WILLIAM CHENEY was a very early resident of Roxbury, in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, in New England, (now included in the city of Boston.) The oldest records of that town which have been brought down to modern times are contained in a volume whose opening sentence says that the book was bought in 1639 for the purpose of recording various matters relating to the inhabitants. Its earliest entries are not dated. One of these is a list of the men who owned land and lived in the town, entitled "A note of the estates and persons of the Inhabitants of Rocksbury." Seventy men are enrolled; they range from "Edward Pason," possessor of 3 acres of ground, to "Mr Thomas Dudley" with his 356 acres. "Wm Cheiney" is the fortieth name, with 24 1/2 acres, showing that he was above the average in wealth. This list is on a page where the year 1640 is given as the date of a preceding entry; and 1642 is the date of the entry on the following page. A number of circumstances indicate that the list was written near the close of the year 1640. On other pages of the old record book there are deeds of land recorded, and in the bounds of two of these "the land of Cheney" and "the meadow of Cheyney" are mentioned; both were made in 1640. These records demonstrate the fact that William Cheney was a land-holder and resident in Roxbury before 1640; and they do no more.

The settlement at Roxbury was begun in 1630, a little later than those at Dorchester and Boston; but there was no

church organization for a year, and no pastor till 1632. In the records of the Church of Roxbury, written by the first pastor, who was that remarkable "Apostle to the Indians," Rev. John Eliot, there is a very interesting list of the members, giving many personal sketches. They are arranged, in a general way, according to the dates of their joining the church, which was sometimes the order in which they came to New England. But a good many men and women did not unite with the churches at once upon their arrival; in certain instances they were unwilling to leave their allegiance to the English church; sometimes they were not considered by the ministers to be suitable persons to be admitted; in other cases they were modest about themselves, and feared they were not worthy. From some cause or other William Cheney himself did not join until he had been in Roxbury at least twenty four years; for it was "5th 1m 166 4/5" that he was "admitted to full communion." His wife joined much earlier. In view of her membership it was that "4 (4) 1643 Mehittabell Cheyny the daughter of Willia Cheyny" was baptized. But Mr Eliot does not give us the date when she joined. Her name is the 210th in his series; it follows a little way after some who are said to have arrived in 1636, 1638 and 1641, mingled with undated names; and the next member whose date of joining is given was "received the 21 of the 2d 1644."

" -- Cheny the wife of William Cheny."

That is the entry; a score of women are so recorded before this line; the good parson could not remember all the Christian names of the sisters ! The date of her coming may have been long before her joining; and her membership must have begun before 1643. There the direct evidence stops.

Right here it is proper to consider the matter of the other Cheney family which resided in Roxbury in those early times. The 133d entry in the list of church members is this: --

"John Cheny he came into the Land in the yeare 1635. he brought 4 children, Mary, Martha, John, Daniel. Sarah his 5t child was borne in the

