The town of Ipswich was established on August 5, 1634, from common land called Agawam. On October 18, 1648, that portion called the "Village" at the New Meadows was set off as Topsfield. The boundary line between Ipswich and Topsfield was established, February 28, 1694.
Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1639.
Hannah Fiske Platts was born on December 21, 1697 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Joseph Fiske and Susannah Warner.
She married James Platts of Rowley on October 29, 1720. James was born on April 20, 1696 in Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts. His parents were Sergeant John Platts and Judith Foster.
Their children included:
James Platts (1721, died as an infant), and
Mark Platts (1722, married Hannah Kilburn).
Hannah died on September 28, 1723 in Rowley when she was only 25 years old. Hannah probably died due to childbirth complications.
After she died, James married Mercy Wheeler on June 25, 1725. Mercy was born August 30, 1696 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Nathan Wheeler and Rebecca Safford.
James and Mercy's children included:
Mercy Platts Nelson (1726, married John Nelson),
James Platts (1727/28, married Mary Perkins), Hannah Platts (1729, married Jedidiah Kilburn, Jr.),
Judith Platts (1731/32, married James Phillips), and
Sarah Platts (1734).
Childbirth was was perilous. Around 1.5 percent of births ended in the mother's death. Since women gave birth to many children, chances of dying in childbirth were quite high.
The New England Meetinghouse was the only municipal building in a town. Both worship and civil meetings were held there. It was customary for men and women to sit separately and the town chose a committee once a year to assign seats according to what was paid, age, and dignity.
