 H. L. Ellsworth, loan, 60-cent 
 fractional currency, copper 
 cents. 
 
 Hamden Faul, loan, MSS. ser- 
 mons of Rev. Samuel Cobbett. 
 
 Nath. R. Farley, spontoon, 
 Denison Light Infantry. 
 
 Ben.). Fkwkes, old papers, docu- 
 ments. 
 
 Angkline a. Foster, wooden 
 plate, books. 
 
 Al-mira p. Foster, cradle, flax- 
 comb, tin baker, tin kitchen. 
 
 A. S. Oakland, watchman's hook, 
 powder horn, fractional cur- 
 rency, newspaper. 
 
 Mrs. Eliz. K. Gray, loan, diplo- 
 ma Ipswich female seminary, 
 
 Abby C. Giddings, colored map, 
 comb. 
 
 Mrs. John Gilbert, book. 
 
 Saaiuel J. Goodhue, fowling 
 piece, 1777, Ipswich Custom 
 House seal, spoon, spectacles, 
 documents. 
 
 John J. Gould, loan, showshoes, 
 
 Mrs. Geo. H. Green, fire irons, 
 china, chest of drawers, sam- 
 pler, chair, shovel, trunk. 
 
 Mrs. S.vmukl Green, town and 
 school reports. 
 
 John S. Glovkr, piece of old 
 spoon, brick for hearth. 
 
 Joshua B. Grant, newspapers. 
 
 James Griffing, continental 
 money, 
 
 F. S. Hammond, Oneida, N. Y., 
 almanac, sermons, " Sentences 
 of wise men for them that first 
 enter to the Latin tongue." 
 
 George Harris, chair, book, 
 1637-88. 
 
 Mrs. Fred Hart, plate, owned by 
 Mrs. Eben Lord, 1783-1870, old 
 deeds. 
 
 Gkorge Haskell, Esq., two 
 copies Autobiography. 
 
 Geokgk Haskijll, jr., old bit and 
 stock, pamphlets. 
 
 Mrs. Susan Hobbes, coffee mill, 
 skillet of last century. 
 
 Sarah Holme.s, piece of an an- 
 cient quilt; loan, epaulet and 
 sash of Captain Holmes, can- 
 dle-mould, brass candlesticks. 
 
 Wm. a. Howe, loan, works of 
 Wrn. Robertson, 8 vols., Lon- 
 don, 1791. 
 
 Chas. Jewett, chairs, cheese 
 crumbier. 
 
 Chas. S. Jewett, jug of old pat- 
 tern. 
 
 Clarence A. Jkwept, knife and 
 fork ; hand made book, loan. 
 
102 
 
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSEUM. 
 
 M18SK8 Jewett, plate, Dr. Man- 
 ning's pestle and mortar, wall 
 paper, reports, etc. 
 Aauon Kinsman, sabre and pistol, 
 part of equipment worn by him 
 as a member of the Ipswich 
 troop in escorting Gen. Lafay- 
 ette into Ipswich, 1824 ; porrin- 
 ger. 
 Bethiah Kinsman, loan, flax 
 wheel, foot-stove, documents. 
 GusTAVUs Kinsman, flint lock 
 musket and bayonet, cartridge 
 box, belts, cap and plume worn 
 by Asa Kinsman as a member of 
 Denison Light Infantry, pewter 
 plate and mug, tinderbox, lamp, 
 printed documents. 
 William F. Kinsman, loan, 
 "John Manning his book, 
 1762." 
 RoBT. S. Kimball, campaign 
 
 medal. 
 Susan Kimball, loan, lace pillow, 
 sampler, diploma, piece of cur- 
 tain from old South Church. 
 Perley B. Lakeman, loan, pow- 
 der horn, knapsack. 
 Mrs. Perlky B. Lakeman, book 
 
 of pressed flowers. 
 George A. Lord, loan, ancient 
 
 family bible. 
 Frank H. Loud, loan, records of 
 Denison Light Infantry, old 
 documents. 
 Lucy S. Lord, picture, Abraham 
 
 Hammett. 
 James F. Mann, two chairs, 
 
 lampstand. 
 Manning School, cannon ball, 
 lock of Ipswich jail, Indian 
 implements, etc. 
 
 John W. Manseield, oil portrait 
 of John Winthrop, jr., New 
 Testament from Castle Thun- 
 der, Richmond, Va. 
 
 Joseph Marshall, flint lock gun 
 
 and sword. 
 Mrs. Jos. Marshall, loan, Brit- 
 annia tea-pot. 
 Jas. Api'leton Morgan, New 
 York, autograph copy of "I 
 love to think of old Ipswich 
 town." 
 Wm. J. Murray, Essex, book, 
 "200th Anniversary of Essex 
 Church." 
 Methuen Hist. Soc, publica- 
 tions. 
 Benjamin Newman, Indian imple- 
 ments. Continental money. 
 Mrs. Harriet E. Noyks, lace 
 made in Ipswich lace factory, 
 baby-shirt of Jonathan Rich- 
 ards 1799 ; loan, pitcher, minute- 
 glass. 
 Henry L. Ordway, shot mould. 
 Mrs. Hannah Parsons, Revolu- 
 tionary canteen. 
 Mrs. Mary S. C. Peabody, pho- 
 tograph. Rev. D. T. Kimball. 
 I. E. B. Perkins, post-office 
 
 boxes of Stephen Coburn. 
 John Perkins, pewter plates and 
 platters, fire bucket, continen- 
 tal money, Indian implements, 
 list Capt. Dodge's company. 
 
 M. V. B. Perley, almanacs and di- 
 rectories. 
 
 Augustine H. Plouff, warming 
 pan. 
 
 Mrs. Edward Plouff, picture, 
 Geo. Whitefleld, drinking jug. 
 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO JIUSEUM. 
 
 103 
 
 Fred. H. Plouff, lamp, with 
 bull's eye, tavern sign of Cor- 
 poral Foster I8OI1. 
 
 Chas. B. Rice, D. D., autograph 
 of Whittier. 
 
 Jas. E. Richardson, loan, Indian 
 implements, price-list, 1777, 
 fractional currency, picture. 
 Rowley Common 1839. 
 
 John Roberts, blue glasses. 
 
 Thos. Edward Roberts, writing 
 desk used by Daniel "Webster, 
 and engraving of Webster from 
 his library. 
 
 Timothy Ross, copies of Ipswich 
 Clarion. 
 
 Jacob C. Safford, Indian imple- 
 ments. 
 
 Mrs. HENRy Saltoxstall, Bos- 
 ton, water color, old Whipple 
 house, often called the Salton- 
 stall house. 
 
 Rich. M. Saltonstall. Boston, 
 " Sir Richard Saltonstall of 
 New England, Ancestry and De- 
 scendants." 
 
 Angus L. Savory, jar, ploughed 
 up In N. R. Underhiil's land, 
 wood from Avitch-house, so 
 called. In Salem. 
 
 Charles A. Sayward, Esq., 
 pistol holster used in Ipswich 
 Troop, lock of old post-offlce. 
 
 George A. Schofield, newspa- 
 pers, pamphlets. 
 
 John T. Sherburn, old family 
 chest, state bank biU. 
 
 CoL. Nath. Shatswell, his com- 
 mission as colonel in Civil War, 
 old documents, ancient spit. 
 
 Edward A. Smith, Salem, fac- 
 simile Trumbull's Battle of 
 Bunker Hill, 
 
 Eunice K. Smith, hand screen, 
 cheese tongs. Dr. Dana's china 
 and certificate of membership in 
 Bunker Hill Mon. Assoc, 
 mourning badge, pamphlet. 
 
 Miss Lucy Smith, confederate 
 bill. 
 
 John G. Sperling, picture, Rus- 
 sian scene. 
 
 Robert Stone, loan, Shatswell 
 
 andirons, date „ g, spinning 
 
 wheel, 1751, box iron. 
 
 Edward Sullivan, button. 
 
 John E. Tknney, loan, Spring- 
 field rifle, and canteen carried 
 by him in the Civil War, brush 
 and primer. 
 
 Mrs. John E. Tennky, loan, 
 towel, spun and woven by the 
 mother of Daniel Webster. 
 
 Mrs. Susan L. Thomas, piece of 
 ancient embroidery. 
 
 Hon. Robt. B. Tewksbury, 
 Methnen, pamphlet " The Mer- 
 rimack Valley. 
 
 Fr^vncis H. Wade, wool-cards, 
 Col. Nath. Wade's Revolution- 
 ary orderly books. Col. Wade's 
 fire bucket, ancient pocket- 
 books. 
 
 Misses Wait, flag of Denisoa 
 Light Infantry. 
 
 Mrs. Caruie L. Warner, loan, 
 proclamation 1779, Commercial 
 Advertiser. 
 
 T. Frank Waters, loan, Wash- 
 ington pitcher, exhibit from 
 shell-heap in Treadwell's Island, 
 roofing tile, glass from old 
 Burnham house. 
 
 Chas. H. Wells, school readers. 
 
 Mrs. Chas. H. Wells, Indian 
 relics. 
 
104 
 
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSEUM. 
 
 Mrs. Lucrktia "Whipple, loan, 
 glass-mug of Dr. Manning. 
 
 Harry H. Wildes, loan, Ham- 
 mett trunk. 
 
 Fred. A. Willcomb, canteen, 
 Denison Light Infantry, stand- 
 ing stool, owned bj"^ Wm. Oakes, 
 calendars, autographs of Jas. 
 G. Blaine and Senator Foraker. 
 
 Mrs. W. p. Willett, Orange, N. 
 J., plate owned by Mrs. Julia 
 P. Willett, Memoir of Mrs. 
 Abigail Waters, picture, fres- 
 coes in Sistine Chapel. 
 
 Joseph R. Wilson, cheese press 
 chair, Dutch oven. 
 
 Robert C.Winthrop Jr., Boston, 
 autograph letter, John Win- 
 throp Jr., July 20, 1634, in- 
 ventory of Winthrop's house- 
 hold goods, "Evidences of Win- 
 throp of Groton," "Life and 
 letters of John Winthrop,'' 
 " Speeches and Addresses, R. C. 
 Winthrop," "Memoir of R. C. 
 Winthrop," "Washington, Bow- 
 doin and Franklin." 
 
BY-LAWS. 
 
 This Society shall be called the Ipswich Historical 
 Society. 
 
 II. 
 
 The objects of the Society are to investigate, record and 
 perpetuate the history of the town of Ipswich, and to col- 
 lect, hold and preserve documents, books, relics and all 
 other matter illustrating its history, or that of individuals 
 or families identified with it. 
 
 III. 
 
 The Society shall be composed of resident, honorary 
 and life members ; and all the members shall have the 
 right to attend all meetings, and to enjoy full use of the 
 historical collections of the Society, subject to the ordinary 
 regulations, but the management and disposal of the So- 
 ciety's affairs and property, and the right to vote shall 
 belong only to resident and life members. 
 
 IV. 
 
 All members shall be nominated by the Directors and 
 shall be elected by ballot at any regular meeting by a 
 majority of the votes cast. 
 
 V. 
 
 Any member of kindred societies, and any person, who 
 has especial interest in the objects of the Society, or who 
 has rendered it valuable service, is eligible for honorary 
 membership. 
 
 Every person elected an honorary member shall become 
 such by signifying acceptance to the Recording Secretary, 
 in writing. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Any donor to the funds of the Society to the amount 
 of twenty-five dollars may be elected a life member, and 
 shall be exempt from the payment of the annual fee. 
 
 (105) 
 
106 BY-LAWS. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Every resident member shall pay an annual fee of two 
 dollars, which shall be due on the iirst of December, and 
 faihire to pay this fee for two years shall forfeit member- 
 ship unless the Directors shall direct otherwise. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 An annual meeting for the election of officers shall be 
 held on the first Monday of December and regular meet- 
 ing on the first Monday of February, May and October. 
 Special meetings may be held on the call of the Directors. 
 Due notice of all meetings shall be given by the Record- 
 ing Secretary. 
 
 IX. 
 
 The officers of the Society shall be a President, two 
 Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Recording Secretary, a 
 corresponding Secretary iuid a Librarian, and they shall 
 form collectively a Board of Directors. These officers 
 shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting, and their 
 term of office shall be for one year from the date of that 
 meeting, and until their successors are elected.^ Vacan- 
 cies in the Board of Directors shall be filled for the re- 
 mainder of the year by the remaining Directors. 
 
 The duties of all these officers sbill be those usually 
 belonging to offices they hold. 
 
 The Directors shall determine the use to be made of 
 the income and funds of the Society, shall endeavor to 
 promote the especial objects of the Society in such ways 
 as may seem most appropriate, shall appoint such com- 
 mittees as may seem expedient, and shall have the charge 
 and custody of all the property and collections of the 
 Society. 
 
 XI. 
 
 These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting 
 or the annual meeting, on recommendation of the Direc- 
 tors, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, 
 provided that due notice has been given of the proposed 
 change at a previous meeting. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE IPSWICH 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 
 
 VI. 
 
 ORDER OF EXERCISES 
 
 Dedication of the Ancient House 
 
 NOW occur :ed by the society 
 
 Proceedings at the Annual Meeting, Dec, 5, 1898 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 A HISTORY OF THE HOUSE 
 
 BY THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 ■ffpswicb : 
 
 The Independent Press. 
 1899. 
 
Home of the Ipswich Historical Society. 
 
 Ancient Kitchen, Historical House. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE IPSWICH 
 HIS TOPIC A L S O CIE T Y, 
 VI. 
 
 ORDER OF EXERCISES 
 
 Dedication of the Ancient House 
 
 NOW OCCUPIED BY THB SOCIETY 
 
 Proceedings at the Annual Meeting, Dec, 5, 1898 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 A HISTORY OF THE HOUSE 
 
 BY THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 Ilpswicb : 
 
 The Independent Press. 
 
Fit 
 
 GiJt 
 
 Tlie 
 
 :c'08 
 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
 
 At the annual meeting of the Ipswich Historical Society on December 6th, 
 1897, the President's Report called the attention of the Society to the ancient 
 house near the depot, commonly known as the Saltonstall house, as an interesting 
 local relict of the remote past, an admirable type of an early style of architecture, 
 too valuable to be allowed to fall into utter ruin, and an ideal home for the Society^ 
 A committee of inspection was appointed, and a thorough examination of the house 
 was made. It was found that notwithstanding the decayed condition of the ex- 
 terior, the interior was well preserved, and of such phenomenal attractiveness that 
 the work of repair and restoration, while extensive and costly, was well worth 
 undertaking. The owner, Mr, James W. Bond, was willing to sell, and the com- 
 mittee reported favorably to the project. 
 
 In May, 1898, after some preliminary canvas for funds had been made, the 
 Society voted to purchase the property, and a committee of five was appointed to repair 
 and restore the house, as it seemed best to them. The work was begun as soon as 
 the transfer of the title to the designated trustees was accomplished, and was pushed 
 as rapidly as possible through the summer. 
 
 Before it was completed, it seemed best to secure the incorporation of the 
 Historical Society. The Charter, and By-Laws of the corporation, a list of mem- 
 bers, the proceedings at the dedication, and at the annual meeting, the President's 
 report, which discussed at length the history of the old mansion, and the other 
 reports then presented are published in full in the following pages. 
 