last month of the same yeare 1635, cald February. he removed from o?? church to Newbery the end of the next suer 1636. Martha Cheny the wife of John Cheny." Only that! Not a word as to whether he was related to the man "William Cheny" whose wife the good parson was to write down a few pages beyond! The family name, which he spelled the same, suggests kinship. Yet the Reverend recorder describes Philip Eliot in glowing terms without a hint that he was his own brother, although he makes note under Thomas Ruggles who "came in the yeare 1637," that "he was Eldr brothr to John Ruggles" who had been enrolled before as having come in 1635. There is nothing to be concluded from the omission of a statement concerning the relationship of the "Cheny" families. In the Roxbury Land Records there is a detailed description of each settler's real estate, with the names of the owners of adjacent tracts. William Cheney's homestead lay in a bend of the old highway which is still a well trodden thoroughfare -- Dudley street -- on the southeast side, near its junction with Warren st. The other tracts of land were widely scattered. "WILLIAM CHEINEY his house barne Garden and land theirto about two accres and a halfe butting upon William Parkes south and east and upon the highway north and west; And sixteene accres in the greatlotts more or lesse betweene the lands of John Johnson towards the west, and the schoole lands towards the east. And ten accres of swampe neare the great lotts lying betweene Giles Pason, and Ralph Hemingway, and the heires of Samuell Hagborne. And six accres of salt marsh in Gravelly poynt. And six accres of fresh meadow in the great meade, upon John Stowe his heires east, and Richard Sutton west, with two rodds wide of upland at both ends and so upon the commons. And seaven accres more or lesse of errable land upon Richard Sutton north, John Gorton west, and upon John Turner south. And in the first and third allottment of the last devission being the fift lott lying betweene John Johnson and heires of George Alcocke threescore and sixteene accres and a halfe and ten rod. And foure and twenty accres and a halfe within the thousand accres neare Deddam. And twenty accres of land more or lesse lying in the great lotts bounded on the way to the fresh meadow on the east the land of the heires of John Levens on the south, the schoole land and Richard Peacockes north west and upon Giles Pason and the highway northerly. And three accres and a halfe of meadow lying in the fresh meades butting east upon my owne fresh meade and upon John Peirpoynt west. And an accre of land commonly called the wolf trapp bought of Humphrey Johnson lying on the north of the land of John Gorton, and west upon the highway. And halfe of sixteene accres of woodland lately the land of Richard Sutton, but bought by him of John Johnson." The deed of this "Wolf Trapp" is not on record, though there are deeds recorded whereby lands adjoining this piece were conveyed and called "Wolf Trap," showing that the name applied to quite a large tract, perhaps a valley where many wolves had been taken. We find two deeds of William Cheney's, one of land he bought, the other of some he sold; and we give them here. "29. 3. 1648. "Humphrey Johnson of Roxbury granted unto Willim Chenie of Roxbury twenty Acres of land in Roxbury bounded wth the high way that leads to the fresh meddow on the East, the land of the heires of John Levens south, the schoole lands & Richard Peacocks north west, & Giles Pason & the high way Northerly & this was by an absolute deed of sale 2 (1) 1647. wth all priviledgs thereto belonging. Humphrey Johnson and a seale" Sealed & dd in p'sence of William Aspinwall Nicholas Butler. William Cheney of Roxbury and Margaret his wife sell to John Peirpoint "One entire quarter or fourth part of a Water Mill in Roxbury, and one quarter part of a peice of Marish ground esteemed to be one Acre more or less being all that is his, or that belongeth to his said part of the said Mill, part whereof lyeth neer to the sd Mill on the South side of the said Mill, & adjoining unto the River wh dives the saied watermill, And on the north side of a Creek cut out there for the passage of the wast water And the other part thereof lyeth on the South side of the said Creek being a rod in Breadth all along the sd Creek as it is Cutt together with the Rights and appurtenances thereof, which said Quarter part of the said Mill & marsh ground as aforesaid the said William Cheney purchased of John Johnson, Joshua Hewes & others agents for Hugh Pritchard late of Roxbury aforesaid now resident in the Commonwealth of England, as by their deed unto the said Cheney bearing date the thirtieth day of June one thousand Six hundred Fifty one appeareth." Dated July 6, 1658; attested by Dea. William Parke Feb. 1, 1683.

William Parke sold one fourth of the same Mill property to John Pierpoint the same day. The town records explain this transaction. "Att a Meeting in Bro Johnsons Hall ye 17: 10br 1655 there was Liberty on a voat propounded by ye Constable graunted to John Johnson, John Gore, John Pearepoint, Willia Parke, Willia Cheney and Thomas Mekins to sett downe a Brest Mill or undr shott in or neere ye place where ye old mill stood, neere Hugh Clerkes Barne provided that satisfaction be made unto those that shall receive dammage by damming of ye water in drowning of Ground" &c. In the margin this is written: "The Dammages done By damming the water for the Corn Mill and fulling Mill to be made good." Below a memorandum states that the abovementioned men had bought Hugh Clerke's barn which was the old mill house and all the appurtenances and the ground &c. for "fifteene pounds & a load of wood." The annals of the town do not give the proceedings of town meetings in the earliest days, but there are a few movements of the citizens which are noted well. One of these is the founding in 1645 of the Roxbury Free School, supported by voluntary subscriptions but managed by town officers. The original paper with its autograph signatures is extant. It shows William Cheney not only as a subscriber to the fund but as one of the few leading men who specially guaranteed to the town the payment of their yearly contributions. His subscription to the school-fund was eight shillings a year,-- more than the average. It is disappointing to find that our ancestor made his "mark" upon these documents. Possibly his eyesight had failed; but as he was only forty-one years old the probability is that he had not learned to write, as was the case with a great majority of the people of England in that age. Yet he must have been considered by his neighbors a man of good general information and judgment, or he would not have had the honor of being chosen as a member of the board of directors, -- "feoffees,"-- of this Roxbury Latin School, who had the employing of the teacher and other administrative matters in charge. "The Doners did meet upon the fiftenne day of Febuary 1663 and thay came to anew choise of seven foeffese and thay chose theas following

Dacon parks
Edward Denison
Robt willyams
Willyam Cheney
Giles payson
John Bowles
Thomas Weld."

To go back again in the history, we find that William Cheney was elected to the board of assessors of the infant borough at an early day.

Feb. 21, 1648 "It was voted that John Johnson [Edward] Deneson and John Gore wth Mr John Alcocke . . . William Cheney should be the men that shall . . ensuing year rate men according to theire estat . . . the defraying of ye fore sayd Charges of ye Ministry."

A few years afterward he was called upon to use that good judgment and fair-mindedness which he seems to have possessed in good amount in another matter.

