Exhibit 31.1


                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Donald P. Gill, certify that:

(1) I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of First Ipswich
Bancorp;

(2) Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; (3)
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the small business issuer as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report; (4) The small business
issuer's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the small business issuer and we have:

      a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
      disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
      to ensure that material information relating to the small business issuer,
      including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
      within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report
      is being prepared;

      b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the small business issuer's disclosure
      controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
      the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
      of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

      c) Disclosed in this report any change in the small business issuer's
      internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the small
      business issuer's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected,
      or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the small business issuer's
      internal control over financial reporting; and

(5) The small business issuer's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the small business issuer's auditors and the audit committee of
the small business issuer's board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent functions):

      a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
      operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
      reasonably likely to adversely affect the small business issuer's ability
      to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

      b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
      employees who have a significant role in the small business issuer's
      internal control over financial reporting.


/s/ Donald P. Gill
- ----------------------------------
Donald P. Gill
Chief Executive Officer

May 12, 2006