THE CHARTER OF THE SOCIETY. 
 
 Gommonwcaltb of flDaesacbuectts. 
 
 Bs it kooWn, That whereas T. Frank Waters, Joseph I. Horton, Charles 
 A. Sayward, Everard H. Martin, John H. Cogswell, John W. Goodhue, 
 Charles W. Kelley, Theodore F. Cogswell, William S. Russell, John 
 Heard and John J. Sullivan 
 
 have associated themselves with the intention of forming a corporation under the 
 name of Tl^e IpsWich h|iStorical Society, for the purpose of gathering and 
 recording of knowledge of the history of Ipswich, and of individuals and families 
 connected with Ipswich, collecting and preserving printed and written manuscripts, 
 pamphlets and other matters of historic interest, and collecting articles of historical 
 and antiquarian interest, and preserving and furnishing in colonial style, one of the 
 ancient dwelling-houses ot said Ipswich, and have complied with the provisions of 
 the statutes of the Commonwealth in such case made and provided, as appears 
 from the certificate of the President, Treasurer and Directors of said corporation, 
 duly approved by the Commissioner of Corporations and recorded in this office. 
 
 Now, th)erefore, Ij William M. Olin, Secretary of the Commonwealth 
 of Massachusetts, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that said T. Frank Waters, Joseph 
 I. Horton, Charles A. Sayward, Everard H. Martin, John H. Cogswell, John W. 
 Goodhue, Charles M. Kelley, Theodore F. Cogswell, William S. Russell, John 
 Heard and John J. Sullivan, their associates and successors, are legally organized 
 and established as and are hereby made an existing corporation under the name of 
 The Ipswich liiStorical Society, with powers, rights and privileges, and 
 subject to the limitations, duties and restrictions which by law appertain thereto. 
 
 ^fgr§:-gr§^§^ ^j^j^ggg j^y official signature hereunto subscribed, and the seal of 
 if^ SEAL ^ the Commonwealth of Massachusetts hereunto affixed this 
 
 ^^•^':§:-§i§;-§:^ twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord, one 
 
 thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight. 
 
 WM. M. OLIN, 
 Secretary of the Commonwealth. 
 
BY-LAWS. 
 
 I. 
 
 The objects of the Society are the gathering and recording of knowledge of 
 the history of Ipswich and of individuals and families connected with said Ipswich; 
 the collection and preservation of printed and written manuscripts, pamphlets, and 
 other matters of historic interest, and the collection of articles of historical and 
 antiquarian interest, and the preservation of and flirnishing in colonial stvle of one 
 of the ancient dwelling houses of said Ipswich. 
 
 11. 
 
 The annual meeting for the election of officers shall be held on the first Mon- 
 day in December of each year, and meetings for literary and social purposes shall be 
 held on the first Monday of February, May and October. All meetings shall be 
 called by the directors by a warrant under their hands, addressed to the clerk of 
 the corporation, directing him to give notice of such meeting by sending a notice 
 to each member of the corporation bv mail four days at least before the time of 
 holding such meeting ; which notice shall contain the substance of the matter 
 named in said warrant to be acted upon at such meeting. Said warrant shall state 
 all the business to be acted upon at such meeting, and no other business shall be 
 transacted at such meeting. Special meetings mav be called bv the directors in the 
 same manner as other meetings. 
 
 III. 
 
 Any member of the corporation may present the name of anv person jfor 
 membership to the clerk, who shall announce at the next meeting of the corpora- 
 tion thereafter the name of said person so proposed for membership ; and said cor- 
 poration may vote to admit said person to membership of the corporation at the 
 
next meeting of said corporation held after the clerk has announced the name for 
 membership. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Every member shall pay an annual fee of two dollars which shall be due on 
 the first day of December, and failure to pay this fee for two years shall forfeit 
 membership unless said corporation otherwise direct. 
 
 V. 
 
 The officers of the corporation shall be a president, two vice presidents, treas- 
 urer, clerk, corresponding secretary, librarian and three directors. 
 
 These officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting and their term 
 of office shall be for one year from the date of that meeting and until their suc- 
 cessors are chosen. Vacancies in any of these offices shall be filled by the direc- 
 tors for the unexpired term. 
 
 VI. 
 
 The directors shall determine the use to be made of the income and funds ot 
 the Society ; shall endeavor to promote the special objects of the Society in such 
 ways as may seem most appropriate, shall appoint such committees as may seem 
 expedient and shall have charge and custody of all property and collections of the 
 Society. 
 
 VII. 
 
 These By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting or the annual meeting 
 on recommendation of the directors by vote of two-thirds of the members present 
 provided that due notice has been given of the proposed change at a previous 
 meeting. 
 
DEDICATORY EXERCISES. 
 
 On Wednesday, October 19th, the work of repair and restoration being well 
 completed, the Ipswich Historical Society dedicated its new home. The old land- 
 mark, known to many as the Saltonstall house, had undergone a wonderflil 
 transformation without and within. Fresh clapboards and shingles, new wood dex- 
 terously inserted in the decayed spots of the ancient beams, diamond paned win- 
 dows of the original low and broad shape, and a final coat of dark stain had made 
 a very attractive exterior and brought into bold relief the quaint and striking archi- 
 tecture. 
 
 Within, the partitions that divided the great rooms into two and even three 
 apartments had been removed ; the great fire-places had been restored ; the modern 
 ceilings had been torn away disclosing the original oak floor joists, and the original 
 plastering ; the great beams had been scraped and oiled, and the stately rooms had 
 been brought back, so far as possible, to their original dignity. 
 
 In the west room on the lower floor the library of the Society and its cabinet 
 of china and heirlooms have been permanently established. A fine oak chest loaned 
 by Mr. D. F. Appleton, an ancient piano loaned by Mrs. Charles S. Tuckerman, 
 andque chairs, pictures, and two great bronze candelabra contributed to make a 
 very pleasing appearance. 
 
 The east room has been furnished as a kitchen. Its capacious fire-place was 
 equipped with ancient cooking utensils and made bright and cheery with a roaring 
 fire. Pewter platters and ancient fire-arms adorned the walls. The spinning 
 wheels and cheese press and churn were in place, and the fine old hundred -legged 
 table occupied the center. 
 
 The west chamber was becomingly arranged as a bed room, with a canopy 
 bed made up with ancient bed furnishings, old family chests, cradle and lightstand. 
 A collection of water color pictures of the old houses of the town loaned by the 
 artist, Mr. Walter Paris, of Washington, attracted much attention here. 
 
 The great east chamber was reserved for the dedicatory exercises, and despite 
 the pouring rain, a notable gathering assembled there. The Essex Institute, of 
 Salem, sent a goodly delegation including the President, Hon. R. S. Rantoul, the 
 
b DEDICATION EXERCISES. 
 
 Secretary and Prof. E. S. Morse. The Danvers, Beverly, Methuen, Essex 
 and Gloucester Historical Societies were represented. Conspicuous among the 
 townsfolk were Mrs. Elizabeth K. Grav, who wore her grandmother's wedding 
 dress in honor of the occasion, and Mr. Aaron Kinsman, hale and hearty and 
 ninety-four, who trained in the Ipswich troop when it escorted La Fayette to Ips- 
 wich August 31, 1824. 
 
 The President called to order and spoke as follows : 
 
 Members of the Ipswich Historical Society, representatives of other Historical 
 Societies: 
 
 Ladies and Gentlemen: We are met here today to dedicate to the use of our 
 Historical Society this ancient house. As President Lincoln said at Gettysburg, we 
 may well feel that we can bring no honor to it by anything that we can say or do 
 here. The old home that has sheltered seven generations of men has won for itself 
 peculiar sanctity. Within these walls the great evxnts in the drama of life have 
 been enacted. There have been births and deaths, weddings and funerals, the 
 sorrows of parting, the joys of home coming, the ;nanifold toil of multitudes. The 
 hopes and fears and disappointments of the dwxllers within these rooms have filled 
 them with tender memories. The whirr ot Polly Crafts' loom seems to sound 
 again in this very room, where she gained a slender livelihood by weaving towels 
 and coarse fabrics, symbolic ot the wearing and patient industry which was the most 
 conspicuous feature of the home life of the past. 
 
 It is a link that binds us to the remote Past and to a solemn and earnest man- 
 ner of living, quite in contrast with much in our modern life. How long it is since 
 those who planned to build this mansion went up and down the forests to select the 
 grand old oaks and stately pines which should be felled to make these beams! How 
 much of loving toil was spent before they were shaped and carved and fitted! How 
 long the smith forged at his anvil before the nails and hinges were finished! The 
 open panel yonder shows how thoroughly they built, filling every space between 
 the studs with bricks and clay. Whether it was because they feared Indian assault, 
 — for fear of Indian assault was never wholly absent for many years after these 
 stout walls were reared, — and built thus securely, or because they sought to keep 
 out the biting cold of winter, I cannot affirm, but we must admire the solidity of 
 their work. 
 
 I am often asked how old the house is. I cannot reply definitely. We are 
 sure John Whipple was living on this spot in 1642 and probably in 1638, but 
 whether any portion of this building could have been erected within nine years 
 
DEDICATORY EXERCISES, 
 
 from the wilderness period is open to serious doubt. It seems probalile that the 
 oldest portion was built not far from the middle of the seventeenth centurv. 
 
 How many men of fine quality have come here! John Norton, the great 
 light of the Ipswich church who went from here in 16^5, to become the famous 
 pastor ot the Old South church in Boston, may have come often. We may feel 
 almost sure that William Hubbard, Pastor, and Historian of the Indian wars, Thos. 
 Cobbett, and the famous Rogerses, and every other of the old time ministers found 
 pleasant greeting, for the Whipples and Crockers were a godly race, and remem- 
 brance still survives of prayer meetings in good Deacon Crocker's time. 
 
 Gen. Denison in his young manhood dwelt on the adjoining lot; and in his 
 maturer years no doubt came to see the old neighbors and friends; and Major Sam- 
 uel Appleton, the hero of King Philip's War played here in his bovhood, for his 
 father's lands touched these on the west. Symonds and Saltonstall, John Apple- 
 ton and his famous co-patriots of 1687, and many another warmed themselves before 
 the great fires, and made themselves comfortable. In later davs the revolutionarv 
 soldier Col. Hodgkins lived here and died in the parlor below, in a press bed, as 
 his granddaughter remembers. 
 
 We have done our best to restore the house to its ancient stvle. We have 
 adhered slavishly to the original. These doors and hinges and wooden latches, 
 these great fire-places are all of the olden kind. Later hands had rebuilt the fire- 
 places, and constructed ovens, within their original bounds; but because they were 
 built subsequently, we have removed them and gone back to the primitive shape. 
 These new windows we are sure are of the same size and in the very place occupied 
 by the original ; and two old people, who came often to the house in their childhood, 
 remember windows, which had the diamond panes. 
 
 Of relicts we have as you see, not a few. Chief among them we reckon, on 
 this 19th day of October, the anniversary of the surrender of Cornwallis at York- 
 town, which is being observed as La Fayette Day up and down our land, the horse- 
 pistol and sabre worn by a member of the Ipswich troop in escorting La Fayette to 
 town on the 31st of August, 1824, and the tumbler from which the Marquis drank 
 at the banquet ; and better than that, we have with us in good health and strength, 
 the old soldier himself, who wore these accoutrements on that day, now in his 
 ninety-fourth year, Mr. Aaron Kinsman. I want to ask Mr. Kinsman to rise 
 that all may see him, and will all arise to receive him with due honor. 
 
 I will not weary you, however, for I wish to call upon the Pastor of the Old 
 First Church, the successor of Norton and Hubbard and all the rest. Rev. Mr. 
 Constant, to offer prayer, in this room where prayer has been wont to be made su 
 many times in the past. 
 
(O DEDICATORY E.YERCTsrS. 
 
 Prayer was then offered by Rev. Mr. Constant. 
 
 The following lines bv Mr. Samuel R. Bond of Washington, who lived in 
 the old house in his boyhood, were read bv Mr. John H. Cogswell: 
 
 "This ancient house to dedicate we meet. 
 
 As our new home, in this unique retreat; 
 Firm has it stood, two hundred years and more, 
 
 So staunchly built those ancestors of yore. 
 What visions rise, what thouglits our minds invade, 
 
 Of stalwart men, who its foundations laid! 
 Laid the foundations of our nation, too, — 
 
 Brave men, who "builded better than they knew." 
 
 Our purpose is in keeping with this thought; 
 
 To learn, preserve and treasure what they wrought. 
 To keep alive the spirit of their deeds, 
 
 And hold in lasting memory their meeds. 
 If built by Whipple or by Saltonstall, 
 
 Can make but little difference after all: 
 The type for which it stands is still the same. 
 
 And character survives without a name. 
 
 The dedicatory address was then delivered bv Rev. John C. Kimball, of 
 Hartford, Conn., who was introduced as "another boy of the neighborhood." He 
 spoke as follows: — 
 
 What constitutes the value of an old house like this that we have met here to- 
 day to dedicate to a continued existence, and why should the people ot Ipswich and 
 elsewhere be asked to contribute their money and their sympathy to its restoration 
 and preservation? Why not let it go on to completed ruin, and use our money to 
 put up a new, modern, stylish building which would be architecturally an orna- 
 ment to the town and have spacious and convenient rooms for the uses of our His- 
 torical Society? Is not a return of dust to dust the law of nature with regard to all 
 old things, — old plants, old animals, old men, old institutions, and even old relig- 
 ions? And is not what we are doing to this old building something which is 
 counter alike to nature and to plain business common sense? In one of Scott's 
 novels is an antiquarian, a clergyman, if I remember correctly, who spends a good 
 deal of time and research in the recovery ot an old drinking song not over moral in 
 its tone, which belonged to a past age, and is greatly delighted with his success. 
 Whereupon a friend of his in the plainer walks of life, seeing his delight in such 
 things, offers to procure for him at a very slight cost half a dozen fresh drinking 
 songs that rollicking young blades of his own time were then singing at the village 
 ale-house, and is greatly surprised at his apparent inconsistency when with a good 
 deal of disgust and horror he declines the offer. So if the parishioners and friends 
 of our brother Waters or of any one else among us, should offer to build here a 
 
DEDICATORY EXERCISES. I 1 
 
 brand new house to live in of exactly the same pattern as this old one, low studded, 
 big beamed, narrow stairwayed, open fire-placed, huge chimneyed, lacking in up- 
 rightness of walls, and, judged by the modern standard, in various ways architec- 
 turallv immoral, I doubt not he would shrink from the offer with equal dismav. 
 And such being the case, where is the consistenc}- of our delight with this one that 
 is not new? What the merit of oldness in a building, when what we want in our- 
 selves and in so many other things is \outh, — young ministers, young chickens, 
 young wives and the like? These are questions, as I understand the matter, that 
 the people of Ipswich wish answered as the condition of their giving their sympa- 
 thy and support to the work in which our Historical Society has here been en- 
 gaged. What is the answer? 
 
