The Ipswich Historical Society was founded in 1896 by the Reverend Thomas Franklin Waters, the author of Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Volume I was published in 1905 and volume II in 1917. These two volumes are an encyclopedia of the history of the town. In 2010, the Ipswich Historical Society was renamed the Ipswich Museum, featuring two significant properties, the Heard House built in 1800, and the Whipple House, dating to 1677. The Ipswich Historical Commission is a separate Town board.
The following books and documents were created for the Ipswich Historical Society in the late 19th and early 20th Century
Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Thomas Franklin Waters
Publications
- I Order of Exercises at the Ipswich Town Hall
- II The President’s Address and Other Proceedings at the Dedication of their Room, Friday Feb. 3, 1896
- III Exercises at the Unveiling of the Memorial Tablets at the South Common, Ipswich, July 29,
- V The Early Homes of the Puritans
- Some Old Ipswich Houses
- VI Dedication of the Ancient House
- VII A Sketch of the Life of John Winthrop the Younger
- VIII The Development of our Town Government
- IX The Old Argilla Road
- X The History of the (Whipple) House
- X The John Whipple House and the People Who Have Owned It
- XI The Meeting House Green, and a Study of the Houses and Lands in that Vicinity
- XII Thomas Dudley, and Simon and Ann Bradstreet
- XII A Study of the Original House Lots on High Street
- XIII Fine Thread, Lace and Hosiery by Jessie Fewkes
- XIII Ipswich Mills and Factories
- XIV The Simple Cobbler of Agawam, (by Rev. Nathaniel Ward)
- XV A Genealogy of the Ipswich Descendants of Samuel Appleton
- XV The Old Bay Road from Saltonstall’s Brook and Samuel Appleton’s Farm
- XVI Candlewood, an Ancient Neighborhood in Ipswich
- XVI Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Robert Kinsman
- XVI Genealogical Record of the Descendants of William Fellows of Ipswich
- XVI A Genealogy of the Descendants of John Brown of Ipswich
- XVII Fine Thread, Lace and Hosiery by Jessie Fewkes
- XVIII Jeffreys Neck, and the Way Leading Thereto
- XIX Ipswich Village and the Old Rowley Road
- XX The John Whipple House
- XXI Augustine Heard and His Friends
- XXII Plum Island
- XXIII The Chronicles of Ipswich during the War, 1917-1918
- XXIV The Ipswich River, its Bridges, Wharves and Industries
- XXV Glimpses of Everyday Life in Ipswich
- XXV Governor Thomas Dudley in Ipswich
- XXVI John Wise of Chebacco
- XXVI Michael Farley, First, Second and Third of Ipswich
- XXIX Memento Mori, the Old North Burying Ground
Historic Ipswich 
In 1956, the “Great Jack Gillespie” led his Ipswich High School Football team to many victories. What team defeated Ipswich that year and what was the score?
http://secure.ipsk12.net:737/oldwebsite/High%20School/extra/halloffame/hall-of-famers/john-gillespie.html
I am descended from Edward Lumas who came to Ipswitch in 1635. My wife is descended from the Whipple family. Somehow our families got to Georgia and we met at the University of Georgia in the mid 1950’s and married in 1960. I have a copy of the Essex Institute books bring my family up to my great-great grandfather, Franklin Hadley Lummus. My wife’s cousin did a book on her family and we were surprised to find the Whipple connection way back in the early 1600’s. Thought you might be interested in the old Ipswitch families marrying after all those years.
Edward Lummus, Atlanta, Ga
In my Ancestry work I have found a 9th great-grandfather named Thomas Scott and his wife Elizabeth who settled in Ipswich early in it’s history. I find mention of him in Town Records regarding “right to Comonage” on December 31, 1641. He apparently died on the 17th of March, 1654, and was buried in Ipswich. While there appears no record of a gravestone, I have seen a photograph of a monument to the early settlers of Ipswich which bears reference to Scott, and his wife. I would appreciate it if anyone could describe the location of that monument. I was unable to locate it after a Saturday afternoon drive through Highland Cemetery, and a half hour trudging through the snow-covered Old Burying Ground.
He’s still about:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81533956/thomas-scott
And I *think* the monument you seek is:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81533956/thomas-scott#view-photo=133625312
To my knowledge, we don’t have a grave or monument mentioningThomas Scott. None of our gravestones in Ipswich date quite that far back. The photo in the FindaGrave site is actually a monument to the early settlers of Hartford CT. http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2011/06/founders-of-hartford-connecticut.html
Hi Ipswich Historical Society! I am looking for court records for all of the times Robert Cross Sr. sued people. He seemed to sue people a lot. Including: John Fuller in 1642; Joseph Fowler in 1649; Cornelius Waldo in 1651; William Durkee (sometimes spelled Durkey) in 1664; Thomas Wells in 1668; and in 1670 two problems when Nicholar Vauden and Lawrence Clinton, his servants, ran away. Any information regarding any of these legal disputes in the historical record would be amazing.
My 8x great grandfather was born 1691 in Salem, Nehemiah Porter. I’ve discovered he worked as a weaver, as did his son Ebenezer Porter prior to being wounded in his hand at the battle of Ticonderoga in the french and indian war. E Porter is the twin of my 7x g grandfather.
I am myself a weaver and working towards my Master weaver certification. I’m delighted to have found not one, but 2 weavers in my genealogy.
I am wondering if there is any research on the early textile production in the area, any info on where Nehemiah may have apprenticed or held his shop. Extant textiles would be amazing to see too!
Any help is appreciated.
Rachel
Brigadoon fiber farm, new brunswick canada
Ipswich is well known for pillow lace: https://historicipswich.org/?s=pillow+lace
Here’s a 9 page article written for the Historical Society about 100 years ago. https://historicipswich.org/fine-thread-lace-and-hosiery/