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Page 24
When Mr. Cheever entered upon his work as head master of the Boston
Latin School, in 1670, he was fifty-seven years old; and he remained
master of this school until his death, thirty-seven years later. The
schoolhouse was, at this time, in School Street (it was not so named by
the town, however, until 1708) just behind King's Chapel, on a part of
the burying-ground. It has been said that the building was of two
stories to accommodate the teacher and his family. This seems probable
when we read that Mr. Cheever was to have a salary of sixty pounds a
year, and the "possession and use of y'e schoole house." But if he
lived in the building at all, it was not very long, for he is later
living in a house by himself; and in 1701 the selectmen voted that two
men should provide a house for him while his house was being built. The
agreement which the selectmen made with Captain John Barnet with
reference to this house is given in such curious detail in the old
records, and suggests so much, that it is well worth reading. It is as
follows:--
"That the said Barnet shall erect a House on the Land where Mr. Ezekiel
Cheever Lately dwelt, of forty foot Long Twenty foot wide and Twenty
foot stud with four foot Rise in the Roof, to make a cellar floor under
one half of S'd house and to build a Kitchen of Sixteen foot in
Length and twelve foot in breadth with a Chamber therein, and to Lay the
floors flush through out the maine house and to make three paire of
Stayers in y'e main house and one paire in the Kitchen and to Inclose
s'd house and to do and complete all carpenters worke and to find all
timber boards clapboards nayles glass and Glaziers worke and Iron worke
and to make one Cellar door and to finde one Lock for the Outer door of
said House, and also to make the Casements for S'd house, and perform
S'd worke and to finish S'd building by the first day of August
next. In consideration whereof the Selectmen do agree that the S'd
Capt. Barnet shall have the Old Timber boards Iron worke and glass of
the Old house now Standing on S'd Land and to pay unto him the Sum of
one hundred and thirty pounds money, that is to say forty pounds down in
hand and the rest as the worke goes on."
Then follows the agreement for the "masons' worke" in all its details.
Later on, in March, 1702, there is some discussion as to how far back
from the street the house should be placed. But in June of that year the
house is up, for the worthy dignities order that "Capt. John Barnard do
provide a Raysing Dinner for the Raysing the Schoolmasters House at the
Charge of the town not exceeding the Sum of Three pounds." This was
done, for later they order the "noat for three pounds, expended by him
for a dinner at Raysing the Schoolmasters House," be paid him.
After Mr. Cheever's house had received all this painstaking attention
of the town, it was voted that the selectmen should see that a new
schoolhouse be built for him in the place of the old one; this to be
done with the advice of Mr. Cheever. The particulars of this work are
given in as much detail, and are interesting to show the style of
schoolhouse at that day. They are as follows, in the "Selectmen's
Minutes, under July 24, 1704":--
"Agreed w'th M'r John Barnerd as followeth, he to build a new School
House of forty foot Long Twenty five foot wide and Eleven foot Stud,
with eight windows below and five in the Roofe, with wooden Casements to
the eight Windows, to Lay the lower floor with Sleepers & double boards
So far as needful, and the Chamber floor with Single boards, to board
below the plate inside & inside and out, to Clapboard the Outside and
Shingle the Roof, to make a place to hang the Bell in, to make a paire
of Staires up to the Chamber, and from thence a Ladder to the bell, to
make one door next the Street, and a petition Cross the house below, and
to make three rows of benches for the boyes on each Side of the room,
to find all Timber, boards, Clapboards shingles nayles hinges. In
consideration whereof the s'd M'r John Barnerd is to be paid One
hundred pounds, and to have the Timber, Boards, and Iron worke of the
Old School House."
Some interesting reminiscences are given, by some of his pupils, of
these school-days in Boston. The Reverend John Barnard, of Marblehead,
who was born in Boston in 1681, speaks of his early days at the Latin
School, in his Autobiography, which is now in the Massachusetts
Historical Society. Among other things he says: "I remember once, in
making a piece of Latin, my master found fault with the syntax of one
word, which was not used by me heedlessly, but designedly, and therefore
I told him there was a plain grammar rule for it. He angrily replied,
there was no such rule. I took the grammar and showed the rule to him.
Then he smilingly said, 'Thou art a brave boy; I had forgot it.' And no
wonder: for he was then above eighty years old." President Stiles of
Yale College, in his Diary, says that he had seen a man who said that he
"well knew a famous grammar-school master, Mr. E. Cheever, of Boston,
author of The Accidence; that he wore a long white beard, terminating in
a point; that when he stroked his beard to the point, it was a sign for
the boys to stand clear."
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