 The answer is first of all that such old things help to that which is the great end 
 of all buildings, all food, all clothing, all toil, all monev-spending, — help us the 
 more largely to live. To live at all, at least in this world, we have got to live in 
 time, and to live largely have got to have something more to live on that what we 
 eat and drink. Time, however, is threefold, not the present alone, but the future 
 and the past, and needs for living in all of it three different sets of faculties and 
 kinds of nutriment. We live in the present with our senses and our immediate per- 
 ceptions and affections; and the whole existing world as it is around us today sup- 
 plies its objects. We live in the future with our hopes, aspirations, plans; and 
 that promising of something better than that which we have now, which all nature 
 is full of, yea, is in the very meaning of the word nature, our own imaginations 
 "bodying forth the form of things unknown," and beyond all these, our religion 
 reaching out into the vast eternal years, they afford its food. 
 
 But even these are not all of life. To have its utmost fulness we must like- 
 wise live in the past. And to live this part of life we have memory, the memory 
 of ourselves and the memory of our race. In some respects it is one of the most 
 important faculties of the human soul, the one on which psychologically a whole 
 group of other faculties depend, the one without which it is doubtful whether we 
 could be rational, moral, self-conscious human beings. But even apart from the 
 deeper mental uses of memory, how much it adds to the richness and amount of 
 our actual living. It reaches back into our youth, and in spite of wrinkles and 
 years keeps a part of us forever young. It reaches back among our friends, and in 
 spite of death and the grave keeps something about them forever alive. It reaches 
 back with our race through the ages, and in spite of distance and decay gives us 
 the fellowship of its heroes and saints and sages and the accumulating treasures of 
 its wisdom and knowledge. Campbell has sung for us, "The Pleasures of Hope;" 
 Rogers with equal grace "The Pleasures ot Memory." The pleasures of memory 
 
I 2 DEDICATORV EXERCISES. 
 
 are not so brilliant and free from pain as those of hope. But they have this ad- 
 vantage, they are more solid and real, and are of a kind in which their inner mental 
 source can be assisted and strengthened bv actual outward things, bv books, pic- 
 tures, monuments and relics ot the past. 
 
 It is this fact that suggests the value of this old house and of all that our His- 
 torical Society is doing. It vivifies and strengthens memory, enables us to live 
 more richly in past time, stretches our existence from seventy and eighty to over 
 two hundred years, brings us into touch again with our ancestors and the fathers 
 of the town, and without asking us to desert with our bodilv senses our nice mod- 
 ern dwellings, opens to us a door through which to live with our minds among 
 the furniture, within the walls and under the customs ot our country's far off youth. 
 
 My sister, whose dwelling is the next house East of this, tells me that a ser- 
 vant of hers, a queer old lady endowed apparently with the faculty of seeing per- 
 sons and things invisible to common eyes, though uneducated and entirely ignorant 
 of the controversy about the building's original ownership, would say sometimes as 
 she looked over here, that she saw sitting at the window a stately dame "very dif- 
 ferent in quality from common folks," arrayed in a cap and style of dress, which, 
 as she described them, correspond very nearly with those of our Puritan age. If 
 her second-sight can be relied upon, it is not without its bearing on the Saltonstall 
 ownership, and it may be well for those who have taken that side and want an 
 evidence which will offset wills and deeds to interview the old lady. 
 
 But whether her vision was real or not, our historic memory looking in 
 through the windows of the place with eyes equally wonderful and helped by its 
 actual walls, can see it filled with the stately men and women of other days, can 
 ive with them their lives, think with them their thoughts, feel with them their as- 
 pirations. And there is nothing in such visions to make our hair rise and our flesh 
 creep, nothing which is not as sweet and pleasant as it is to meet the good elderly 
 people yet in their flesh who are here today. 
 
 Oh marvellous power ot association! Oh strange gift of material things, dead, 
 speechless, mindless themselves, to call out of its grave the Lazarus of the past, to 
 unbar the gates of the years and the ages for us to walk again their re-illuminated 
 aisles, to press afresh to our inner lips the wine of joys that time has dried up, and 
 out ot spirit worlds to bring for communion with us once more our loved and lost, 
 their touch, their words, their looks, their love. Do not accuse me of indulging in 
 mere fancy to give this house an unreal value or such as only sentimentalists can 
 teel. There is not one of you here, not the most prosaic fact worshipper, who does 
 not have some relic of the past which unlocks for him treasures that banks cannot 
 hold or figures express; not a childless mother who has not a ribbon or trinket or 
 
DEDICATORY EXERCISES 
 
 '3 
 
 little shoe, which a form seen of no outward eye comes back again and again to 
 wear; not a widowed lover who has not a ring or coin or lock of hair, which, Sun- 
 day eves or week-day holy hours, does not rekindle all the old affection; not a 
 scholar in whose library there are not books on whose pages are pictures no pencil 
 ever drew, and between whose lines records no type ever made. What would 
 Rome be without its ruins? What Greece, without its tombs? What Palestine, 
 without its Nazareth? What America, without its Bunker Hill and Gettysburg? 
 Who shall say it is mere fancy which gives them their value? It is their power o 
 making for us the past alive and making us live in the past. In every soul is a 
 Witch of Endor; in every land places from which its Samuels obey her summons. 
 And it is out of what is so precious in our individual experience, and out of what 
 everywhere gives the world so large a part of its wealth, that comes to Ipswich the 
 value of this ancient house. 
 
 As regards the objection against its preservation that it is the law of nature 
 that all things shall decay and that to keep it from doing so is going counter there- 
 to, it is to be answered that such is only a part of nature's law. Even outward 
 nature with all its destructiveness is likewise very largelv a preserver. What is 
 our whole earth beneath its surface but a grand old house? What are its coal mines, 
 its minerals, its rocks, its fossil animals and plants but the relics stored in it by a 
 historical society ages older than any human one? And without such stores what 
 would our manufactures, our agriculture, our travel, our science be? 
 
 More wonderful still, our own living bodies and souls, those not only of de- 
 crepit men, but of every new-born babe, are now known under the revelations of 
 heredity to be old houses filled with relics of the immeasurable past — physical or- 
 gans and traits of mind and soul which have come down from ages older than his- 
 tory, and, according to Darwin, from ages older than man. As Holmes has ex- 
 pressed it, "Live folks are only dead folks warmed over" — only ancestral homes 
 with the ancient mould and plaster scraped off, and the original oak beams re- 
 touched with today's fresh varnish. So that after all in preserving this old build- 
 ing we are only following Nature's own example — that Nature which through 
 Emerson has sung, — 
 
 "■No ray is dimmed, no atom worn, 
 
 My oldest force is good as new. 
 And the fresh rose on yonder thorn 
 
 Gives back the bended heavens in dew. 
 
 Ipswich is fortunate in having so many relics of the past, especially so many 
 old houses. Rightly viewed they are the most precious of all its outward posses- 
 sions. Any town which has monev can build new houses, in new styles, and 
 with all the modern conveniences. The country is full of them. But no money 
 
I 4 DEDICATORY EXERCISES. 
 
 no skill, no enthusiasm can build antiquity, — put up new edifices that are two hun- 
 dred years old. They are the dowry to us of time. And as such what worse 
 than spendthrifts should we be to hand them over to decav — worse than the old 
 medieval monks who erased the precious poetry of classic Greece and Rome to 
 write on parchments beneath it their own trivial subtleties? 
 
 There is no inconsistency between regard for ancient things, and prosperity in 
 the treasures of our modern life. Rather, the two things naturally go together. 
 Savages have no interest in the past. It is only civilized human beings who write 
 history and preserve ancient memorials. Society is like a tree. It cannot flourish 
 with its trunk resting only on the present's surface. It must, to bear fruic, have 
 roots which go down into the soil of the past, and limbs which lift themselves into 
 the airs ot the far off future. Out in Oregon I knew of a man who tried to clear 
 up his farm by burning up all its dead trees and accumulated mould. When he 
 had done so, he found he had only a gravel bed left. I knew of another man 
 there who in clearing up his farm preserved its mould and decayed trees; and of 
 new products he had not only thirty and sixty, but a hundred and two hundred 
 fold. Which farmer, even in the pursuit of material prosperity, had Ipswich bet- 
 ter follow? 
 
 Along with its old buildings there is one other thing in which our town is es- 
 pecially fortunate, and that is in having among its citizens a man endowed, as Mr. 
 Waters is, with the knowledge, the enthusiasm, the good taste and the immeasura- 
 ble patience which qualify him to be a leader in their preservation, a man who is 
 not a mere Dr. Dryasdust picking up alike pebbles and pearls that are old, but one 
 with the insight which has been quick to discern the original values to which the 
 years have added their interest. 
 
 I know a little in my own experience how difficult it is to enlist the sympa- 
 thy even of one's friends in such an enterprise as the restoration of this building has 
 been. I have an oldish ancestral house of my own in town that I have a tender- 
 ness for and which I like to keep clothed in such a garb as is needed to give age 
 respectability. But there is a most excellent lady in my family who finds it hard 
 to share in such a tenderness. She thinks it is my most expensive vice, says 
 laughingly that so far as ribbons and new bonnets are concerned she would be bet- 
 ter off with a husband who had half a dozen ordinary marital iniquities such as ci- 
 gar smoking in her room, muddy boots on the parlor floor, praising his mother's 
 bread above hers, admiring other women and even staying out late at night, than 
 one whose sinfulness takes the form of a wayward passion for old houses. 
 
 I do not know whether the better half of Brother Waters has the same opinion 
 of her husband's antiquity morals, or the same suffering as its result in the line of 
 
DEDICATORY EXERCISES. 
 
 15 
 
 ribbons and bonnets. But I do know there are some excellent members of our 
 town's municipal family who, seeing what he has been engaged in, have had their 
 doubts raised about his intellectual uprightness, and who would hardly be more 
 perplexed and more parsimonious in their contributions to it of money, had he 
 been engaged in building a nice dancing hall, or a spacious race course, or even an 
 elegant drinking saloon. 
 
 Nevertheless in the face of all this indifference and coldness he has gone 
 straight ahead putting into it his time, his money, his faculty, his good nature, his 
 unrivalled taste, and his own personal hand-work. I do not forget the aid he has 
 received from his genial fellow members of the Historical Societv and from a few 
 large minded friends at home and abroad. But all will testify that without his 
 leadership the work would never have been done or even started. The tribute of 
 the lady, a stranger, visiting the place awhile ago, and finding him hard at work, 
 yet ready politely to answer all her questions, "I met there a very intelligent paint- 
 er," was how well deserved. And whatever other names the place may bear as to 
 its original builders and occupants, we are glad to think that it will stand, if not at 
 once, yet in the long coming years, as the memorial also of the man who has so 
 self-sacrificingly and so modestly given himself to its preservation. 
 
 Recognizing thus the value of this old house and of the work which has been 
 put into it, we dedicate it to the memories of the past, to the uses of our Histori- 
 cal Society and to such mementoes of ancient Ipswich life as shall from time to 
 time be gathered within its rooms. In doing so, we feel that we place it along- 
 side ot the town's venerable hills and river and ocean shore as one of its ornaments; 
 alongside its schools and its public library as one of its educational institutions: 
 alongside its markets and workshops and factories as adding to it a wealth finer than 
 gold; and alongside its churches and homes as co-operating fitly with him who 
 compared the kingdom of Heaven to a man who out of his treasury brought forth 
 new and old and who himself came to mankind that they might have life and have 
 it more abundantly. May the interest and support of the town's citizens be gath- 
 ered into it more and more; and as they, too, shall grow old, may it be to them 
 an emblem ot the beauty, the dignity and of the treasures out of the past that our 
 human old age may have, and a reminder of that other house, older than all time, 
 not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, within which we all at last hope to 
 be gathered. 
 
 Hon. Robert S. Rantoul of Salem, President of the Essex Institute, made a 
 few congratulatory remarks, and was followed by Prof. Edward S. Morse, with a 
 bright address, full of wit and wisdom. Mr. James Appleton Morgan of West- 
 field, N. J., author of the well-known poem, "I love to think of old Ipswich town" 
 
i6 
 
 DEDICATORY EXERCISES. 
 
 spoke with much feeling of" his Appleton ancestry, and predicted wide-spreading and 
 enduring fame for the ancient house in its new role as the home of the Historical 
 Society. The company then adjourned to the great kitchen, where tea was served 
 by the ladies and great good cheer prevailed. 
 
 Beside the liberal delegation from the Essex Institute which had arranged a 
 field meeting in town for the earlier portion of the day. Col. David Low, presi- 
 dent of the Gloucester Historical Society, Chas. Woodberry, vice-president of the 
 Beverly Historical Society, John Prince, president of the Essex Historical Society, 
 and Mr. Rufus Choate of the same Society, Andrew Nichols of the Danvers 
 Historical Society and representative of the Methuen Historical Society were 
 also present. 
 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
 
 The first annual meeting of the corporation was held at the house on Winter 
 street on December first, 1898 at 8 p. m. 
 
 The following officers were elected by ballot: President, T. Frank Watersj 
 vice presidents, John Heard, Frederic Willcomb; clerk, John W. Goodhue; treas- 
 urer, Joseph I. Horton; directors, Charles A. Say ward, Everard H, Martin, John 
 H. Cogswell; corresponding secretary, John H. Cogswell; librarian, John J. Sulli- 
 van. 
 
 The following amendment to the Constitution was adopted: 
 
 "Any person not a resident of Ipswich, who has contributed or mav contri- 
 bute five dollars to the Society may be elected an honorary member of the cor- 
 poration, and shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Society except that of 
 voting at its meetings." The report of the president was read and accepted. 
 
 The report of the treasurer was read and accepted. 
 
 \ 
 
 PRESIDENT'S REPORT. 
 At the last annual meeting of the Ipswich Historical Society, the project of 
 purchasing the ancient Whipple House and fitting it for the use of the Society, was 
 considered, and a committee was chosen "to inquire into the feasibility of the plan." 
 No words of mine are needed to tell in detail the result of their deliberations. To- 
 night we meet under its ancient roof The title deeds are held by our Society as a 
 corporate body. The work of repair and restoration is complete. Our collec- 
 tions are arranged in these great rooms. With becoming enthusiasm our mansion 
 has been formally dedicated to its new and honorable use as an historic landmark, 
 and the home of the Society. Already the fame of this ancient building has gone 
 abroad. Many strangers have come to see it and the unanimous verdict is, that the 
 house is of extraordinary intrinsic value, and that our Society is most fortunate in 
 securing possession. 
 
COL. JOSEPH HODGKINS. 
 
 The house now occupied by the 
 
 (pswich Historical Society was once 
 
 the home of Col. Hodgkins. 
 
 (18) 
 
ANNUAL MEETIXC PRESIDENT S REPORT. lU 
 
 As a specimen of seventeenth century architecture, this house is an obiect of 
 just pride. The size and quality of these superb oak beams, their finely finished 
 moulded edges, the substantial oak floor joists, the great posts with their escutcheons 
 so laboriously wrought, the noble size of these four great rooms, proclaim that this 
 was a home of wealth and refinement, and make it easv- for us to believe that it was 
 the finest mansion of the town. Many ancient houses have disappeared, but the 
 most tenacious memory of the oldest inhabitant cannot recall such strength and elab- 
 orate finish as we find here. So far as I am familiar with the oldest houses now 
 remaining, none can compare with this for a moment. 
 
