The town of Topsfield was part of land deeded by the Agawam Indian leader Masconomet to John Winthrop in 1638. As part of Ipswich, it was known as New Meadows. The town was incorporated in 1648 and renamed Topsfield, perhaps for its abundance of glacial hills, or after Toppesfield, England, a small parish in the county of Essex north of London. Topsfield is neighbor to Danvers, where the accusations that resulted in the Salem witch trials of 1692 began. Several residents of the town were accused, and two were hung. In 1818, the state legislature chartered the Essex Agricultural Society, now known for its Topsfield Fair.
Linebrook Parish - This remote area was originally known as Ipswich Farms. After the residents began pressing for their own church, the Massachusetts General Court on June 4, 1746, created the Linebrook Parish, the boundries of which were defined by 6 brooks and lines connecting them. The community had a church, store, school and its own militia.… Continue reading Linebrook Parish →
Daniel Hovey - At the foot of Hovey Street along the Ipswich River is a plaque dedicated to the memory of Ipswich settler Daniel Hovey, whose home and wharf were across the river on what is now Tansey Lane. … Continue reading Daniel Hovey →
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