Featured image: The Thomas Lord house on High Street in Ipswich.
Robert Lord arrived with the first settlers of Ipswich in late 1634 or early 1635, probably from Sudbury, Suffolk, England, where he was born in 1603. Soon after his arrival, Robert Lord was appointed Ipswich Town Clerk and Clerk of the Court of Ipswich and held those posts until his death in 1683.
Robert Lord married Mary /Waite/ on 11 Nov., 1630 at Finchingfield, Essex, England. They arrived in Ipswich with four children and had five more children here. The following list is provided by Bruce Lord:
- Thomas Lord : Birth: 1633. Death: 4 JUN 1713 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Ma
- Robert Jr Lord : Birth: 1634 in England. Death: 11 NOV 1696 in Ipswich, Essex, Ma
- Samuel Lord : Birth: 1640 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. Death: 27 MAY 1696 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Ma
- Abigail Lord : Birth: 1646. Death: 4 JUN 1729
- Sarah Lord : Birth: 1647. Death: in Ma
- Susannah Lord : Birth: ABT. 1650 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. Death: JAN 1726 27 in Berkley Co, SC
- Nathaniel Lord : Birth: ABT. 1653 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. Death: 18 JAN 1732 33 in Ipswich, Essex, MA
- Hannah Lord : Death: 16 NOV 1728 in Ipswich, Ma
- Mary Lord : Death: 3 OCT 1676 in Newbury, Essex, Ma
Almost every house on High Street has been lived in by a member of the Lord family. Asa Lord’s store anchored Lords Square for over 100 years.
211 Argilla Rd., the Mary Ann Archer Lord house (1902) - In 1902, Mary Ann Archer Lord of Boston purchased 20 Acres of Land on Argilla Road from the Smith family. No buildings are mentioned in the deed. In 1929, Sidney Lord and other parties sold to Benjamin Van Wick the property, including buildings, bordering on the lot of […]
23 Mineral Street, the Lydia and Joseph Lord house (1871) - Andrew Geyer purchased the lot in 1871 and in 1873 sold the lot with a house on it to Lydia and Josiah Lord. 
7 Liberty St., the John W. and Annie M. Lord house (C 1867) - The house at 7 Liberty St. first appears in the 1872. and was first owned by John W. Lord and his wife Annie M. Pingree.
14 High Street, the George Lord house (1857) - George Lord followed his father Nathaniel Lord as Register of Deeds in the County office that is now the Odd Fellows building, and built this house in 1857.
92 Central St., the Abbie G. Lord house, 1871 - The house at 90 Central St., was constructed after Andrew Geyer purchased the lot from Amos Smith in 1869. He sold the finished house to Abbie G. Lord in 1873, who sold to Maria J. Brown in 1897.
10 Washington St., the Mary Holmes – Captain John Lord house (b. 1770) - The house was constructed before 1770 at 45 N. Main St., and was moved to this location in 1860 by Michael Ready. The second floor was probably added at that time. 
79 High Street, the Thomas H. Lord house (c 1835) - The ancient Joseph Lord house was at the approximate location of the present Thomas H. Lord house, which was owned at the beginning of the 20th Century by descendants of Joseph Lord. This house appears to have been built between 1814 and 1835.
12 Summer Street, the Ezra W. Lord house (1848) - his was the childhood home of Walter Ezra Lord, born January 22, 1856. He graduated from the high school with the class of 1871, and established himself in a general dry goods business in Ipswich, and was regarded as one of the substantial men of that town. He served 5 years as a selectman, and in 1895 was chosen representative of Ipswich in the lower house of the General Court.
50-56 Market Street, the Lord-Sullivan-Haskell house (1847) - Captain John Lord made his last voyage as master of the ship Miles Standish to Calcutta sailing May 17, 1855. The next owner was John J. Sullivan was an inventor with multiple patents for improvements to sewing machines. 
51 North Main Street, the Sarah Lord house (1849) - Sarah Lord was the wife of A. P. Lord, whose general merchandise store existed at Lords Square for 100 years. Italianate motifs are featured in this house.