 The question of its age is constantly raised, by town-folk and stranger alike. 
 The other question of its ownership is still vigorouslv argued. I think I can do no 
 better service at this time than tell the story as I have been able to discover it, by- 
 long and careful and repeated research. 
 
 Many remember Mr. Abraham Bond, the father of Mr. Jas. W. Bond, from 
 whom our Society purchased the property. He bought the house and about an 
 acre of land of Caleb K. Moore, October 7, 1841 [Essex Co. Deeds, 327:157.] 
 and made his home here for the remainder of his life. Mr. James W. Bond re- 
 members that in his boyhood, the floor joists were exposed as we see them now, 
 but fashion decreed that a more modern style was to be preferred, and vandal 
 hands chipped and hacked the venerable timbers, nailed laths upon them, 
 and covered them from sight with very commonplace plastering. The old fire- 
 place in the kitchen in the leanto was bricked up within his remembrance, and the 
 latest addition on the northwest corner was built. 
 
 Mr. Moore had purchased the house with an acre and eleven rods of land 
 from Mr. Nathaniel Wade and others, heirs of the estate of Col. Joseph Hodgkins, 
 in 1833, October 31st [Essex Co. Deeds, 271:164]. This was only half of the" 
 Hodgkins estate, however, and on Aug. 11, 1841, the heirs sold the balance of the 
 property, measuring an acre and eleven rods, to James Estes. As the deed de- 
 scribes it, this piece of land extended down Winter street, to the barn and land of 
 Joseph Farley, now occupied by the buildings of the Ipswich Mill, followed the 
 line of the Farley land to the river, extended along the river bank to the Samuel 
 Wade propc-ry, and followed this line to Moore's boundary line. The Hodgkins 
 property thus extended from the main road to Topsfield to the river, and measured 
 two acres and twenty-two rods. [Essex Co. Deeds, 326:215.] 
 
 Col. Hodgkins had married for his third wife, Mrs, Lydia Treadvvell, relict of 
 Elisha Treadvvell and daughter ofDea. John Crocker. Her brother, Joseph, at his 
 death owned and occupied the house, and the other heirs sold their interest to her 
 husband. The original deed of sale, bearing date of May i6th, 18 13, is before 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 me as I write, conveying to Col. Hodgkins five-sixths of the estate for $750. One 
 chamber was reserved to the unmarried sister, Elizabeth Crocker, who occupied it 
 by the express provision of her father's will drawn in 1804. The deed still re- 
 serves to Elizabeth "the great chamber in the west end of the house, with the priv- 
 ilege of going in and out at the front dojr, and a right to use the entrv way and 
 stairs in common, and a right to bake in the oven in the north-easterly room, to go 
 to and from the well, and a privilege in the cellar to put and keep so much cider, 
 vegetables and other necessaries sufficient for her own use, also liberty to pass and 
 repass to and from the yard at the southwest end ot said house, and to keep therein 
 the wood for her own use, said reservations to continue so long as she shall remain 
 single and unmarried, as expressed in the last will and testament of said John 
 Crocker deceased." Miss Sarah Wade, the granddaughter of Col. Hodgkins, is 
 very sure that he did not take up his residence in the old mansion until 181 8, and 
 she tells me that her father built on the pantry, which now serves as the hallway of 
 the caretaker's tenement, in that vear, to increase the convenience of that portion of 
 the house. Miss Wade, then a smart slip of a nine-year-old girl, was often at the 
 house and has vivid recollection of her honored grandfather and his home. He was 
 then 75 years old, with thin hair which was gathered into a queue, a very tall 
 man with strongly marked Roman nose. How the venerable soldier must have 
 bowed himself under these low doorways! His residence gives much character to 
 our mansion. He had served as lieutenant in the Ipswich Company of Minute 
 Men at Bunker Hill, and had fought at the battles on Long Island, at Harlem 
 Heights, White Plains and Princeton, and was at Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga. 
 To his last days, he would have his pewter plate, which was kept with the platters 
 on a high shelf in the kitchen. The dark passage-way from the kitchen to the bed- 
 room served as a cheese room. The room we have occupied as our kitchen was 
 the parlor, and the only carpet in the house covered the floor. Some roundabout 
 chairs, and a pair of great brass andirons were included in the parlor furnishings, 
 and a quaint colored English print of the Countess of Suffolk's house near Twicken- 
 ham, published in 1749, hung on the wall, and is now owned by Miss Wade. 
 The west room was the family sitting room, and in this room the old Revolution- 
 ary soldier died, lying in an old press bed in the center of the room on Sept. 25, 
 1829. 
 
 Upstairs Miss Polly Crafts made her home in the East chamber, and worked 
 at her loom, weaving. Through these rooms, the lively young Sarah roamed, 
 turning over the hour-glasses, peering into the great fireplaces and looking up their 
 black throats to see the stars, and scampering down across the garden to the old 
 malt-house, on the site of the mill storehouse, to pick the wild roses that bloomed 
 
ANNUAL MEETING ^PRESIDEXT S REPORT. 21 
 
 there in profusion. She slept in the little bedroom that opened from the West 
 Lower Room, the night her grandfather died; and she remembers distinctly that the 
 window in that room was diamond paned and opened like a door. Her brother, 
 Mr. Francis H. Wade remembers a window of the same st\le in the front gable 
 end. Follo\ving this clew, we have made all our windows with diamond-glass. 
 
 Mrs. Hodgkins, as was said, was the daughter of Dea. [ohn Crocker. That 
 excellent man disposed of his worldlv goods in his will as follows: 
 
 In the name of God Amen. I John Crocker of Ipswich in the County of 
 
 Essex as to my worldly goods and estate, [I] give, demise and dispose 
 
 of the same as follows — viz. 
 
 Imprimis. I give and devise to my son Joseph his heirs & assigns forever, 
 my malt house and about one acre of land adjoining with the well and drane lead- 
 ing to said malt house, also a desk that his mother brought to me when 
 
 we were married. 
 
 Item. I give and bequeath to mv daughter Elizabeth, the great Chamber in 
 the west end of mv dwelling house so long as she shall remain single and unmar- 
 ried. I also give her a case of drawers and a chest with two drawers, which was 
 her mother's. I also give and bequeath to my said daughter, Eliz. one cow and 
 two sheep, such as she shall choose, to be winterd and summerd for her by my son 
 John, and also sixtv dollars in money. Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter 
 Mehitabel Appleton, sixty dollars in money. Item. I give to my son-in-law 
 Thomas Appleton a note of hand I have against him dated April 28, 1795. 
 
 Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Lydia Treadwell, sixty dollars in 
 monev Item. I give to my grandson Thomas Wade and Samuel Wade thirty dol- 
 lars each. Item. I give and bequeath to my grand daughters Mary Waldron and 
 Abigail Waldron, thirty dollars each. Item I give and bequeath to my son-in-law, 
 Edward Waldron, at my decease, my great Bible. Item. I give and bequeath to 
 my daughter Elizabeth, one feather bed and bedding which her mother brought to 
 me, when I married her. Item. 1 give and bequeath to my three daughters and 
 to my grand-children, children of my Daughters, Mary and Hannah, deceased, the 
 whole of my household goods (excepting my silver tankard) to be equally divided 
 between them. 
 
 I give to my daughters aforenamed and my aforesaid grandchildren, at my 
 decease, all my books to be divided in same manner as I have ordered my house- 
 hold goods to be divided. Item. I give and devise to my son Joseph and to my 
 daughter Elizabeth, and to their heirs and assigns in equal shares, my Pew in the 
 South Meeting House in this town. Item. I give to my sons John and Joseph all 
 my wearing apparel and farming utensils to be equally divided between them. 
 
11 ANNUAf- MEETrNG PRESIDENT S REI'ORT. 
 
 Item. I give and devise to my son John and to his heirs and assigns forever all my 
 
 buildings and lands, excepting such part of mv buildings and lands as I have before 
 given to mv son Joseph and my daughter Elizabeth. Item. I give and bequeath 
 to my said son, all my stock of cattle and sheep, all mv notes of hand, mv silver 
 Tankard, and all the rest and residue of my estate. 
 
 Mav 3, 1 804. 
 
 [Essex Co. Probate Records 374:9:10.] 
 
 An inventory and appraisement of the estate of Deacon John Crocker late of 
 Ipswich. [Probate Records 374 : 81.] 
 
 In the West lower room 
 
 a clock 516 I looks glass $8 one desk ^5; 29.00 
 
 a settee $3 black walnut table 4 foot, $2.50 5- 5° 
 writing desk ^1 small round table ^1, light stand 30 cts 
 
 stands candlesik 1.25 3.55 
 
 one great chair and 6 small ditto viol back $3.50 i round table $1.25 4-75 
 
 one small chair turkey worked 33cts hand iron, shovel & tongs $2.50 2.83 
 
 one feather bed, bolster and pillows $23, bedstead sacking bottom %z 25.00 
 
 curtains $1.50 3 blankets $4.50 calico quilt ^2 8.00 
 
 tea salver $1.25 great Bible $4 other books & paphts $6.00 i i.. 25 
 
 2 pair small scales & weights 80 cts hearth brush 25c 1.05 
 
 Westerly bed room. 1 bed, bolster & pillows $27 under bed 
 
 & bedstead $2.75 29.75 
 
 2 blankets $z 2 do $3 i bed quilt $2 i coverlet $2 13 pr 
 
 sheets ^22.75 31-75 
 
 10 pair pillow cases $3.07 table cloths ^4.75 i 2 napkins $1.75 9-50 
 
 East room 3 leathd chairs $1.50 round chair & cushion ^i 2.50 
 
 four old. chairs 67 cts, small looking glass %\ 1.67 
 
 pair small handirons 5oct small table i 2 ct 62 
 
 East bed room, underbed, bedstead & cord $ 1. 25 3 coverlets $3.75 5.00 
 
 two blankets %i i pair sheets %z linen wheel & reel %\ 5.00 
 
 tinpail 33 cts scales & weights 50 cts wearing apparel $25 25.83 
 
 32 ounces silver plate ^32.42 half dozen teaspoons ^2.50 34'92 
 
 I pair shoe & knee buckles ^3 set gold buttons $3.50 6.50 
 
 West chamber. i case drawers $1.50 one ditto faneerd $7 8.50 
 
 six leath'd chairs $2.50 one great ditto ^3, small cane backd %\ 6.50 
 
ANNUAL MEETING — -PRESIDENT'S REPORT. 2 '5 
 
 bed, bolster & pillows $22 under bed, bedstead & cord $3 35.00 
 
 curtains & valions jgj one pair sheets $2.50 rcQ 
 
 289.97 
 
 one blanket $1.50 coverlet $1 bed quilt $2.00 4. Co 
 
 small pair hand irons 50 cts i maple table $i small looking glass .25 1.75 
 
 In the East chamber. 1 bed, bolster, & i pillow $25, under bed, 
 
 bed std & cord $2.50 27. Co 
 
 3 blankets $3.25 three bed quilts $^ 7.2q 
 
 square oak table 50 cts. old chest and fire screen 75 ct 1.21; 
 
 flaxcomb $1. iron-jack 75c T.yi; 
 
 In the kitchen i brass kettle $3 one brass pan $2 r.cxj 
 
 Pewter $9, handirons $2'. 50 shovel & tongs $1 12.50 
 
 gridiron 50 cts candlesticks 50 toasting iron 50 i tq 
 
 I pr brass candlesticks $1 iron and tin ware $6 7.00 
 
 bell metal skillet 30 cts brass skillet j; i T.30 
 
 tin ware $1.75 warming pan $1.00 pr bellows 25 ct 7.00 
 
 earthen ware & glass bottles ^2 case with bottles $1.50 3- 50 
 
 crockery ware & glass ditto ^3 3 tables $1.75 4-75 
 
 a mortar 2 coffee mills flesh fork, skimer and skewers 2. 00 
 
 3 iron bread pans $1 3 chests $1.50 meal chest 50 3,00 
 
 kitchen chairs $1.50 old cask & tubs $2. 50 50 lb. salt pork $B 12.00 
 
 cheese press §1.25 two spits $1.25 pails $1 J-Co 
 
 Inventory of estate of foseph Crocker, maltster: 
 
 House and barn and malt-house, with other buildings & land 900.0c 
 
 I blue coat $3.00 i blue surtout coat $2.50 i blue grate coat $3.50 9.00 
 I black waist coat $ i 2 green waist coats $ i 2 pair small cloths woolen 
 
 and drawers $2 4.00 
 
 I pair kersey meer small cloths 50 cts i pair nankin jacket, and breeches $1 1.50 
 1 pair cotton and linen trowsers $1. 8 shirts $6.50 8 pair of hose $3.50 i i.oo 
 
 1 pair leather gloves 12 cts. 2 silk and one linen handkerchief $1.75 1.87 
 3 pr. old trowsers 75 cts 2 frocks $1. 2 pair of boots $3.75 2 pair 
 
 of shoes $1 .50 7.00 
 
 2 telt hats 60 cts. i gun, bayonet & snap sack and cartridge box ^5 5.60 
 I gun & cartridge box, and 2 powder horns $2 live hare cleaned 60 cts 2.60 
 
 John Crocker disposed of this property to his brother Joseph, though I find no 
 
 record of the transaction, as Joseph's heirs sold to Col. Hodgkins. But in 
 
 .s. 
 
24 ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 the return of the administrator of Joseph Crocker, in March 1 8 1 4, we find 
 the items 
 
 "five sixths of dwelling house and land sold to Joseph Hodgkins Esq. 750.00 
 
 "to paid John Crocker 621.38 
 
 Deacon John received the estate by inheritance from his father, Benjamin 
 Crocker, a man ot excellent qualitv. He was graduated from Harvard College in 
 1713, was Representative in 1726, 1734, ^Ti^y taught the "Grammar school 
 many years, and often preached. He made his will after the pious fashion of his 
 day and devised his property as follows: 
 
 WILL OF BENJAMIN CROCKER. 
 
 In the name of God, Amen. April 9, 1766. 
 
 I Benjamin Crocker, of Ipswich in County of Essex, in New England, being 
 in Health of Body and Mind & Memory (thro the Favour of Almighty God,) & 
 calling to Mind the Uncertainty of Life and Certainty of Death, Do make and 
 Ordain this my last Will and Testament, and Principally and above all I recom- 
 mend my Soul into the Hands of God, Thro Jesus Christ, hoping for his sake and 
 Righteousness to find acceptance with God at the great Day of his Appearing ; 
 and my Body to decent Christian Burial : and touching such worldly Estate as God 
 been pleased to bestow upon me, I give and dispose of the same in Manner follow- 
 ing, viz. — 
 
 Imprimis. I give to my well beloved wife Elizabeth fourteen pounds, and all 
 that estate which she brought with her to me upon our Marriage; provided and on 
 Condition she shall acquit all her Right or Claim and Interest in & to all the rest 
 of my estate. 
 
 Item. I give to my daughter, Mary Gunnison, the two best silver spoons, 
 which, with what I gave her at her Marriage, together with what she held of land, 
 which she had of land which she and her Brother sold to Charles Tuttle after her 
 Marriage, which I account of a sufficient Part of my Estate. (The particulars of 
 which I have set down in a Pocket Book in my Desk. ) 
 
 Item. I give all the rest of my Estate both real and personal of what 
 Nature soever to my son John Crocker, after my Debts and funeral Charges are 
 paid by my said Son. Benjamin Crocker. 
 
