Ezekiel Cheever

Background

Ezekiel Cheever was born on January 25, 1614 in London, England, the son of William Cheaver, spinner.

Education

Ezekiel laid the classical foundations of his life-long service as teacher at Christ’s Hospital (1626) and Emmanuel College, “that Seminary of Puritans in Cambridge, ” which he entered in 1633.

Career

Cheever came to Boston in June 1637, and in 1638 removed to New Haven, where he was almost immediately appointed master of the public school. Though he was possessed of but twenty pounds and a few acres of wild land, he was among the important, men who signed “the Plantation Covenant” in Newman’s Barn, June 4, 1639.

When Davenport ordered the church to name twelve of the most godly, “fit for the foundation work, ” who in turn were to choose "seven out of their own number for the seven pillars of the church, ” Cheever was one named. That he was highly esteemed is shown by the fact that he represented the free burgesses as deputy to the General Court in 1646, and occasionally occupied the pulpit of the First Church.

In 1649, he was censured for failing to vote for clearing certain elders of “partiality and usurpation” and was accused of “uncomely gestures and carriage before the church. ” His defense rings much better than the charges against him; indeed, his arguments caused considerable uncertainty on the part of Davenport and others.

His superb independence of mind is reflected in his declaration, upon dissenting from the judgment of the church, “I had rather suffer anything from men than make shipwreck of a good conscience, or go against my present light. ”

In 1650 he removed to Ipswich to teach in Free School and caused the town itself to “rank in literature and population” above all the rest. In 1661 he removed to Charlestown, where he taught nine years, though he complained that other masters took away his scholars, the house was not kept in repair, and the “constables” were “much behind with him” in the payment of salary. His material rewards were never large. At New Haven he received twenty, then thirty pounds; Ipswich provided a dwelling-house and two acres of land besides salary; Charlestown paid thirty pounds, if he could get it.

In 1670 he became master of the Boston Latin School where he received sixty pounds a year and “possession and use of the school-house. ” Though his discipline was strict, supported now and then by the rod, his reputation and venerable years inspired love, obedience, reverence and even awe, for when he stroked his long white beard to the point, it was “a sign for the boys to stand clear. ” With eight and thirty years at Boston, his life and seventy years’ toil as “a skillful, painful, faithful schoolmaster” came to an end.

He was buried, says Sevvall, from the school-house, honored by the presence of the governor, councillors, ministers, justices and gentlemen whom, and their fathers and grandfathers, he had been at great pains to teach.

Of his religious writings three essays on Scripture Prophecies Explained have been preserved in an edition of 1757. He was long credited with several Latin poems and dissertations, thought to have been composed by him before coming to Boston, but Hassam has shown conclusively that they were not of his making. Far more famous was his Accidence, a Short Introduction to the Latin Tongue, in less than a hundred small pages, which, by 1785, had gone through twenty editions and was republished again in 1838. It was prepared at New Haven and intended for the lower forms of the Latin School. Its content was doubtless an abridgment of larger works Cheever had known in London, with such modifications as were dictated by the experience of Master Cheever. The form and name were probably suggested by the work of Brinsley. In “simplicity, comprehensiveness and exactness” Quincy declared it had not been “exceeded by any other work”; Walker believed it had “done more to inspire young minds with the love of the Latin language than any other work of the kind since the first settlement of the country. ”

Achievements

• Cheever was the most prominent colonial New England Latin grammar teacher of his time and one of the founders of New Haven. He made Free School in Ipswich the “famous in all the country”. He was also remembered as an author of the school book "Accidence, A Short Introduction to the Latin Tongue". It has been called the “wonder of the age. ”

Works

More photos

• book

  • The trial of Ezekiel Cheever before the church at New Haven ... 164

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • A short introduction to the Latin tongue: for the use of the lower forms in the Latin School.

    (Title: A short introduction to the Latin tongue : for the...)

Connections

In 1638, Cheever married Mary Culverwell, his first wife. She was the daughter of Ezekiel Culverwell. Ezekiel and Mary had six children. Mary died on January 20, 1649. On November 18, 1652, Ezekiel married Ellen Lathrop. They had five children.

Father:

William Cheaver

Spouse:

Mary Culverwell

Spouse:

Ellen Lathrop

References

• Ezekiel Cheever And Some Of His Descendants (1879)