True Moon Travel

Founders of Ipswich — 1633

August 6, 2022 | Ipswich, MA

Today we toured the historic Ipswich with Gordon Harris, Ipswich Town Historian, looking for traces of some of the town’s early settlers, Henry & Mary (nee Rogers) Pinder (Pindar) and William & Elizabeth (nee Perkins) Sargeant (Sargent). Following the death of Elizabeth Perkins Sargent, William married Henry’s daughter, Joanna Pinder.

Ipswich features a disproportionately large number of early Colonial homes, so it’s well worth a visit. Gordon taught us about the First Period homes of the 1600s as well as the Federal and Georgian styles.

It was about 95 degrees in the shade during our tour, so my photos aren’t amazing and don’t do the town justice. Ipswich was also very dry — there was a watering ban in place due to lack of rain.

Henry & Mary Pinder are my 10th great grandparents.

Henry & Mary Pinder > Joanna Pinder (married 2nd, William Sargent) > Philip Rowell > John Rowell > Enoch Rowell > Enoch Rowell > Samuel Duncan Rowell > Judith Lucretia Rowell > James Franklin Gile > Evelyn Judith Gile

William & Elizabeth Sargent are twice my 10th great grandparents and then some. Their great granddaughter married William’s 2nd wife Joanna’s grandson. In addition, two of their 4th great grandchildren married each other. William was also my 9th step-great grandfather upon his marriage to Joanna Pinder.

William & Elizabeth Sargent > Elizabeth Sargent > Samuel Colby > Elizabeth Colby (married John Rowell) > Enoch Rowell > Enoch Rowell > Samuel Duncan Rowell (married his 4th cousin, Mary “Polly” Moore) > Judith Lucretia Rowell > James Franklin Gile > Evelyn Judith Gile

William & Elizabeth Sargent > William Sargent > Jacob Sargent > Tabitha Sargent > David Foss > Anna Foss > Mary “Polly” Moore (married her 4th cousin, Samuel Duncan Rowell) > Judith Lucretia Rowell > James Franklin Gile > Evelyn Judith Gile

Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts

According to John Winthrop’s History of New England, William Sargeant is listed as one of the 12 men who arrived in the Native American village of Agawam in 1633 to establish Ipswich. He removed to Newbury, thence to Salisbury, later to Amesbury where he died in 1670. William Sargeant was granted about 12 acres of land “lying on the south side of John Perkins the elder.” (See Amesbury post.)

The former site of Henry Pinder’s home.
Beautifully restored home next door to Henry Pinder’s home site
This street was formerly called Pinder Street. John Pinder, Henry’s son, lived to the left of this house. This lane is just down the street from Henry’s site. Gordon found records of Symon Pinder and Thomas Pinder houses on this street as well.
On Loneys Lane (formerly Pinder Street). The house on the left is the former site of Henry Pinder’s son, John’s home.
The home on the right belonged to a doctor who brought smallpox vaccinations to Ipswich. Fascinating story can be found here: https://historicipswich.org/2022/03/04/smallpox/
A Pinder cousin’s home — Wilcomb-Pinder House (circa 1718-1720) — at 43 Summer Street. Built in 1718 by William Wilcomb. As noted by Gordon Harris, the next owner, William Benjamin Pinder was a corporal with Col. Appleton’s company during the French and Indian War.
Read more at: https://historicipswich.org/wilcomb-pinder-house-43-summer-st/

The Richard Rindge-Pindar house (circa 1718) is at 5 County Street, but we didn’t see that one on our tour. Read more at: https://historicipswich.org/5-county-street/
“The Devil’s Footprint” in the churchyard above. See story at: https://historicipswich.org/2019/02/16/the-devils-footprint/

Sara Mooney

Leave a comment

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started