 [Probate Records 343:481] 
 
 Mary Crocker, the first wife of Benjamin, received the property from her 
 father. Major John Whipple. No record of sale, gift or inheritance from her 
 remains, but the identity of the property is indisputable as will appear from our 
 subsequent study of adjoining estates. 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 25 
 
 The will of Major John ^^'hipple, Crocker's father-in-law, is of much interest 
 and I append it in tull : 
 
 WILL OF MAJOR JOHN WHIPPLE. 
 
 In the name of God Amen. The thirtieth day of August I722. I John 
 Whipple, of Ipswich, In the County of Essex in New England, being sick & 
 weak of Bodv but of perfect Mind & Memorv, Thanks be Given to God therefore. 
 Calling to Mind y« Mortality of my Body Sc knowing y^ Is Appointed for all Men 
 Once to Dve Doe make and Ordaine This my Last Will & Testament; that Is to 
 sav principally & first of all I Give and recommend mv Soul Into the hands of 
 God that Gave it, and mv Body I Recomend to ve Earth to be buryed in a Decent 
 & Christian Buriall att ye Discretion of my Exec, nothing Doubting but att ye 
 Genii Resurrection I shall receive the same againe by ye Almightv power of God; 
 and as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith It hath pleased God to bless in This 
 Life, I Give, Demise & Dispose ot the same in the following Manner or Forme. 
 
 Impr. I give to mv Daughter Marv Crocker & To the Heirs of her Body 
 Law'fully begotten mv now Dwelling House & Homestead with all the buildings 
 upon the same. Also I give to mv Daughter Crocker all ye furniture both of the 
 parlour and Parlour chamber also one Bed More such as shee shall Chuse with all 
 ye furniture to ye same belonging, also Three pair of Sheets, Two Large Table 
 Cloths & Two Smaller Ones & Two Dozen of Napkins, also I give unto my 
 Daughter Crocker all the utensills of y'^ Kitchen & Leantoe & also my two Neb 
 oxen & all my Utensills for husbandrv, also One old Common Right & mv Negro 
 Man & Two Cowes. 
 
 Item. I give to mv son-in-law Benj. Crocker my and fouling piece. 
 
 Item. I give to my Grandson, W'" Brown, my pistolls and holsters. 
 
 It. I give to my Granddaughter, Martha Brown, forty pounds. 
 
 It. I give to Daughter Rogers my Negroe Woman Hannah. 
 
 It. I give to my Grandson, John Rogers, twenty pounds and after all my 
 Lawful debts and all y"^ above Legacies & my funerall Charges are all payd, the 
 whole of my Estate which shall then remaine Both real and personal. Bills, Bonds, 
 Whatsoever to be honestly apprized & Equally Divided between my Three daugh- 
 ters, Martha, Mary & Susannah. [Probate Records 313:458] 
 
 INVENTORY. [313:555] 
 Wareing apperell ^30 Book 80s Bills and Bonds ^182-14-6 
 
 horse & mare etc;^ii2 328 14 6 
 
64 
 
 3 o 
 
 6 
 
 15 
 
 1 7 
 
 4 ° 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 I 8 
 
 26 ANNUAL MEKTING PRKSIDF.NI 's REPORT. 
 
 COWS, Steers, hcfFers & calves ^-|-7 9s Household stuff in y^ Hall 
 £16 14s 
 
 Household goods in v^ bedroom below jQz ^s in v"-' bed room above 90s 
 
 In the Kitchen Chamber ^J 8s Sheets, Pillow beers, Napkins, Table 
 cloths. To wells 196s 
 
 1 2 yds Linnin Cloth 409 l 2 yds Druggt 409 20 yds Cotton & 
 Linnin 40s old Curtain 6s 
 
 2 blankets, 2 Coverlids, I Rugg, 60s I Reel i os Linncn c\' Worsted 
 yarn 38s 
 
 wool 10s Cotton vvooll ^os bottles 203 2 sadles 96s 12 bar'-'"'^ 24s 
 2 tubbs 69 
 
 5 swine iocs Calash &: Tackling 40s Slay i 8s 
 
 an old saw mill standing on Ipswich River with y<^ apurtenances be- 
 longing to y^ mill without y*^ priviledge of y*-' streem 15 00 
 An addition of the Parsonall Estate of John Whipple Esq. taken April i 7th, 
 
 1723. 
 
 One silver headed Cain 35s one walnut staff with silver head 13s 280 
 
 one old Desk 3s pr Cards is 4d 1 Knife and fork 2s about 50 Gro. 
 
 buttons old 63 0124 
 
 I pr sheers 6d i old press ? 1 8s i pine chest 4s i Table 4s i Do 
 
 2S 2 old Chairs is i pr stillards 5s 1146 
 
 When the Rev. John Rogers receipted for his son's legacy, as his guardian, it 
 is recorded that it was in accordance with the will of "Major John Whipple." 
 It is important that every clew however slight to the successive generations of 
 Whipples be noted, as we enter now a bewildering maze of John Whipple, Cap- 
 tain John, Major John, Cornet John, Elder John, John Senior, etc., through which 
 it is verv difficult to thread our way. 
 
 This will of Major Whipple drawn in 1722 contains one item of note in 
 determining the age ot different portions of the house. It mentions the ''kitchen & 
 Leanto." One addition, at least, had been made prior to this date; but whether 
 it was the very small leanto that seems to have been built first on the northeast 
 corner, or the larger and later addition that provided a new kitchen, we can not 
 determine. I incline to the former hypothesis, as there is mention of only four 
 rooms in the will and inventory. Two slaves are included in his estate, a negro 
 man, who was given to Dame Crocker, and Hannah, who became the property ot 
 the minister's wife, Mrs. John Rogers. We are glad that she was a person ot 
 sufficient note to be mentioned bv name. The humble black man, who was sand- 
 
ANNUAL MEETING I'RESIDENT S REPORT. 2~J 
 
 wichcd in between *'an old common right" and "Two Cowes," is mentioned 
 only as a chattel . 
 
 Major John Whipple was the eldest son of Captain |ohn Whipple Senior, who 
 made his will in 1683. The will is of value, and is inserted in full. The Inven- 
 tory, which follows, is minute and is published in a verv slightly abridged form. 
 
 THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CAPT. JOHN WHIPPLE, 
 
 SEN. OF IPSWICH. 
 
 I, John Whipple Sen of Ipswich, having not settled my estate before in case 
 of death do thus order the estate which God hath graciously given me. Inprimis 
 my will is yt Elizabeth, my well beloved wife, shall enjoy one halfe of my 
 dwelling house so long as shee shall see cause to live therein, and if mv execuf'^ 
 shall provide her y*^ going of a cow or two, with y*^ use of an horse for her occa- 
 sions during yt time: And my will further is yt my execuf'^ shall pay or cause to 
 be paid unto her fifteen pounds b\' y"= year, besides w^ is already mentioned during 
 y^ time of her naturall Life. Item, my will is yt my daughf Susan Lane shall 
 have y'^ portion w^'' she hath already Receiv^ed (which I judge to be about seaventy 
 pound) made up an hundred and fifty pounds, in like specie as before. I will also 
 that my sd daughter shall have y^ remainder of her portion paid her within three 
 years after my decease, my will likewise is, that my youngest daughter Sarah 
 Whipple shall be brought up with her mother (if shee be willing thereunto) and 
 my executors to allow her w' maintenance is necessary thereunto, & to have like- 
 wise an hundred and fifty pounds for her portion at the time of her marriage, or 
 when she comes to one and twenty years of age. Concerning my three sons, it 
 was my intent y* if my estate were divided into five parts y' my eldest son should 
 enjoy two fifth parts thereof, y^ other three to be left for y*^ other three viz. 
 Matthew, Joseph & Sarah. But apprehending that I am not like to escape this 
 sicknesse, I thus dispose concerning the same, viz. I will that my son John and 
 my son Matthew shall be execuf^ of this my last will & testament for y*^ present & 
 y' my son Joseph shall be joyned as an execuf w"> them two, as soon as ever he 
 comes to be of age. And then my Will is that if my son John enjoys all y^^ Lands, 
 houses, buildings & appurtenances, and Priviledges thereunto belonging where he 
 now lives together with y'^ Land in y'^ hands of Arthur Abbot to be Added there- 
 unto: And that my son Matthew enjoy es y*^ Lands, houses, where he now lives, 
 the appurtenances & priviledges w''^ y<^ saw mill & y" Land in y^ tenure of Fennell 
 Ross, y' then my son Joseph when he comes of Age shall enjoy y"^ houses, build- 
 ings. Malting office, w''' y'^ other Lands, pasture. Arable & meadow where I now 
 
28 ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 live as his right of Inheritance & portion, to him and his heires forever, provided 
 
 y« my son John do help him to order & manage y*^ same till he himselfe comes of 
 
 Age. And also mv will is that then he pay an hundred pound out of his estate to 
 
 his sister Sarah, and v^ rest of her and her sister Susan's portion to be paid out of 
 
 y*^ Debts and other chattels which are found belonging to my estate. But if my 
 
 two elder sons be not satisfied with this Distribution of my Reall estate, my will is 
 
 yt my whole estate (with w^hat is in my son John's and Matthew's hands already 
 
 of houses and lands) both reall and personal be equally divided by indifferent 
 
 Apprizall into five parts, and if then my eldest son shall have two fifths thereof, my 
 
 son Matthew another fifth, and if Joseph shall have another fifth and y^ y^ last fifth 
 
 shall be improved to pay debts and other Legacies and y' w' ever land falls to any 
 
 of my three sons shall be to them and their Heires f )rever. In witness whereof I 
 
 have set to my hand & scale this second of x^ugust 1683. 
 
 John Whipple. 
 
 my will also is y' if my two sons, John & Matthew choose 
 
 to enjoy y*^ farmes y' then J"° shall also have y^ ten acres 
 
 of marsh by Quilters & Matthew as much of my marsh in JOHN WHIPPLE 
 
 ye Hundreds to them and their Heires forever excepting y'^ 
 
 marsh in y«= Island w'^'^ may be sold to pay debts. 
 
 signed, sealed & Delivered in presence of us 
 
 William Hubbard 
 Samuel Phillips 
 Daniel Epps 
 [Probate Records 304:10] 
 
 An Inventory of the Estate of Captaine John Whipple of Ipswich, taken by 
 us whose names are underwritten the tenth of Septemb'' 1683 
 
 Imprs His wearing Apparell, Woollen & Linnen prized at ^27 i8s 27 18 o 
 
 It. A feather Bed & Bolste>' ^5 curt"^ vallins, coverl^ all of 
 
 searge ^ i 2 
 It. ADiaper tablecloth at ^2 5s a shorter Diaper tablecloth ^ I 2S 6d 
 It. An old cupboard cloeth 2s Lesser cupboard cloeth 5s towells 4s 
 It. Three Pillow Beeres 9s 9 Diaper napkins 13s 6d 8 napkins 7s 
 It. Turkey worke tor chairs & fringe & cloeth to make them £^ 5s 
 It. Linsy woolsey cloeth 12s 3d a Remnant of Broad cloth 6s a yd 
 
 Kersey 8 s i ' 
 
 It. Fine cloth to bottom chairs ^-^ 13s cushions 9s a chest of 
 
 drawers ;^2 15s 61; 
 
 17 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 / 
 
 6 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 It. Two cushion stuoles at 6s a great chaire 5s Brass cob irons ^ i 5s 
 It. A looking glass los two wicker baskets ^s gloves 3s four 
 
 chairs j£ i 12s 
 It. Two bolsters ;^ I )S coverlid ^i a blanket & sheet ;^i 
 It. A Bedstead & cover i6s 6 fine wrought chairs ^2 8s 
 Jt. Three Leather chairs 9s fring chaire 6s a great chair 6s 
 
 It. Fine Stool fringe 6s cushions 4s (covered) 
 
 It. A fine wrought form & stoole 7s brass fire pan tongs & snufi-ers 
 
 It. Two pair of iron tongs & a warming pan i 2S a case of knives 55 
 
 It. PistoUs, holsters & Belt £2 15s one cushen and matt 7s 
 
 It. Brush & Broomes 2s 3 Pictures 3s a Book of Maps 5s 
 
 It. Thirteen napkins & towells los a course table cloth los 
 
 It. Two old table-cloths two towells &: two cheese cloth 6s 
 
 It. Three sheetes i 8s one sheet 8s one pair of sheets 1 6s 
 
 It. One pair of fine sheets ^i 5s an old pair 6s old Books 2S 
 
 It. Two course pillow beers 3s three bolster cases 7s 3 pillow 
 
 beeres I sheet 
 It. One sheet i 2S 6d old sheet 4s another 4s one sheet 8s 
 It. A sheet & Bolster case 3s 6d a Pillow case & drawers 2s 
 It A yellow silk scarfc 12s an old yellow scarfe los 
 It. A yard ^ fine holand i 5s Remn'^ of hol'«'» 3s yarns, thread 
 
 tape 7s 150 
 
 It. One chest 6s a Rapeyer <& Belt ^i 13s a cutlas 15s a 
 
 Rapeyer los 340 
 
 It. Files and sawes 3s chissells, gouges, gimblets 3s 8d 6 8 
 
 It. Three pair of sheares 4s 6d two locks 2s one auger is 76 
 
 It. One auger is a span shackle & pin 2S old Iron & stirrup irons 6s 9 o 
 
 It. Two old Bills IS whissells 3s Basket & Gloves 3s 070 
 
 It. A Basket & yarne 3s scales & lead weights i 2s 0150 
 
 It. A compas 2s a file is A Razor & hone 3s Box & old iron 2S 6d 086 
 It. A great Bible 1 6s in Books ^5 8s 9d 5 Bonles of syrrup 
 
 of clove gilly fl 7^9 
 
 It. Three bottles of Rosewater 6s two Bottles of mint water 3s 90 
 
 It. A Glass Bottle of Port wine 2s Angelica water sirrup of gilli 
 
 fill's, strawberry water 3 Bottles 4s 3 pint Bottles a great 
 
 Glass 4s 100 
 
 It. Three greate Gaily Pots w* w« was in them 4s 2 earthen 
 
 chamber pots, etc lo o 
 
 
 29 
 
 I 
 
 16 
 
 2 
 
 10 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 17 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 
 lo 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 13 
 
 I 
 
 5 
 
 i 
 
 8 6 
 
 
 5 6 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
JO AN'N'UAL meeting PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 It. A Box Drawers, two peices of twine £i 2s a 'bag with sugar 
 
 IS 6d 
 It. Spurs and wyer is 6d 2 cavnes 2s croaper and a girdle is 3d 
 It. A Bedstead and cover above and below curtains and vallance ;^ 2 6d 
 It. A cupboard with small things in it £2 3d A deske and 
 
 drawers i 2s 21 
 
 It. A small Box is a brush and a stock to do limmes is 6d o : 
 
 It. Seaven di&hes of white earthen ware one Bason and a sully bub 
 
 pot 1 6s 
 It. One glass slick stone earthen porrenger and pot 3* 2 flower 
 
 pots IS 
 It. eight cushens j£ i los table los great chair 4s 3 small 
 
 chaires 65 
 It. To a great chaire 4s window curtain is 6d part of a Buriing 
 
 cloth 8s 
 It. Forty cheeses j£^ an apple trough 6s two powdering tubs 
 
 6s 6d Lether 2s 
 It. Three beer Barrells 8s a great glass is a powdering tub 5s 
 
 and old tubs 48 
 It. Two andirons 14s churn 4s firkin w'^ 4 lb of butter £1 5s — 
 It. Two earthen pots 2s 4 pound candles 2s 8d a hand jack 
 
 is 3d 2 p"" scales gaily pot 
 It. The best pewter 77 lb £j 14s 10 lb more of pewter ^i old 
 
 pewter 15 lb ^i candlesticks £1 
 It. a Bed pan 9s two basons 8s four old candlesticks 9s 5 salt 
 
 sellers 5s one more 2s 
 It. Two Basons & 4 Pottingers one beaker 9s 6 new pottingers 
 
 7s 6d a pottinger 43 
 It. Two pint pots 6s flagon 14s 2 quart pots 6s 
 It. Two old chamb"" pots los 4 lb old pewter & a 3 qt bason 9s 
 
 cop"" pot 63 tin-ware 6s tin ? 
 It; Plate one bowle ? ^3 three spoons ^1 los silver cup los 
 
 pair buttons 2s 6d three pair buttons 3s one buckle is a pair 
 
 of shoe buckles 63 3 dozen of plate buttons £ 1 
 It. a still with Instrum'* belonging £1 los tin lanthorn is beams 
 
 for scales & weights 
 It. a Box iron 4s a smoothing iron is a brass copp'='' ;^7 a great 
 
 Brass pan jCz 14s 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRF.SIDENt's REPORT. 
 