68 High Street, the Wood – Lord house (c 1740) - After her husband Daniel disappeared in 1727 at Penobscot Bay after being attacked by Indians, the court allowed Martha Ringe to marry John Wood before the customary three years had passed "in order to advance her circumstances." It was owned by Nathaniel Lord and his heirs in the 19th Century.
85 High Street, the Elizabeth and Phillip Lord house (1774) - This house was built about 1774 by Phillip Lord when he married the widowed Elizabeth Kimball Warner who owned the property. In 1832, the house was acquired by Benjamin Fewkes, who smuggled the first lace stocking machine into this country from England in 1818. He set up his hosiery shop In the rear of the house. 
83 High Street, the Isaac Lord house, 1696 – 1806 - This house was in the Lord family for several generations. The right side is probably First Period. Boards and timbers from the 1771 Jail on Meeting House Green were used when the house was enlarged in 1806.
73 High Street, the Nathaniel Lord house (C 1720) - This house is named after Nathaniel Lord who spent 36 years as the Register of Probate in the Ipswich Court. The western half of this house predates the eastern side and may have 17th Century elements.
21 High Street, the Haskell – Lord house (c 1750) - This fine house was built circa 1750 by Mark Haskell, an Ipswich cabinet-maker. Haskell served as a Light House Volunteer during the Revolutionary War. Daniel Lord married Eunice, the daughter of Mark Haskell, and Haskell conveyed to him the house and an acre of land in 1767, which is the first registered deed.
52-54 High Street, the Kingsbury – Lord – Harris house (after 1716) - Although in 1660, Henry Kingsbury sold a house on or near this lot to Robert Lord, the present house probably dates to after John Lord gained possession in 1716, based on architectural observations. 
17 High Street, the Thomas Lord house (after 1658) - In 1634 this lot was granted to Robert Lord, one of the settlers of Ipswich, and was deeded to Thomas Lord, a cordwainer who built the early section of this house in 1658. The oak frame encloses a two-room over-two-room house. The saltbox leanto is not integral, indicating that it was added later.
37 High Street, Lord – Baker House (1720) - The house is believed to have been built by Robert Lord III in 1720. The property continued in the Lord family until 1775, when Samuel Baker, felt-maker and hatter, purchased it. This early 2nd period house is protected by a preservation agreement between the owners and the Ipswich Historical Commission.
103 High Street, the William Merchant house (1670) - The building dates to approximately 1670, but the right half may contain timbers from a previous structure on this site which was built in 1639. That simple story and a half cottage is believed to have been built by William Merchant who arrived in Ipswich with John Winthrop and the first settlers. The section on the left was added in 1672.
Lords Square - Lords Square is not a square at all, and no one knows if it's Lords Square or Lord Square. The bewildering commercial intersection abuts the Old North Burying Ground and the largest collection of First Period houses in America.
The Lord-Ellsworth farm - The Ipswich Public Safety Facility Committee has reached an agreement with the Boston Catholic diocese to purchase four to five acres of church-owned land at the intersection of Pine Swamp and Linebrook roads that was originally a hay field across from the old Eben Lord farm.Read:
This house is identical to the Caldwell/Waldo house on Main Street. Are you sure picture matches name? As a granddaughter of John Caldwell, I have visited this house several times. Beverly Caldwell/Maryland
Which of the 17 houses in this post are you referring to? The Waldo Caldwell House is at 33 High St, not on Main St. You can see a photo of it at https://historicipswich.org/waldo-caldwell-house-33-high-street/
You are right! I should have recognized the address. Amazing they are painted same colors, same style. I live in the DC area so our family is also able to visit the Caldwell (Josiah?) house in the American history museum.
Would know anything of samuel lord of ipswich. Lords senior,jr,3rd & 4th
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64017523
That’s so interesting, thanks for sharing the info with us. I’m descended from Robert Lord who was and my seventh Great grandfather.
My ancestor, Robert Lord married to Hannah Day, was born in 1624 in Towchester, Nothhampton, England and died in Charlestown, MA in 1678. So he could not have been the son of Robert and Mary Waite who married in 1630. His parents were Thomas Lord, born 1585 in Towchester and Dorothy Bird ,born 1586, also of Towchester.