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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Ipswich (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Ipswich. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

A Few Details for Ipswich ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

  • Ipswich was settled in 1633.
  • It was incorporated in 1634.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Ipswich is located in Essex County.

To see how the shape of Massachusetts' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Essex County: Middlesex, Suffolk & Rockingham (NH).

Below are the counties that are near Ipswich. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Ipswich:

  • Essex County     (The home county of Ipswich)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • Hamilton
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamilton
      • Hamilton is located in Essex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,070 people
    • Rowley
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rowley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowley
      • Rowley is located in Essex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,393 people
    • Essex Falls
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Essex
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Asbury Grove
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • South Hamilton
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Hamilton
      • South Hamilton is located in Essex County
    • Wenham
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Newbury Old Town
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newbury Old Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbury Old Town
      • Newbury Old Town is located in Essex County
    • Centerville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Essex County
    • Topsfield
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Byfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byfield
      • Byfield is located in Essex County
    • Boxford
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boxford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boxford
      • Boxford is located in Essex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,331 people
  • Middlesex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • North Reading
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Montrose
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Montrose. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
      • Montrose is located in Middlesex County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Montrose
      • From Ipswich to Montrose
    • West Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Village
      • West Village is located in Middlesex County
    • Reading
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reading have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reading
      • Reading is located in Middlesex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,535 people
    • Wakefield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Melrose
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Mishawum ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Stoneham
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Walnut Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Wilmington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Wyoming
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wyoming. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyoming
      • Wyoming is located in Middlesex County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wyoming
      • From Ipswich to Wyoming
    • Malden
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Norfolk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • Brookline Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookline Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookline Village
      • Brookline Village is located in Norfolk County
    • Brookline
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • North Cohasset
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Montclair
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Norfolk Downs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Wollaston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Cohasset
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cohasset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cohasset
      • Cohasset is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,529 people
    • Milton Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton Village
      • Milton Village is located in Norfolk County
    • North Weymouth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Weymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Weymouth
      • North Weymouth is located in Norfolk County
    • Quincy Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Quincy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Westbrook Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westbrook Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook Village
      • Westbrook Village is located in Norfolk County
  • Plymouth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • Hull
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Hingham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Minot
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minot have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minot
      • Minot is located in Plymouth County
  • Suffolk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • Revere
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Point Shirley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Winthrop
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Chelsea
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Charlestown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • East Boston
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Boston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Bay Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bay Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Village
      • Bay Village is located in Suffolk County
    • South Boston
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Allston
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allston
      • Allston is located in Suffolk County
    • Brighton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Dorchester
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Hillsborough County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.
    • Pelham
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
      • Pelham is located in Hillsborough County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,306 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pelham <3>
    • Hudson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Rockingham County (NH)
  • Strafford County (NH)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Ipswich, see our County-by-County Page for Ipswich.

Cemeteries Near Ipswich ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ipswich.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Ipswich covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Ipswich had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Ipswich had a population of 14,091 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Ipswich, with the one closest to Ipswich listed first.

  • Hamilton
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamilton
    • Hamilton is located in Essex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,070 people
  • Rowley
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rowley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowley
    • Rowley is located in Essex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,393 people
  • Asbury Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Essex Falls
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Essex
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Wenham
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • South Essex
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Essex have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Essex
    • South Essex is located in Essex County
  • South Byfield
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Byfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Byfield
    • South Byfield is located in Essex County
  • Topsfield
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • North Beverly
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Beverly have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Beverly
    • North Beverly is located in Essex County
  • Newbury
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newbury have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbury
    • Newbury is located in Essex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,175 people
  • Knights Crossing
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knights Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knights Crossing
    • Knights Crossing is located in Essex County
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Byfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byfield
      • Byfield is located in Essex County
    • South Georgetown
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Georgetown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Georgetown
      • South Georgetown is located in Essex County
    • East Boxford
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Boxford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Boxford
      • East Boxford is located in Essex County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Ipswich. See our List of 1890's Communities around Ipswich.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Ipswich ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ipswich.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Ipswich. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Ipswich and those printed in the larger area surrounding Ipswich.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<7> of Ipswich.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Ipswich:

The official website for Ipswich: www.town.ipswich.ma.us/

The official website for State of Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has created and maintains a database of historic properties that is called MACRIS (for the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System). More information about the MHC and MACRIS can be found on their website: mhc-macris.net.

When visiting the MACRIS website, you might encounter their page requiring the 'Acceptance of Terms'. With your acceptance, you'll be transfered to the desired page.

<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Ipswich, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Ipswich) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ipswich. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.6792, Longitude: -70.8411    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025