 It. Two small brass pans ^i 12s 6d old copper kittle 19s a 
 
 brass kittle ^j 5s 
 It Two small brass skillets 6s 2 small brass Ladles c^- one skimmer 
 
 4s 6d 
 It. A brass bason 4s skillet 5s a little brass kettle 7s skillet 4s 
 It. Wool combs vv'l' belongs to them i 6s a brass chafeing dish 3s 
 It. Two bell mettle pots one ^2 5s y"-' other £1 5s an iron 
 
 kettle 8s & lit' iron pot 
 It. Two dozen of trenchers is 6d one trav 6 old dishes w'l' other 
 
 dishes 3s 4d two piggins is 6d 
 It. Three checshoopes is earthen Pitcher 3d one paylc, one piggin 
 
 & strainer 3s ^d 
 h. An iron pot & pot-hooks 9s 6d two tramels w''' irons to hang 
 
 upon I 2s 
 It. a pair oi bellows, meat forke, augar .^ gridiron 4s a trammel 
 
 with hooks to it i 2s 
 It. a fowling piece ;i^i los two carbines £2 a jack, weight l*v: a 
 
 spit £2 10 
 It. a salt box Sc salt is two old bibles is 4 old chairs & old 
 
 jovnt stoole 4s 
 It. a mealc trough 6s sives 3s 6d shreding knife is frying pan 
 
 and marking iron 4s 
 It. a cushion 3s cap & fardingalls is a kettle & skillet 9s 
 It. a bed & bedding 15s old spinning wheel 3s an old chest 3s 
 It. The Homestead at towne, dwelling house, kilne & other houses 
 It. a great saddle bridle cS: breast plate, crouper w^'' a cover at ;^3 los 
 It. I'istols, holsters, breast plate crooper & simiter £2 5s 
 It. a tramel & slice 6s 
 It. two keelers 4s 
 
 It. I-awrence y'^ Indian at ;^4 3 yds crape at 6s 
 It. The farme Landes, Arthur Abbots housing cSj land 
 It. Fennel Rosses housing & land 
 It. The saw-mill w''' all implements belonging to it 
 It. |ohn's house & barn & kilne at 140 
 It, Matthew's house & barn 
 
 The total appraisal was ;^3 3i4. 
 
 It will be noticed that the homestead was apportioned to Josepli in the will, 
 
 
 31 
 
 3 
 
 12 6 
 
 
 
 10 6 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 19 
 
 + 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 16 4 
 
 
 5 
 
 ! 
 
 I 6 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 14 6 
 
 
 •3 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 y^o 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 2 
 
 5 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 190 
 
 
 
 190 
 
 
 
 40 
 
 
 
 140 
 
 
 
 140 
 
 
 
jf ANNUAL MEETtNC— PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 but in the final division as it is recorded under date of Oct. 31, 1684, John re- 
 ceived "the mansion house his father deceased in wrh Barn, outhouses, Kihic, or- 
 chards &: homestead wth commonage & privileges in and upon Two acres & a haU 
 of land be it more or less, called ye Homestead in Ipswich Towne." [Book 305: 
 folio 135]. 
 
 Captain Whipple's farm lands included the present Gardner estate, I judge, 
 in Hamilton. His wealth was very unusual in his day, and the appraised value of 
 the house with its modest house lot is phenomenal. It was valued at ;^33o. 
 
 Gen. Denison's property was inventoried the year before, 1682, and his 
 dwelling house was appraised at ^160. [Ipswich Records 4:506]. He was a 
 man of wealth [^2105], and his house had been built but a tew years, as his 
 earlier residence had been burned, yet this fine residence as we may imagine it to 
 have been, was reckoned worth less than half as much as Capt. Whipple's 
 mansion. 
 
 Dep. Gov. Samuel Symonds died on Oct. 13th, 1678, five years before, 
 leaving an estate of 2534 pounds sterling, but his house and about two acres in 
 town, in the very center, were estimated worth only one hundred and fifty pounds. 
 
 These valuations confirm me in the belief that Captain Whipple's mansion 
 was the grandest in the town or in the larger neighborhood. He inherited a com- 
 fortable fortune from his father, John Whipple, the elder of the church. His will 
 and inventory made in the year i66g, and indorsed upon the outside "Elder John 
 Whipple" are as follows: 
 
 WILL OF JOHN WHIPPLE, SENIOR— 1669. 
 
 [Filed, not recorded.] 
 
 In the name of God, Amen. I, John Whipple Senior of Ipswich in New 
 England, being in this present time of perfect understanding and memory, though 
 weake in body, committing my soule into the hands ot Almighty God, and my 
 body to decent buryall, in hope of Resurrection unto Eternall life by the Merit 
 and power of Jesus Christ, my most mercyfull Saviour and Redeemer, doe thus 
 dispose of the temporall Estate w'^^ God hath graciousely given mee. 
 Imprimis. I give unto Susanna Worth of Newbery my eldest daughter thirty 
 
 pounds and a silver beer bowle and a silver wine cup. 
 Item. I give unto my daughter Mary Stone twenty pounds and one silver wine 
 
 cup, and a silver dramme cup. 
 Item. I give unto my daughter Sarah Goodhue twenty pounds. And all the rest 
 
 of my houshold goods my will is that they shall be equally divided betwixt _my 
 
ANNUAL MEETING I'RESSDENT S REF'ORT. ^3 
 
 three daughters afore sayd. But tor their other Legacycs mv will is that they 
 should be pavd them \v"iin two yeares at'ter my decease : and if it should so tall 
 out y^ any of my daughters above sa\d should be taken away bv death before 
 this time of pa\ment be come, m\- will is that the Respective Legacyes be 
 payd to their Heyres when they come of age. Likewise I give unto Antony 
 Potter, my son-in-law sometime, fourtv shillings. 
 
 Moreover I give unto fennett my beloved Wife ten pounds which my will is 
 y' it should be pavd her besides the fourteen pound, and y*^ annuity of six 
 pounds a veare engaged unto her in the Articles of Agreement before our 
 Marr}-age. Concerning the fourscore pound, which is to be Returned backe 
 to her after my decease, my will is y' it should be payed (both for time and 
 manner of Pay) according to y^ savd Agreement, viz: one third part in 
 wheat, Mault and Indian Corne in equall proportions, the other two thirds in 
 neat Cattle under seaven yea'*^ old. Further my will is y' no debt should be 
 charged upon my said wife as touching any of her daughters, untill it be first 
 proved to arise from the account ot Mercy, Sarah or Mary. 
 I do appynt my loving friends, M'' WilHam Hubbard and Mr. John Rogers of 
 Ipswich, the overseers of this my last will and Testament, and I doe hereby 
 give them power to determine any difference y* may arise betwixt my executor, 
 and any of the Legatees, aforesayd, about y^ payments aforesayd. Lastly I 
 ordayn and Appoynt my son John Whipple the sole executor of this my last 
 will and Testament. To whom I give all the rest of my estate, both houses, 
 lands, cattle. Debts from whomsoever due and to his heyres forever. 
 In confirmation w'hereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale this loth day 
 
 of May, 1669. In the presence of 
 
 William Hubbard The marke of 
 
 Robert Day 
 
 The marke of | | | Edward Lummas John "^ Whipple 
 
 This will was presented in court held at Ipswich the 28 of September, 1669, 
 by the oath of Mr. Wry Hubbard and Robert Day to be the last will and testa- 
 ment of Elder John Whipple deceased to the best of their kuowleage. As attest. 
 Robert Lord, cleric. 
 
 An inventory of the estate of Mr. John Whipple deceased the 30 oi June, 
 1669. 
 
 Impr. The farme contayning about three hundred and sixty acres i 50 00 
 It. The houses and lands in ye Tow^ne contayning about one hun- 
 dred acres 250 00 
 It. In apparell 900 
 
34 
 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 In linnen 
 
 A fFeather bed with appurtenances 
 
 In Plate 
 
 In Pewter 
 
 In Brasse 
 
 In chavres, cushions, & other small things 
 
 A still 
 
 Two flock Beds 
 
 Two Tables 
 
 One musquet, one pr of mustard quernes 
 
 Andirons, firepan & tongs 
 
 Two mortars, two spitts 
 
 In Bookes 
 
 6 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 7 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 6 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 3 
 
 lO 
 
 o 
 
 I 
 
 7 
 
 o 
 
 
 i6 
 
 o 
 
 I 
 
 lO 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 1 I 
 
 o 
 
 
 '5 
 
 o 
 
 
 •4 
 
 o 
 
 
 lO 
 
 o 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 o 
 
 444 • o 
 
 Ipswich July 15th '69 
 
 Richard Hubbard 
 
 John Appleton 
 (The originals are endorsed -'Elder John Whipple)" 
 
 The inventory was delivered in court held at Ipswich the 28 of September, 1669, 
 upon the oath of cornett John Whipple to be a full & true inventory of the estate ot 
 his ffather, deceased, to the best of his knowledge and if more appears afterward it 
 should be added. As attest, 
 
 Robert Lord, Cleric. 
 The Elder's estate included the large 360 acre farm which had been divided 
 into several by the prosperous Cornet and Captain, and other property, entered as 
 *<houses and lands in ye Towne contayning about one hundred acres," valued at 
 ^^250. The two acre homelot and homestead was contained in this beyond a 
 doubt, but we can not be sure how mnch else is included. It does not seem possi- 
 ble that Captain Whipple's mansion should have been identical with the Elder's 
 house. The great increase in value within the short period of fourteen years, 
 1669 — 1683, indicates at least a substantial enlargement or rebuilding. This 
 supposition harmonizes perfectly with the fact, apparent to every observer, that the 
 eastern half of the present edifice was added to the western portion, and the elab- 
 orate and costly style of the newer work presupposes such ample wealth as Cap- 
 tain Whipple possessed. 
 
 A very interesting parallel to such an enlargement is found in the old 
 Howard or Ringe house, as it is called, near the Stone Bridge on Turkey Shore. 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENTS REPORT. 3 5 
 
 In William Howard's will dated Jul}' 23d, 1709, he says, "Item, I give unto 
 my loving and well-beloved wife the use both of the old end of mv house man- 
 sion and of the new end, so far as she shall have occasion for during her nat- 
 ural life." 
 
 "Item. I give to my two sans John and Samuel Howard, viz. to my son 
 John, the new end of my house mansion which is not yet fully finished, with 
 half the stack of chimneys built in said new end, which will best serve for the 
 use thereof. 
 
 *'Item. I give to mv son Samuel mv old mansion house and also one-half 
 of the stack of chimnevs built in the new end of said house, which will best suit 
 for the accommodation ot said mansion house. 
 
 Evidentlv a considerable change in the chimnev of the old house was in- 
 volved, and in our house, it is evident that the chimney stack was enlarged when 
 this new portion was added. The Western half of our house was probably there- 
 fore Elder Whipple's home, and as the fashion of houses was in those days, it was 
 a very good and comfortable house, much larger and better than many which 
 were built in that period. Did he baild it? Probabl/. Yet when he acquired 
 his full title to the estate, a house was already built. The deed is recorded in the 
 old Ipswich Record, (1.89) and reads thus: 
 
 Md. that I, John Fawne, gent, do by these presents, allow, certjfie & con- 
 firme, unto Mr. John Whipple his heires and assigns forever, a certaine bargaine & 
 sale of an house & house lott in Ipswich conteining by estimation two acres & a 
 halfe, more or lesse, formerly sould unto the said John Whipple by John Jolly, 
 Samuell Appleton, John Cogswell, Robert Muzzey, & Humphrey Broadstreete & 
 doe hereby release all my right and title thereunto, as witness my hand & scale, 
 this I oth day of October, 1650 John Fawne. 
 
 The original deed is not to be found, and this quit claim deed only perfects 
 the title to the property, which was purchased by Whipple from six well-known 
 citizens acting in some collective capacity, not yet discoverable. But it is of great 
 value as proving Fawn's original ownership. But John Whipple was living on 
 this spot in 1642, for in that year the town ordered that John Whipple "should 
 cause the fence to be made between the house late Captain Denison's and the sayd 
 John Whipple, namely on the side next Capt. Denison's." But Fawn's occu- 
 pancy of this location had ceased in 1638, inasmuch as in our Town Record, it 
 was recorded in 1638, that eight acres had been granted to Samuel Appleton 
 above the Mill, the Town River on the South East, the house lot formerly John 
 Fawne's North East, and the highway leading into the Common, North west." 
 Whipple may have been living there at that early period, but I cannot believe 
 
■j6 ANNUAL .MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. 
 
 that even the oldest part of this venerable house could have been in existenee then. 
 The original Whipple house, was probably some cheap, hastily built affair of logs 
 and thatch. It was only when life became less precarious in the new settlement, 
 that time and trouble could be taken to build substantial dwellings. 
 
 These ancient grants afford us the first links in the chain of collateral evidence 
 which confirms our identification of the property mentioned in these various wills 
 with our mansion and lot. 
 
 Our Town Record mentions that Mr. Fawne had a houselot adjoining to Mr. 
 Appleton, six acres near the mill. 
 
 Daniel Denison had a house let, next Mr. Fawne's "to come to the scirt of 
 the hill next the swamp." Denison's lot is again described as "near the mill, 
 containing about two acres, which he hath paled in and built an house upon it, 
 having Mr. Fawn's house lot on rhe South west." 
 
 Denison's property included the tract bounded by Market, Winter & Union 
 Sts. The Appleton lot was on both sides of the Topsfield road, beyond the present 
 railway crossing. Fawn's land lay ketween them. As he sold only two and a 
 half acres to Whipple the balance of his original grant had been sold apparently to 
 Mr. Appleton as he always appears as the abutter on the western side. 
 
