William Cheney

Male 1603 - 1667  (63 years)


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  • Name William Cheney 
    Birth 31 Jul 1603  Derbyshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death 30 Jun 1667  Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Eliot Burying Ground, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • It is still a mystery on how or when William arrived in Massachusetts. He was definitely living in Roxbury in 1640 because he was listed in the "estates and persons of the Inhabitants of Rocksbury". At that time, William owned 24 1/2 acres.
      William was a successful farmer. At the time of his death, he owned over 100 acres of land, his home and a house in Boston. The Cheney homestead was located on Dudley Street near Warren Street in Roxbury. Judging from the estate inventory, the main house was large. Probably, there was an entry area which opened on one side to the hall, and on the other side to the parlor. Behind both the hall and the parlor were bed chambers. The hall was the main living area of the Cheneys. The fireplace was located in the hall, and here was where the meals were prepared and eaten. The parlor was more of a state bedroom. Here the best bed with feather bolsters, pillows and fine linen was displayed. The room also boasted a great cupboard, a little cupboard and three chairs. Chairs were not common in New England households,and showed William to be above average in wealth.
      Also included in the estate inventory were 36 bushels of Indian corn, 12 bushels of Rye, 5 1/2 bushels of mault, 5 cows and 3 swine. This list gives a good indication of the Cheney diet. Indian corn was the staple of the Puritan diet. They learned how to plant, harvest and grind the corn from the Indians. The corn was then used in puddings, cakes, hominy, succotash, etc, etc. "Rye-n-Injun" bread, made from
      ground corn mixed with rye, was a moist bread which did not dry out quickly. The drink of the Cheneys was beer. It was drunk at all meals by the entire family. Mr Cheney obviously brewed his own beer since he had 5 1/2 bushels of mault.
      William was active in the community. On February 21, 1648, William was elected to the board of assessors. He was also a constable of Roxbury in 1654-1656. Constables in those days did more than keep the peace, they also collected the tax money. On January 19, 1656, William was elected a member of the board of selectman, an office associated with men of education and rank. In 1663, William Cheney guaranteed yearly contributions to the Roxbury Free School. The school, a first for Roxbury, was built with care and furnished with "convenient benches with forms, with tables for the scholars, and a conveniente seate for the schoolmaster, a deske to put the dictionary on and shelves to lay up bookes". On February 15, 1663 Cheney was chosen one of the Feofese of the school. The closest modern word for a feofee would be a director, and in Roxbury there were seven feofese. They made decisions on hiring of teachers, administrative matters and finances.
      William Cheney did not join the Puritan Church until January 5, 1664 - at least 24 years after he arrived in Roxbury. This is an interesting fact because in those days Massachusetts was a Puritan Colony. The Church leaders were also the Colony leaders, and they dictated all aspects of life from what holidays could be celebrated (not Christmas) to what books could be printed and sold (mostly sermons). In 1631, it was enacted that "no one should be admitted a freeman, and so have the right to vote, unless he was a member of one of the churches within the limits of the colony". How did William prosper in such a climate? Why did he wait so many years to join the Church. Possibly his wife joining the Church circa 1643, helped William maneuver around the Puritans. Whatever the case may have been, William was not made a "freeman of the Colony" until May 23, 1666. Unfortunately, he never got to use his new found right to vote because he fell ill in 1666, and died June 30th 1667.
      Sources: "The Cheney Genealogy" by Charles Henry Pope, 1897. "Customs and Fashions in Old New England" by Alice Morse Earle, 1893. "A Short History of the English Colonies in America" by Henry Cabot Lodge, 1881.
      By, Lisa Sorensen 1998
    Person ID I1098  OurNorthernRoots | Andrew's Ancestor
    Last Modified 30 Jan 2022 

    Father Lawrence Cheney,   b. 1566, Lambourn, Berkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Nov 1643, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years) 
    Mother Julian Waldron,   b. 1568, Lambourn, Berkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 1588 
    Family ID F4058  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Margaret Cule,   b. 1604, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jul 1686, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years) 
    Marriage 1626  Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Thomas Cheney
    +2. Eleanor Cheney,   b. 1626, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Sep 1678, Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 52 years)
    +3. Margaret Cheney,   b. 26 Nov 1628, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Sep 1678, Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 49 years)
    +4. Joseph Cheney,   b. 6 Jun 1647, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID F4057  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Jan 2022 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 31 Jul 1603 - Derbyshire, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 1626 - Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 30 Jun 1667 - Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Eliot Burying Ground, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA Link to Google Earth
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