Historic leaves, volume 2, April, 1903 - January, 1904

‘17: 12 mo. 1661. It was ordered that Mr. Solomon Phipps should furnish the schoolhouse with severall necessaries belonging to the same, and with a house or barn for the housing of the cowes and hay. . . . so as the said Solomon and Mr. Cheffer the school-master shall see fitt & of necessity to be done & that the said Solomon shall be paid for his work according to the true value thereof.’

12: 11 mo. 1665 (church record). Reference is made to Mr. Cheever's scholars who are required to ‘sit orderly and constantly in the pews appointed for them together.’ ‘December 19, 1669. Appeared before the selectmen Mr. Cheever desiring a piece of ground or house plott might be granted him whereon to build a house for his family.’ Finally, and most interesting of all these entries, November 3, 1666, Mr. Cheever presented the following petition to the selectmen (quoted by Frothingham, page 157):—

1. That they would take care the schoolhouse be speedily amended, because it is much out of repair.

2. That they would take care that his yearly salary be paid, the constables being much behind with him.

3. Putting them in mind of their promise at his first coming to town, viz., that no other schoolmaster should be suffered, or set up in the town so as he could teach the same, yet now Mr. Mansfield is suffered to teach and take away his pupils.

This complaint of good Master Cheever would seem to be proof positive that the chief source of his income was not from the town treasury, but from the pockets of his patrons. We like to think that at this early day there may have been an ambitious boy or two, fired by the zeal of this worthy pedagogue, who sturdily trudged twice a day across the Neck, from some newly-cleared farm in Somerville, to the little schoolhouse on Town Hill.

[To be continued.]