 The grant to Denison originally included a lot that hounded the Whipple land 
 on the South-East, i. e. toward the River. This \vas owned afterwards by John 
 Burnham and Anthony Potter. A portion of this original Denison grant was 
 owned by Jeremiah Belcher. 
 
 On the occasion of his marriage with Mary Lockwood, Belcher conveyed to 
 Mr. Robert Paine, Richard Brown of Newbury and Rob. Lord of Ipswich, "in 
 behalf of the sayd Mary etc." "his now dwelling house with out-houses, orchards 
 yards, gardens & all other the appurtenances and priviledges thereunto belonging, 
 which house is scituate, lying & being in Ipswich aforesayd, neare the mill on the 
 north side the river, having the said river toward the southeast, and the land of 
 John Whipple toward the norwest." 30:7:1652 [Ipswich Deeds, i:239]Twelve 
 years later, Jeremiah Belcher mortgaged his farm & town property to Capt. Geo. 
 Corwin. The dwelling and land about it is described as follows: "On the West 
 side of the Mill River, having the River on the East side thereof", the land of Elder 
 Whipple on the west, and on the north, the Towne and mill & bordering south- 
 ward, upon the land of Elder Whipple. [Essex Deeds, 2:92.] 
 
 On the 8th of April, 1672, Anthony Potter sold Samuel Belcher (son of 
 Jeremiah) a small piece of land, "joyneing to the houselott of Jeremiah Belcher and 
 hounded therewith and with the river on the South and Southwest syde, and with 
 the houselott of John Whipple on the Northwest and with the highway on the North 
 
ANNUAL MEETING PRESIDENT S REPORT. ^7 
 
 East, all which piece of hind I had of John Burnham." [Ipswich Deeds, 3:223."! 
 
 On April 20th, 1672, the Rev. Samuel Belcher, Pastor on the Isle of Shoals, 
 sold to Edward Lumase, in behalf of Richard Saltonstall, Esq. 
 
 "A parcell of ground near unto the mill, f)r to sett a house upon for the miller, 
 that shall keepe the mills from tyme to time, to live and dwell in while he or they 
 .shall keepe the sayd mills," "conteineing about six rodds of land bounded by a 
 fence of pales toward the West, the barne of- Jeremiah Belcher toward the South, 
 ■downe to a rocke near the end of the sd. barne toward the East, & comon land or 
 highway, where gravell hath beene digged towards the North." [Ipswich Deeds, 
 3:329-] 
 
 This is the only deed which contains the name of Saltonstall. Before 
 remarking on it, let me add two others. Marv Belcher, the widoAv of Jeremiah, set 
 over to her son Samuel, who then resided in Ipswich, "all that houselott given & 
 
 made over to me by wav of jointure on Marriage, bounded by y^ 
 
 grist mill in Ipswich easterly, Mr. John Appleton's land Southerly, Mr. John 
 Whipple's land Northerly, the other part bounded bv the way to sd Land or lott, 
 and partly by land granted to Major Dennison, now possessed and built on by 
 Samuel Belcher." Novem. 11:1692 [Essex Deeds 49:251] 
 
 In 17 1 3, Sept. 25, Mr. Samuel Belcher sold this property to Capt. John 
 Whipple "one halfe acre of Land be ye sarne more or less with y^ house, barn and 
 
 orchard standing thereon bounded northeasterly by a highway Leading to y^ 
 
 mill. Southeasterly by Ipswich River, Southwesterly by Land of Col. John Apple- 
 ton, Northwesterly by Land ot y^ above sd Capt. John Whipple." 
 
 [Essex Deeds, 29:61] 
 
 Comparing these deeds it will be seen at once that the bit of land sold to Mr, 
 Saltonstall for the miller's house, was only a part of Samuel Belcher's land, and 
 that the whole Belcher property was bounded then, as it had been for many years 
 by the Whipple estate. Apart from that a six rod lot is rather small for a mansion 
 like this, though it were then only half its present length. 
 
 The old Jeremiah Belcher lot reappears in the "Brackenbury lot" which 
 William Brackenbury, of North Carolina, planter, then in Ipswich, sold to Nath. 
 Farley about ^ acre, which is bounded by John Crocker, the River and other land 
 of Farley's. On April 30:1771, [Essex Deeds 129:112] when the heirs of 
 Joseph Crocker sold to Col. Hodgkins, the lot was bounded by land of Enoch 
 Pearson and Joseph Farley, the river, etc. 
 
 Not a link of any importance is lacking. The direct pedigree of the land is 
 
3» . ANiVLTAL MEETrxG — -PRESIDEXT S REF'ORT. 
 
 through Fawn, the Whipples, and the Crockers to Col. Hodgkins. The abutting- 
 estates are alwavs bounded hv these owners. Mr. Saltonstall never owned an inch 
 of land on this site. The estate alwavs includes two or two and a half acres. I 
 dwell on this onlv in the interest of exact historic truth. We cannot call our 
 house bv the name of Saltonstall. If any name is given it, that of Whipple has 
 first claim. 
 
 To my mind the particular name we give this house is of small moment. 
 The old mansion itself is a constant reminder of all the glorious names which 
 hallow and illumine the earlv vears of our town life, Saltonstall and Winthrop, 
 Svmonds and Denison, Ward and Norton and Hubbard and all the rest. They 
 were all friends of the Elder. Every one of them may have crossed our threshold. 
 As we sit here in the flickering fire-light we seem to see them sitting as of old, and 
 conversing on the great themes, matters of public safety, affairs of church and 
 state, and the momentous events that were happening in the dear old England, 
 which were much in their minds. The old pavement in the door yard rings again 
 with the hoof-beats of Capt. Whipple's horse hurrying to lead his troopers on a 
 swift ride to Andover to repel an Indian assault. John Appleton and Thomas 
 French are talking in this very room of their imprisonment and trial for advocating 
 resistance to the royal governor's edict, and demanding representation before they 
 would submit to taxation. Col. Hodgkins and Col. Wade and Major Burnham 
 smoke and sip their steaming cups and chat of Bunker Hill and Yorktown, of Bur- 
 goyne and Cornwallis, Washington and Lafavette. 
 
 The rumble of Polly Crafts' loom overhead, the whirr of spinning wheels, 
 the beat of the churn, the roar of great winter fires, the hissing of meats on the 
 long spits, the voices of children at their play, or demurely reciting the catechism, 
 the good-wife's chat with neighboring gossips, the loud laughter of the slaves, the 
 tale of love, the solemn declaration of the last Will and Testament, the weeping 
 of mourners blend strangely together in these low vaulted rooms. 
 
 We see visions as we sit and dream, of Thanksgiving feast days, when the 
 long tables groaned under their weight of delicacies, of weddings and flinerals, 
 of home-comings and leave-takings. 
 
 Thus the life of the ancient times revives again, the history of other days 
 becomes a living reality, and the sombre old mansion is made a living, speaking 
 witness to the naturalness, the simplicity, the sturdiness, the refinement, the devo- 
 tion of the old Puritan home life. 
 
 It remains for us, catching the inspiration of this hour, to make this house a 
 worthy memorial of the Past. 
 
.ANNUAL MEETING REPORT OF COMMITTEK OX REPAIRS, 39 
 
 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON REPAIRS. 
 
 By vote of the Society, the old house with land under and adjoining, measur* 
 ing I 10 feet S, E. on the Damon line, 103 feet N. W,, 94 feet N. E. on land of 
 Bond, and 70 feet, S. E. on the street, was purchased of Mr. Bond for S1650. 
 
 The work on the house was begun in the latter part of May. The first step 
 was to remove the ceiling from the rooms as it was evidently of late date, disclos- 
 ing the original plastering upon the floor boards of the second story. Fortunatelv 
 this old ceiling was so well preserved in the upper rooms, that a series of patches 
 and several coats of whitewash, restored it to a very satisfactory condition. The 
 modern small fire places were torn away, disclosing the great originals, which were 
 so well preserved in the main that it was an easv task to restore them to their first 
 form. 
 
 This was followed by a thorough scraping and scouring of all the wood work 
 to remove the grime of years, and innumerable coats of whitewash. The 
 moulded edges of the main beams and the fine beading on the boarding of the par- 
 titions and the old doors, rendered this work of cleaning slow and dilhcult, but the 
 result has justified the expenditure involved. The heavy work of repair was en- 
 trusted to Mr. Edward W. Choate. Under his supervision new sills were placed 
 under the whole house, a considerable portion of the lower story was re-studded 
 and newly boarded, new clapboards laid, and the roof virtually rebuilt. The 
 decayed portions of the ornamental beams on the gable end were skilfully removed, 
 yawning weather cracks deftly filled, and the lines of the old building everywhere 
 restored with fidelity. Within, new floors were laid throughout the house, but the 
 joists of the second floor were in perfect condition. Considerable portions of the 
 brick-work that filled the space between the studs from sill to plate, were of neces- 
 sity removed to admit of the necessary repairs, but great care was exercised in 
 securing in place all that could be spared, and quite a large part of this ancient 
 work remains in place todav, adding verv materially to the safety of the house in 
 case of fire. 
 
 The chimney was rebuilt at the top and careful repairs were made at the base 
 
^6 ANXUAL MKETING Rl-l'ORT OF COMMITTEE ON REPAIRS, 
 
 and within the fire-places t(j render the free use of the old fire-places perfectly safe. 
 New plastering was laid in the lower rooms, hut in the upper rooms, hy way of 
 experiment, a compound of clay, sand and salt hay, after the ancient fashion, was 
 used and with very gratifying success. 
 
 In the finish of the lower West room, which seemed best adapted for exhibi- 
 tion purposes, the fine old buffet in the corner seemed to justify the use of some 
 excellent panelling from the old Rogers manse on High street built in 1728, which 
 was removed bv Mr. fohn B, Brown when he remodelled the old house, and was 
 kindly given by him to the Society. The venerable painted panel given by the 
 late Geeorge Caldwell was inserted. These portions of the woodwork were 
 painted, in accordance with the fashion of the last century, but this is the only case 
 in w^hich any modern style of finish has been resorted to. 
 
 The doors of the second story are the originals, those in the lower story 
 are new, but those leading from the entry into the kitchen and the exhibition room 
 were constructed from an old board partition in another part of the house. 
 
 The stairwav was built according to the suggestions made by Mr. Kelley, 
 an architect of Boston, who very kindly sent full working drawings. The win- 
 dows, as the report of the President explains, were re-located in their original 
 place and restored to their first style. 
 
 The rear portion of the house is nearly ready for the occupancy of a resident 
 care-taker. By throwing two very small bed rooms into a single compartment and 
 constructing a new chimney, two very comfortable living rooms have been secured 
 on the lower floor, and some sleeping rooms with slant ceiling in the second story. 
 A small apartment is reserved for storage on the second floor, and a similar unfin- 
 ished room below affords an excellent location for a large fire-proof vault which 
 should be built as soon as funds are available. By the kindness of the Investing 
 Committee of the old Ipswich Rural Improvement Society, an unused balance in 
 the Savings Bank of 5;56. 14 was contributed to the Society. This was applied to 
 the grading and beautifving of the grounds and met not only this expense, but the 
 substantial part of the cost of staining the house. 
 
 Due recognition should be made of the hearty interest in the work shown by 
 Mr. Edward W. Choate and Mr. Austin L. Lord in their departments, and Mr. 
 Jeremiah L. Sullivan who supervised the grading and sodding, and accomplished a 
 very tasty and creditable piece of work. The services of Mr. James Thibedeau and 
 Mr. Leander Goditt have been of great value. Weeks of hard and painstaking 
 toil in scraping and scrubbing the woodwork, with wonderful patience and per- 
 sistence, perfect readinsss to do anything, however far removed from the natural 
 province of a carpenter and his constant watch and care have brought the Society 
 
ANNUAL MEETING TREASURER S REPORT. 
 
 4» 
 
 largely in debt to Mr. Thibedeau, and Mr. Goditt has been equally helpful for 
 the past three months. 
 
 The profoundest gratitude is due from this Society to non-resident and summer 
 resident friends and members, whose generous gifts have made this work possible, 
 and whose hearty interest has given constant encouragement. 
 
 T. Frank Waters, "| 
 Chas. a. Sayward, I Committee 
 John J. Sullivan, I on 
 
 EvERARD H. Martin, | Repairs 
 D. Fuller Appleton, J 
 
 REPORT OF TREASURER. 
 
 Joseph I. Horton, Treasurer, in account with the Ipswich Historical Society. 
 
 To balance from '97 
 To membership dues 
 To contributions 
 
 
 87 
 
 121 
 
 00 
 
 1407.42 
 
 1529 
 
 29 
 
 By rent to April i, '98 50.00 
 
 By current expenses 67.93 
 
 By house bills 1216.73 
 
 By bank bal., cash and stamps 194.63 
 
 1529.29 
 
 outstanding bills. 
 
 Rent due Agawam Lodge, I. O. of O. F. 
 House Bills 
 
 resources. 
 
 Balance in bank, cash, etc. 
 Unpaid contributions 
 New contribution 
 
 Balance still unprovided for 
 
 Ipswich, December 5, 1898. 
 
 50.00 
 
 
 527.96 
 
 577-S 
 
 
 194-63 
 
 
 50.00 
 
 
 100,00 
 
 
 
 344-'^ 
 
 233-33 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Joseph 1. Horton, Treasurer. 
 
42 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING TREASURER S REPORT. 
 
 HOUSE BILLS. 
 
 Teaming Willard Harris 
 Albert Tenney 
 Frank Howe 
 Sundry 
 
 Labor James Morey 
 Edward Davis 
 Jeremiah Sullivan 
 
 Painting John W. Goodhue 
 J. Howard Lakeman 
 
 Carpenters Edward Choate 
 Leander Goditt 
 James Thibedeau 
 Henry Tonge 
 Edward J. Faxon 
 
 Masons Austin Lord 
 Parson Bros. 
 
 Lumber Perkins Lumber Co. 
 James Graffum 
 Tarr & James 
 S. F. Canney, on acct 
 
 Payment, James W. Bond 
 
 Interest. Interest on note 
 
 Water. Ipswich Water Department 
 
 Stationery. (See Bill) 
 
 Incidentals. (See Bill) 
 
 Printing. Lewis R. Hovey on acct 
 
 I 
 
 •15 
 
 5^ 
 
 ,00 
 
 7' 
 
 •5 
 
 
 ,70 
 
 tz. 
 
 ,60 
 
 5' 
 
 .40 
 
 i3-«5 
 6.90 
 
 306.32 
 
 1 1 3.00 
 
 250.06 
 
 17.50 
 
 2.56 
 
 171.50 
 8.40 
 
 14.00 
 
 45.00 
 
 20.05 
 
 689.44 
 
 179.90 
 
 7' 
 
 ,00 
 
 
 10, 
 
 31 
 
 
 3' 
 
 ,00 
 
 
 100, 
 
 .00 
 
 I 20.31 
 50.00 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 42-39 
 
 
 
 13.90 
 
 . 
 
 
 8.55 
 
 . 
 
 
 8.19 
 
 
 
 25.00 
 
 1216.73 
 
 OUTSTANDING BILLS. 
 
