Ipswich, Mass. First Church
Collection History
Please note that as of January 2022, the Ipswich, Massachusetts. First Church records, 1724-1830., and all future digital collections are now hosted on the library's new digital archive.
Ipswich, first known as Agawam, was settled by John Winthrop and his twelve companions in 1633 and in 1634 the town was officially incorporated. The towns of Boxford, Hamilton, Essex and Topsfield were once part of Ipswich. The First Parish built its first meeting house in 1634. Over the centuries, the congregation has inhabited six different buildings and spawned four daughter churches. It continues to serve the community today as First Church in Ipswich, MA and is a member of the United Church of Christ.
The digital collections below include one bound volume of church records dating from 1739-1806 and two bound parish record books dating from 1724-1756 and 1757-1830 respectively.
For additional information please see the finding aid.
Digital Materials
Before accessing transcriptions, please read this Note on Transcription >
The volume largely contains lists of vital statistics for church members, such as births, baptisms, marriages and deaths. It also contains excerpts from other sources regarding church histories.
The earliest surviving volume contains records both from the First Parish Church and from the meetings about the more secular activities of the parish. It includes administrative, financial, and church membership information, as well as chronicling the development of the town as a whole.
A full transcription of this volume is available.
This volume contains warrants (notifications) for parish meetings and summaries of those meetings, which were called to discuss matters relating to the church itself and the town of Ipswich as a whole. Subjects include ministerial salaries, burial grounds, singing, real estate, and pew allocations.
Related Materials
Ipswich, Mass. South Parish records, 1747-1868
Special Thanks
This digital resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this resource do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
