History
The events listed below are selected for their usefulness to those doing genealogical research of Essex families. Until the town incorporated in 1819, the governing bodies for Chebacco Parish were the Ipswich selectmen and the Parish Commitee. Essex did not record births, marriages, or deaths before 1844. Those records are found in the various ministerial and church archives of the period. For those reasons, local church history is included with this chronology of town history.
Associated with this chronology is one for Weather Phenomona and Epidemics and another for Roads and Buildings.
Further Essex history resources can be found here.
Year | Event |
---|---|
1633 | Agawam (Ipswich) settled |
1634 | Church gathered and organized in Ipswich (Rev. Nathaniel Ward, minister) Parish organization set up to govern Ipswich settlement William White and Goodman Bradstreet first two settlers granted land in Chebacco |
1679 | Rev. Jeremiah Shepard called to preach in Chebacco, in private homes |
1680 | John Wise engaged to preach in Chebacco One acre of ground granted to Chebacco Parish for a burial place |
1682 | Chebacco people officially released from membership in the First Church in Ipswich |
1683 | Organization and gathering of Chebacco Church - officially known as the Second Church in Ipswich John Wise ordained as the first minister of Chebacco Church Organization of Chebacco Parish as the governing body for the settlement - officially the Second Parish in Ipswich First "training day" for citizen soldiers in Chebacco |
1700 | Chebacco (population about 300) consisted of a church, a school, a military company, five sawmills, one shipyard, three bridges, two causeways. Farming, fishing, and boat building the major occupations. |
1712 | Burying ground fenced in by a stone wall |
1725 | Death of Rev. John Wise Rev. Theophilus Pickering became second minister of Chebacco Church |
1746 | Dissention in Chebacco Church and Parish, causing a rift among the people; formation of the Separated Church ('Separatist Society") which became officially the Fourth Church in Ipswich Ebenezer Cleaveland, brother of John Cleaveland, minister in Separated Church first six months |
1747 | Rev. John Cleaveland ordained as minister of the Separated Church |
1749 | Death of Rev. Theophilus Pickering |
1750 | Nehemiah Porter ordained as minister of the original Chebacco Church (January) |
1752 | "Separatists" gained official release from Chebacco Parish and were granted a separate precinct - officially the Sixth Parish in Ipswich |
1766 | Nehemiah Porter resigned Proceedings started for reuniting 2nd and 4th Churches (Chebacco Church and Separated Church) |
1768 | Informal agreement by both churches to worship together temporarily, one half a year in each meeting house with Rev. John Cleaveland assuming the ministry for both churches (1766-1775) |
1770 | Chebacco inhabitants voted to abstain from buying tea unless the Revenue Act was repealed. |
1774 | Official vote by both the Second Church and the Fourth Church favoring uniting as The Second Church in Ipswich |
1775 | Sixth Parish reunited with the Second Parish; the union named The Second Parish in Ipswich |
1775 | Revolutionary War (1775 - 1781) Declaration of Independence |
1783 | Peace treaty with England - Revolutionary Army disbanded |
1787 | Population in Chebacco 1,200 |
1799 | Death of Rev. John Cleaveland after 55 years as pastor Josiah Webster chosen as minister |
1806 | Light Infantry company formed |
1807 | Rev. Josiah Webster resigned |
1808 | A Baptist minister formed "The Christain Society" in southern section of Chebacco |
1809 | Thomas Holt, minister at Second Church in Ipswich The Christian Baptist society erected a meeting house on site of present United Methodist Church |
1812 | War of 1812 |
1813 | Rev. Mr. Holt resigned as minister at Second Church in Ipswich |
1814 | Robert Crowell, minister at Second Church in Ipswich |
1818 | Grave robberies at the Burying Ground (8 bodies removed) |
1819 | Chebacco Parish, separated from the Town of Ipswich by the Massachusetts Legislature; incorporated as the Town of Essex The Second Church in Ipswich (Chebacco church) renamed The First Congregational Church in Essex. |
1827 | The Christain Society disbands |
1829 | The Universalist Society formed in Essex |
1834 | Support of churches by general (public) taxation abolished by state law |
1837 | Light Infantry Company and Militia Company disbanded |
1844 | Massachusetts Legislature passed a law requiring the clerk of each town to register births, marriages, and deaths |
1848 | Christain Baptist society formed |
1852 | Spring street Cemetery established |
1874 | Founding of the First Methodist Episcopal Church |
1893 | Construction of Essex Town Hall; transfer of all Town offices and all town meetings from the congregational church to the new building |
1910 | Electricity installed in some buildings in Essex |
Source: www.rootsweb.com
Used by permission of Kurt A. Wilhelm