 John W. Goodhue, balance of account beyond subscription 
 Lewis R. Hovey, ** " *« 
 
 29.48 
 .80 
 
ANNUAL MEETING TREASURER S REPORT. 
 
 43 
 
 OUTSTANDING BILLS. 
 
 Rent due Agawam Lodge, I. O. of O. F. 
 
 20.00 
 1 1. 00 
 
 Theodore F. Cogswell, insurance 
 
 Benjamin Fewkes, trees and shrubs 
 
 Austin Lord, labor . . _ ^ 61 ?o 
 
 John Edwin Kimball, windows . , at 00 
 
 S. F. Canney, balance of account . , , ■212 58 
 
 ^""''^ ■ 527.96 
 
 ITEMS OF CURRENT EXPENSE. 
 
 Dec. 8, 1897. Printing postals . . , 200 
 
 .50 
 
 Dec. 9, Work on old sign . , 27c 
 
 Dec. 16, Mr. Jackson's Lecture, railroad tickets i 30 
 
 Dec. 18, Wood ... ,'qq 
 
 Jan. 24, 1898. Express . . ^ 
 
 Feb. 2, Postals 
 
 . 50 
 
 Feb. 5, Stamps . . ^ 
 
 " Account Book . . .^ 
 
 Feb. 8, Mrs. Stevens's lecture . . ,^qq 
 
 Feb. 25, Salem Press, printing annual pamphlet 42.35 
 
 Mar. 5, Paper and envelopes . , -,, 
 
 Mar. 6, Stamps, etc. . . ^ • i 00 
 
 Mar. 12, Wood ... .^ 
 
 Mar. 16, Stamps . . _ 
 
 Apr. 27, Shellac . . . ^ 
 
 Apr. 29, Mr. Wade, work on chairs . . 5 qq 
 May 10, Stamps ... 
 
 *' Charles Jewett, reseating chairs . ,^qq 
 
 ** Hale Wait, janitor's fees . . 2 co 
 
 567-9J 
 
 $50.00 
 
4+ 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING LIST OF MEMBERS. 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE 
 
 Charles E. Ames 
 
 Daniel Fuller Appleton 
 
 Francis R. Appleton 
 
 Randolph M. Appleton 
 
 Mrs. Helen Appleton 
 
 Charles W. Bamford 
 
 John A. Blake 
 
 John E. Blakemore 
 
 James W. Bond 
 
 Warren Boynton 
 
 Charles W. Brown 
 
 Edward F. Brown 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth M. Brown 
 
 Henry Brown 
 John B. Brown 
 
 Mrs. Lucy T. Brown 
 
 Daniel S. Burnham 
 
 Augustine Caldwell 
 Sarah P. Caldwell 
 Charles A. Campbell 
 Philip E. Clark 
 Lucy C. Coburn 
 Theodore F. Cogswell 
 Harriet D. Condon 
 Edward Constant 
 Charles S. Cummings 
 George G. Dexter 
 C. Bertha Dobson 
 Harry K. Dodge 
 John M. Donovan 
 Arthur W. Dow 
 George F. Durgin 
 George Fall 
 Milo H. Gates 
 Mrs. Pauline Gates 
 Guy W. Gilbert 
 Mrs. Florence Gilbert 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 
 
 John S. Glover 
 
 John W. Goodhue 
 
 James GrafFum 
 
 Mrs. Eliza H. Green 
 
 Lucy Hamlin 
 
 George H. W. Hayes 
 
 Mrs. Alice L. Heard 
 
 Alice Heard 
 
 John Heard 
 
 Joseph 1. Horton 
 
 Lewis R. Hovev 
 
 Gerald L. Hoyt 
 
 John A. Johnson 
 
 Edward Kavanagh 
 
 Charles M. Kelly 
 John C. Kimball 
 
 Aaron Kinsman 
 
 Caroline L. Lakeman 
 
 Curtis E. Lakeman 
 
 G. Frank Langdon 
 Austin L. Lord 
 George A. Lord 
 Lucy Slade Lord 
 Thomas H. Lord 
 George E. Macarthy 
 Mrs. Isabelle G, Macarthv 
 James F. Mann 
 John P. Marston 
 Everard H. Martin 
 Mrs. Marietta K. Martin 
 John W. Nourse 
 Robert B. Parker 
 Martin V. B. Perley 
 Moritz B. Philipp 
 Augustine H. PloufF 
 James E. Richardson 
 Fred G. Ross 
 
ANNTJAL MEEnNG.— LIST OF MEMBERS. 
 
 45 
 
 Josepli Ross 
 
 Joseph F. Ross 
 
 William H. Russell 
 
 William S. Russell 
 
 Angus I. Savorv 
 
 Charles A. Savward 
 
 Mrs. Henrietta W Savv\ard 
 
 George A. Schofield 
 
 Edward A. Smith, Salem 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth K. Spaulding 
 
 Frank H. Stockwell 
 
 John J. Sullivan 
 
 Arthur L. Sweetser 
 John E. Tennev 
 Mrs. Annie T. Tennev 
 Ellen Trask 
 Bayard Tuckerman 
 Charles S. Tuckerman 
 Francis H. Wade 
 Luther Wait 
 Henry C. Warner 
 T. Frank Waters 
 Frederic W'illcomb 
 Wallace P. Willett 
 
 HONOR.'^RY 
 
 Wm. Sumner Appleton, Boston 
 Lamont G. Burnham, Boston 
 Eben Caldwell, Elizabeth, N. J. 
 Luther Caldwell, Washington, D. C, 
 Stephen Caldwell, Avoca, Iowa 
 Charles W. Darling, Utica, N. Y. 
 Elisha P. Dodge, Newburyport 
 Miss Caroline Farley, Cambridge 
 Jesse Fewkes, Newton 
 Augustus P. Gardner, Hamilton 
 Charles L. Goodhue, Springfield 
 Mrs. Elizabeth K. Gray 
 Arthur W. Hale, Winchester 
 
 MEMBERS. 
 Otis Kimball, Boston 
 Mrs. Otis Kimball, Boston 
 Adeline Manning, Boston 
 Mrs. Mary W. Manning, New York 
 Henry S. Manning, New York 
 Mrs. Mary S. C. Peabody 
 Frederic H. Ringe, Los Angeles, Cal. 
 Mrs. Henry M. Saltonstall, Boston 
 Richard W. Saltonstall, Boston 
 Joseph Spiller, Boston 
 Harry W Tyler, Boston 
 George Willcomb, Boston 
 Robert C. Winthrop Jr., Boston 
 
a(j loans and contributions, 
 
 CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS TO THE CfqBlNET SINCE DEC. 189T 
 
 (It is hoped that everv gift or loan is acknowledged, but in the hurry of the 
 dedication of the House, articles mav have been brought in of which no record 
 was made.) 
 
 Mrs. Mary P. Adams, loan, pair of brass andirons. 
 Daniel S. Appleton, dash churn, busk, shoe-buckles, tobacco-box. 
 Daniel W. Appleton, ladle owned by his great-grandmother, Lvdia Dane, 
 sister of Nathan Dane who lived to be 104 years old. 
 
 Miss Marv W. Appleton, loan, high "case of drawers." 
 
 Mrs. G. Guy Bailey, loan, china, chairs. 
 
 Enoch Bailey, medal and coin. 
 
 William H. Bird, grape shot from Gettysburg. 
 
 John E. Blakemore, business card of Paul Revere, printed from plate probably 
 made by him. 
 
 Joseph Brickwood, Confederate bank note. 
 
 Mrs. Albert S. Brown, loan, brass andirons, ancient chair. 
 
 Mrs. Everett K. Brown, straw bed. 
 
 Elizabeth Choate Brown, Providence, Carriers' Annual address Ipswich 
 Journal 1828. 
 
 Miss Lucy H. Brown, Boston, Marseilles quilt, chairs. 
 
 Sylvester Brown, map of "Land of Promise." 
 
 Mrs. Thomas Brown, two arm-chairs very ancient, husk-broom, iron kettle, 
 candlestick, snuffers, tongs, trivet, lantern. 
 
 Mrs. William G. Brown, chairs, looking glass, china, candlestick. 
 
 Rev. Augustine Caldwell, pamphlet John Rogers, pamphlets for distribution, 
 "The old Meeting House, i 747-1 838." 
 
 Miss Joanna Caldwell, almanacs, pamphlets and books, case of sail needles. 
 
 John Caldwell, mahogany cradle. 
 
 Col. Lutlier Caldwell, life of Paul Jones, picture of Gov. Bradstreet. 
 
 Mr. Casey, Salem, picture of Lafayette. 
 
 Daniel G. Chapman, box used by Corporal Foster while horse shoeing. 
 
 Mrs. E. C. Cowles, tinder-box, sconce from old chapel of First Church, 
 Life of Miss Zilpah P. Grant, (Mrs. Bannister). 
 
 Rev. Temple Cutler, Gloucester, Book owned by Rev. Manasseh Cutler. 
 
 Edward Damon, pictures, "The Constitution," "Queen Elizabeth." 
 
 Henry Dunnels, Indenture, John to Zaccheus Newmarsh, 1696. 
 
LOANS AND CONTRIRUTIONS. 
 
 47 
 
 Jason Ellsworth, glass ball and keg buoy used by fishermen. 
 
 Essex Institute, Salem, "The First Half-Century of the Essex Institute." 
 
 Mrs. Mary S. Farley, table, feather bed, bellows, wash stand. 
 
 Jesse Fewkes, Newton, portions of lace machinery and names of lace makers 
 in Ipswich Lace Factory. 
 
 Mrs. John Gilbert, long handled frv pan. 
 
 Mrs. George H. Green, table with turned legs. 
 
 George Harris, rocking chair. 
 
 Mrs. E. J. llsley, copy of The Columbian Sentinel, relics from Harper's 
 Ferry. 
 
 Misses Jewett, loan, seraphine and native musical instrument, large tin kitchen 
 with two spits, flax, rubbers, shoes, Indian moccasins, great brass kettle, trammels, 
 chairs, hats and bonnets. 
 
 Mrs. Charlotte M. Jones, loan, wooden balances, lantern. 
 
 Edward Kavanagh, Gideon Foster's chocolate tin used in his factory at Pea- 
 body ; pamphlet, "Dea. Giles's distillery." 
 
 Edward P. Kimball, Toledo, Ohio, epaulet worn bv Col. Chas. Kimball^ 
 Regimental order 1821, Old Deeds, Promissorv note for rations in Continental 
 Army, fac-similes old pubhcations. 
 
 Miss Fannie V. R. Kimball, Boston Globe, Sept. 27, 1881, with Garfield 
 tributes. 
 
 Fred A. Kimball, chest, mixing-tray for bread. 
 
 Frederic Lamson, Salem, oil paintings, photographs, tools used by Daniel' 
 Ross, Japanese bowl. 
 
 Mrs. Martha Lamson, "Dying Speech and Confession of William Linsey,* 
 1770." 
 
 Mrs. Eliz. C. Lavalette, Sermons bv Benj. Wadsworth. 
 
 Wm. H. Lavalette, old tailor's shears, seed-planter owned by Pike Noyes, 
 descendant of Rev. Nicholas Noyes, more than 60 years old. 
 
 Francis H. Lee, Salem, souvenir Victoria Jubilee, English penny. 
 
 Miss Lucy Slade Lord, loan, wine-case owned by her father, Joseph Lord, 
 supercargo many voyages to China; pamphlet, "The Simple Cobler of Aga- 
 wam," sermons. Continental money. ' 
 
 James F. Mann, lamps, loan china, table, candlesticks, pewter. 
 
 John W. Mansfield, drawing from Libbv Prison. Document taken by him 
 from desk of Alexander H. Stephens in the Capitol at Richmond. * 
 
 Mrs. Joseph Marshall, ancient fringe for bed-canopy. 
 
 Mrs. Everard H. Martin, loan, miniature trunk, lace veil. 
 
^8 LOANS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. 
 
 Mrs. Eliz. Merry, Nottingham cup and saucer. 
 
 George von L. Mever, pair Hessian andirons. 
 
 George V. Millett, fire-pan. 
 
 Mrs. Ehen B. Moulton, loan, ancient wooden-tunnel, brass ladle and skim- 
 mer, ancient spring balance. 
 
 New York State Library, Second Annual Report of State Historian. 
 
 Alfred Norman, political banner. 
 • Miss Hannah Peatfield, piece of the first web of Bobbin-net lace, made in 
 Ipswich in 1828 by James Peatfield, book "The Christian in armor." 
 
 I. E. B. Perkins, wooden shovel. 
 
 A. H. Plouft", sheet of Continental money. 
 
 Mrs. Edward PloufF, books, snuffers, herbs and dried apples, 
 
 Capt. Wm. Randall, piece of hand-hose brought up by divers from the wreck 
 of the Maine, Havana harbor. 
 
 Mrs. Silvanus Reed, New York, Photograph Gen. James Reed. 
 James E. Richardson, old pestle and mortar, candle-mould, foot-stove, sam- 
 pler, Esther Willson Silhouettes and SnufF Box. 
 
 Dr. William H. Russell, sword. 
 
 Mrs. Charles Smith, iron candlestick. 
 
 Edward A. Smith, Salem, knapsack. 
 
 Mrs. Jeremiah Smith, china, clock, letter box, lamps. 
 
 Augustine H. Spiller, brick from ancient house on site of George E. Farley's 
 residence. 
 
 George Spiller, one dollar Merchants & Manufacturers Bank, Pittsburgh, old 
 brick. 
 
 Frank Stackpole, foot stove, old jugs and bottles. 
 
 Daniel W, Stone, pamphlet, sermon by Jonathan Edwards, loan, candle- 
 sticks. 
 
 Robert Stone, loan, tongs and shovel with andirons previously loaned. 
 
 Dr. Frank Stockwell, loan, ancient sofa. 
 
 Mrs. J. J. Sullivan, loan, china, pewter, chairs, Indian implements. 
 
 Jeremiah A. Sullivan, 8 pound cannon ball, dug up on his grounds. 
 
 James Thibedeau, swingling knife for flax, candlestick used on fishing schoon- 
 ers and fishing gear. 
 
 Mrs. Charles S. Tuckerman, loan, piano, china, fire-bucket, Saltonstall old 
 lamp and lanterns. 
 
 Miss Sarah Wade, braided mat. 
 
LOANS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. 
 
 49 
 
 Mrs. Eliza Walton, Indian basket owned hv lier grandfather, \^'atts Hvmns 
 1789, engraving, George Whitefield. 
 
 Mrs. Caroline L. Warner, brass lamp, ancient embroidered linen. 
 
 George F. Waters, button, loan, Indian implements. 
 
 Mrs. Edward B. Wildes, homespun linen for bed. 
 
 Frederic Willcomb, Sermon at ordination of David T. Kimball, Centennial 
 discourse David T. Kimball, calendars. 
 
 Wallace P. Willett, roll of drill club 1861. 
 
 Mrs. Henry Wilson, braided mat. 
 
 Mrs. Caroline Woods, framed photograph of Rev. Dr. Fitz. 
 
 Western Reserve Historical Society, Annals of the Early Settlers Association 
 of Cayahoga Co., Ohio. 
 
 Erratum: — On pages 3 and 17, the date of the annual meeting should be 
 December 5,