Ten years ago, the author in examining the rec ords of the town of Ipswich, Mass, found the record of a grant of land to Edmund Sayward in 1634. He became interested to find whether he was a deseen dant of this man. A little research settled the fact that he was not, but was a descendant of Henry Sayward, who was a brother of Edmund. When once the tangled skein of the family his tory began to unravel. The author's interest increased and he determined to complete the work. During his vacations, the records of towns, coun ties, courts, deeds, families and tombstones have been examined; aged people have been consulted; and every story and legend concerning the early members of the family, that has come to the author's knowledge, has been weighed and compared with the broken and deficient records, until the following history has been wrought out.