Also referred to as Naumkeag, Wenham, and Beverly
Salem was founded in 1626 by Roger Conant and a group of fishermen from the short-lived fishing station established by the Dorchester Company of England, at Cape Ann (Gloucester) in 1623 . When the enterprise failed in 1626 and most of the men returned to England, Conant persuaded some of the most steadfast colonists to stay in the area. They sailed south along the coast to Naumkeag, “…a neck of land lying a little to the westward” – today called Salem – that they believed would be a favorable site for an agricultural colony. Here about 30 people built their homes and began farming.7
In 1628, they were joined by another group, led by John Endecott, from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Conant stepped down as governor of the colony. There were religious differences between the two groups, which were eventually settled peacefully, and the settlement was renamed Salem, derived from the Hebrew word for peace. 1 When the Winthrop fleet arrived in 1630, they first stopped at Salem, where Endicott had erected a Great House. But many of the people were ill, as a result of bad water, so Winthrop moved on to the Boston Peninsula. Salem eventually became one of the most important seaports in Puritan America. 2
For the next few years the colonists continued in Salem, but perhaps not all was well. In 1635 a grant was requested and made of 1000 acres across the Bass River, to the area that is now Beverly. The land was divided into farms of 200 acres each and given to William Trask, John Woodberry, Roger Conant, Peter Palfrey and John Balch, all members of the original Dorchester Company group. The land was divided into upland, meadow or marsh and each of the grantees received an equal amount of property of each type. Peter Palfrey never lived here, selling his grant to William Dodge and Trask sold his share to Thomas Scruggs.7
In 1639, Endecott was one of the signers on the building contract for enlarging the meeting house in Town House Square for the first church in Salem. This document remains part of the town records at City Hall. He was active in the affairs of the town throughout his life. Samuel Skelton was the first pastor of the First Church of Salem, which is the original Puritan church in America. Endecott already had a close relationship with Skelton, having been converted by him, and Endecott considered him as his spiritual father.2
On 10 May 1643, the General Court of Massachusetts set off the north part of Salem as the separate township of Wenham.. The Rev, Fiske was the minister of the first Congregational Church in Wenham until 1656, when he, along with the majority of his congregation moved to form the new community of Chelmsford.6 The remaining residents invited the Rev, Antipas Newman to become their new pastor.
Because of continuing religious differences with Governor John Endecott, Beverly was set off and officially incorporated in 1668, when it was named "Beverley" after the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.4
The Wenham Neck – Area around the intersection of Larch Row and Walnut Street. This was the area where Rice Edwards received his first land grant of 10 acres, and where he built his first house. He sold it to John Sallard (this is most likely John Solart, Sr.) on December 29, 1652.
Intersection of Dodge’s Row and Grover St. – The 20-acre land-grant Rice Edward received in 1651 was to the east of Dodge’s Row, abutting the property of Richard Dodge. Grover Street was laid out in 1678/9 between the property of Rice Edwards and John Dodge.
Dodge’s Row Cemetery – probable burial place of Rice and Elnor Edwards. The entrance is now between number 282 and 286 Dodge Street. The original part of the burial ground is on the side of a hill.
In 1651, Rice Edwards traded 10 acres of land “lying below Makerill Cove towards the Cricke that he bought of Mr. Thornedick wch was formerlie granted to Richard Lambert." There is a bay in Beverly that is currently named Mackerel Bay, but Mr. Kenney identifies the area owned by Rice Edwards as “that portion of Beverly from Curtis Point, that is the north end of the present Brackenberry Beach, west to what is now Hospital Point. The land in between these points is now called Beverly Cove. In colonial times it was also known as Cape-Ann-Side. The "Cricke" referred to above is most probably that small creek, still there today, that crosses Hale Street just east of the junction of Hale and Boyles Streets.”
The Salem Pioneer Village - 98 West Ave, Salem, MA – Recreated colonial period village; the first living history museum in the United States. Tours of the village are available Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 during the summer.
The John Balch House – 448 Cabot St., Beverly MA. Dates to the time of Rice and Elnor Edwards.
Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary - 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield, MA 01983
Singing Beach - 119 Beach St, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA