Richard being then about 20 year old, he maryed and became the Father of Severall Children, Sons & Daughters, the Eldest son he Calid Bartho. after his uncle who had sent for and Educated him. In the year 1693 Bartho. Cheever made his Will and Died aged 86 years. He left many Legacys to his Brother Daniels 7 Children & others. One full third of his Estate, with the Improvement of the remainder, He Left to his wife Liddia During her Natural Life, and after her Decease, then to his Cousin Richard, During his Naturall Life, and after said Richards Decease, then to sd Richards Eldest son Bartho.
“Richard Cheever died in France, Taken in his Way Home to England, about the year 1704.
“Bartho. Cheever having Possesion of the Estate left him by his great uncle & Father Improved the same many years and on April 8TH1772, He Died aged 88 years. He having no Children & buried 2 ‘Wives, after giving several Legacys Left the rest & Residue of his Estate to me, his Brother Daniels Eldest son, who had then been 16 year in Partnership with him in the Sugar Baking: Busyness.
W. D. Cheever,"
This account, which, like most family traditions, is an amusing mixture of fact and fancy, was printed in the Boston Monthly Magazine for May, 1826 (I. 619), as a note to a Memoir of Mrs. Eleanor Davis,” a daughter of William Downes Cheever. Mr. Savage says of it:
“ Dr. Farmer was misled by traditional errors in extract from the family bible of W. D. Cheever, as printed in note to a memoir of Mrs. Eleanor Davis, given by the Boston Magazine 4 Apr. 1826, p. 619. Such happy depositories of family details often furnish distorted or imperfect materials” (Gen. Diet. I. 371).
The father of Richard Cheever could not have been Bartholomew’s brother Daniel, for the names of the children of the latter are distinctly mentioned in the wills of the two brothers, and they were, so far as is now known, all born in New England, where Daniel Cheever was living as early as 1645. The following account is compiled from the public records themselves, without regard to tradition. Births, deaths and marriages are given as they are found in the town and church records. Where dates are there wanting the loss has been supplied from the list in the Cheever bible, those so added being placed in brackets, in order that they may be readily distinguished.
I. BARTHOLOMEW’ CHEEVER, of Boston, cordwainer, was admitted a member of the First Church,* May 31, 1646, and was made freeman + 26 May, 1647. His estate is thus described in the Book of Possessions ++ (p.21))
“The possssion of Bartholomew Cheevers wthin the
*Transcript of the Records of the First Church, Boston, in the Library of the Mass. Hist. Society.
+ Mass. Coil. Records, ii. 295.
++Mr. Lamb in his map of” Old Boston compiled from the Book of Possessions,” pub
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Last updated August 29, 2002