HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 685 



this place, it groweth larger by the income of many small Rivers, and issues forth iu the Sea, due east over against 

 the Island of Sholes, a great place of fishing for our English Nation; the peopling of this Towne is by men of good 

 ranke and quality, many of them having the yearly Revenue of large Lands in England before they came to this 

 Wilderness, but their Estates being imployed for Christ, and left in bauke as you have formerly heard, they are well 

 content till Christ shall be pleased to restore it againe to them or theirs, which in all reason should be out of the Pre- 

 lates Lauds iu England. Let all those, whom it concernes (to judge) consider it well, and do justice herein." 



JOSSELYN'S DESCRIPTION IN I(i63. This town was in 1(363 also described by Josselyn: 



"The next Town that presents itself to view is Ipswich, situated by a fair River, whose first rise is from a Lake 

 or Pond twenty mile up, betaking its course through a hideous Swamp for many miles, a Harbour for Bears, it iesueth 

 forth into a large Bay (where they fish for Whales), due East over against the Island of Sholes, a great place of fishing, 

 the mouth of that Kiver is barrM." 



ABUNDANCE OF SALMON AND STURGEON. Concerning the abundance of fish at this place in early times and their 

 comparative .scarcity now, Felt has written the following note: 



"Animals of this sort were very abundant when Agawam was settled. Of their number, salmon and bass have 

 nearly, and sturgeon have entirely, disappeared from our waters. There were companies, of Matthew Cradock and 

 others, who caught large quantities of sturgeon for the European market, in Ipswich, while it was owned by the 

 Indians. Tlie sounds of these fish were made into isinglass. Smith remarked of Massachusetts, 'No river where 

 there is not plenty of sturgeon or salmon or both, which are to be had in abundance, observing but their seasons.'" 1 



FISH WEIRS IN 1635. The following order was entered on the town records in 1635, with reference to the build- 

 ing of weirs: 



" H'ears, Hi35. Richard Kent is allowed to build another wear on Chebacco River and enjoy the profits. John 

 Perkins, jr., had made a wear-on the same river, to have the profits of it seven years, beginning 1636, and to sell 

 alewivtsj at 5. for 1,UOO. He disposes of this place to Mr. Wm. Cogswell." 



FISH USED AS FKRTILIZEH IN 1()37. As far back as 1637, at this place, shad and alewives were so used for fertiliz- 

 ing the soil. Morion says, " One thousand of thepe fish were put into an acre, which would yield three times more 

 com lhau without them." This practice was derived from the Indians, and continued until 1639, during which year 

 the General Court passed a law "that, after June 20, no bass nor cod shall be taken for rnanuie, except their heads 

 and olliil.'' 



The dogs seem to have caused some trouble by scratching iu the fields, and the following amusing town law was 

 passed M ay 11. 1644 : 



" It IN ordered that all doggs, for the space of three weeks after the publishinge hereof, shall have one legg tyed 

 up. If such a dogg should break loose and be found in any cornefield, doing any harine, the owner of the dogg shall pay 

 the damage. If a man refuse to tye up his dogg's legg, and he be found scraping up fish in the cornfield the owner 

 shall pay l'2x., b.-sidns whatever damage the dogg doth." 



THK con FISHERY IN 1641. In 164! the cod fishery was prosecuted and it is recorded by Felt that the town raised 

 a committee t<> dispose of the " Little Neck" for the advancing of the fishery; that leave was granted to the fishermen 

 to inclose this Litllr Neck, where a fishing-stage had been built ; that every boat coming there was allowed room to 

 make its tisli. and that the boat's'crew were at liberty to plant an acre of ground. 



Loss OK FISHING VESSELS. In 1648 .there was one ropemaker-in the town. Several vessels from Ipswich, during 

 the summer of this year, had lieeu fishing at Monhegan.* 



Concerning t he fate of one of these boats, Hubbard wrote the following episode : " In October, 1648, some shallops 

 of Ipswich, having licen fishing all the summer at Monhiggin, in their way home intended to put in at Damarill's 

 Cove on u Sin u rd ay night, and three of them got safe into the harbor's mouth before sundown. They in the fourth 

 shallop were not willing to put forth their oars till it was very late in the afternoon, when they were becalmed, and 

 so it was dark night before they could reach the harbor, the entrance of which they missed, and by that means were 

 overtaken liy the surf of tht sea and drowned four Englishmen and one Indian and the goods nil perished. Their 

 friends called to them to make haste, but the sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that can render a 

 reason. "* 



SALT-WOKKS AND SHIPBUILDING IN 1652. Salt-works were established in Ipswich in 1652 and carried on for 

 several \eais, receiving a slight assistance from the town. Six years later shipbuilding was commenced. 



IPSWICH FISHERIES FROM 167U TO 1715. The following facts are compiled from Felt's history of the town: 

 Permission was given to the fishermen in 1670 to take wood from the common for needed buildings and fuel. 

 Each boat's crew bad leave to feed one cow on the common. 



Regarding the building of weirs in 1674, the following grant was made: 



" 1<>74. Nathaniel Rust and Samuel Hunt are permitted to set np a weir about the Falls if it do not hinder the 

 mill nor passage thereto." The foi jn of a weir was as follows- : " Stone walls were built down the stream till they came 

 in contact at an angle of forty-five degrees. At this angle a cage was placed, composed of hoops with twigs fastened 

 to them. The walls conducted the fish down to the cage and thus they were taken in great numbers." 



In lty(i provision was made for the construction of buildings, which should benefit the fisheries. 



" ll>9t> Lots are to be laid out at Jeffrey's Neck for flake-room and stages." 



The whale fishery created interest a few years later, and on December 10, of the year 1706, John Higgiuson, of 

 Salem, wrote to Symoud Epes, of Ipswich : " I hear a rumor of several whales, that are gotten. I desire you to send 



1 Fi-lfB History of Ipswich, Eso. and Hamilton, 1834, p. 47. 'Hubbard's History of New England, p. 532. 



1 Ibid., pp. 109. 111. 



