In November of this same year he married Ellen Lathrop, sister of Captain Thomas Lathrop, of Beverly, who two years before had brought her from England to America with him, with the promise that he would be a father to her. While living in Ipswich they had four children, Abigail, Ezekiel, Nathaniel, and Thomas; two more, William and Susanna, were born later, in Charlestown. Their son Ezekiel must have lived to a good old age, at least seventy-seven years, for as late as 1731 his name appears in the annals of the village parish of Salem, where he became heir to Captain Lathrop's real estate; while their son Thomas, born in 1658, was graduated at Harvard College in 1677, was settled as a minister at Malden, Massachusetts, and later at Rumney Marsh (Chelsea), Massachusetts, where he died at a good old age.
After having thus lived in Ipswich eleven years, Mr. Cheever removed, in 1661, to Charlestown, Massachusetts, to become master of the school there at a salary of thirty pounds a year. The smallness of this salary astonishes and suggests much to the modern reader; but when he is informed that the worthy teacher was obliged during his teaching there to petition the selectmen that his "yeerly salarie be paid to him, as the counstables were much behind wth him," the whole matter becomes pathetic. Mr. Cheever also asked that the schoolhouse, which was much out of order, be repaired. And in 1669 he is again before them asking for a "peece of ground or house plott whereon to build an house for his familie," which petition he left for the townsmen to consider. They afterward voted that the selectmen should carry out the request, but as Mr. Cheever removed in the following year to Boston, it is probable that his successor had the benefit of it.
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 ye 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 Sd 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 ye main house and one paire in the Kitchen and to Inclose sd 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 Sd house, and perform Sd worke and to finish Sd building by the first day of August next. In consideration whereof the Selectmen do agree that the Sd Capt. Barnet shall have the Old Timber boards Iron worke and glass of the Old house now Standing on Sd 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 wth Mr 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 sd Mr 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."
Judge Sewall, in his Diary, often refers to him. He speaks of a visit from him, at one time, when Mr. Cheever told him that he had entered his eighty-eighth year, and was the oldest man in town; and another time, when he says: "Master Chiever, his coming to me last Saturday January 31, on purpose to tell me he blessed God that I had stood up for the Truth, is more comfort to me than Mr. Borland's unhandsomeness is discomfort." He also speaks of him as being a bearer several times at funerals, where, at one, with others, he received a scarf and ring which were "given at the House after coming from the Grave." A peculiarity of the venerable schoolmaster is seen where Judge Sewall says: "Mr. Wadsworth appears at Lecture in his Perriwigg. Mr. Chiever is grieved at it." In 1708, the judge gives in this Diary some touching particulars as to the sickness and death of Mr. Cheever. They are valuable not only for themselves, but as preserving in a literary form the close friendship which existed between these two strong men of that day. Hence they are given here:—