"It was voted & agreed to by all the inhabitants Febru. 23. (52) that their should be raised for the maintenance of the ministry for this yeare insuing the sume of six score pounds to be borne by all the inhabitants in an equall proportion. for the proportioning of which sume the inhabitants of Roxsbury have chosen the two Deacons & John Johnson, William Cheiney Edward Denison John Ruggles sr. & Thomas Weld which sume of six score pounds is to be devided betweene Mr John Eliot & Mr Samuell Danfoorth in an equall proportion:"

One of the offices that called for promptness and energy and for good faculty of dealing with men was the position of constable. He was the policeman on disagreeable occasions; the messenger of the selectmen sometimes; but his chief care was collecting taxes. He had a "rate" committed to him, with a sum to be obtained from each adult male inhabitant; and he had authority to pay out sums of money on selectmen's orders. At the end of the year he made a detailed report. If he did not possess a good education he must have a sharp faculty of reckoning and a strong memory of names and [Image for The Cheney Genealogy ]
numbers. William Cheney was one of the two constables in 1654/5 and his final account was approved Feb. 13, 1655/6.

But the citizens were not content to have him simply perform the toilsome work of a constable. Jan. 19, 1656/7 he was elected a member of the board of selectmen, associated with men of education and rank.

Jan. 18, 1663, he was made one of a committee to inspect Peter Gardner's "leanetoo" and "the fence that doth range from it" to see that they did "not intrench upon the high way."

We have already seen that he was chosen one of the feofees of the Free School in 1664; and on the town record we find him written down "as Feoffee" in an agreement touching some money belonging to the school fund, and affixing his W mark to the page along with half a dozen regular signatures, Jan. 25, 1666/7.

May 23, 1666, he was made a "freeman of the Colony," which made him eligible to colonial office and capable of voting on matters relating to the general government. But he did not live to make use of this franchise. He fell sick in the spring of 1666/7, as we learn from the opening phrases of his will; and after a few weeks he passed beyond the reach of care or pain. The town clerk made this entry in his list of persons deceased:

"William Cheney aged 63 yeares died June the 30 day, 1667"; and the hand of either Rev. John Eliot or Rev. Samuel Danforth wrote in the church book among the burials:

"1667. Moneth 5 day 2 Willian Cheany sen."

His will is in the hand of some expert penman, one of the pastors, it may be, or some tried friend and associate in public affairs; but though he could not pen it, he gave it marks of individuality, showing that he really composed it.

Its opening phrases are those we find in hundreds of wills of that period, but he certainly endorsed them; and the expressions of care for his wife, who had been a sad invalid for

some years must be attributed to Mr. Cheney, in the depth of their tenderness and the sagacity and prudence of the plans made for her. One feels from this will that the man had a good mind and a good heart; was a loyal husband, a kind father, and a cordial believer in Our Lord.

THE WILL OF WILLIAM CHENEY,
of Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1667.

"Being sick of body and of perfect understanding & memory according to my measure I doe make this my last will & Testament. I doe committ my soul into the Armes of the Everlasting mercy of God my saviour & deare & blessed Redeemer & my body unto my friends & relations to be decently interred by them in hope of a blessed Resurection. As for that Estate which it bath pleased the Lord to lend unto mee I doe dispose of as followeth: Imprs my will is that my deare & afflicted wife margaret Cheney bee Carefully & sufficiently provided for duringe the time of her naturall life to that end my will is that shee have & Enjoy all the rents & profits yearely & Every yeare duringe the aforesaide tearme . . . of all my Houses Lands & Orchards that I die possessed of Either in Roxbury Boston or Elsewhere. Except such part of my Lands or Estate which I shall hereafter in this my will dispose of to my children or otherwise. which Estate bequeathed by mee unto my said wife it is my will shee Enter upon & bee possessed of immediately after my decease (to wit) the present crop upon all the Land. & the use of all my Household stuffe & goods my debts & funerall Expences in the first place being with all Convenient speed fully discharged: & for my said wives more Comfortable being, my desire is that one of my Executors may live in my house in Roxbury with her to Enjoy the housing & Lands by the yeare, which I have as is aforesaid given unto my said wife, upon such Equall tearmes as my other Executors & overseers (all of them to bee named hereafter shall agree with him for. but in case both my Executors see Cause to refuse to accept of this motion in answere to my desire herein then my will is that it bee lett out by my Executors or Overseers to the best advantage for my said wives Comfortable supply & maintenance ffurther my will is that when all my debts & Legacies are discharged out of my stock & Husbandry utensils, as Carts plowes & such like what remains of my stock afterwards, my will is it bee lett out or disposed of for my said wives use by my

Executors with the advice of my Overseers. And my will is that all my moveables bee for my wives use duringe her life Except what is before disposed. And in case what is above Expressed bee not sufficient for the Comfortable maintenance of my said wife then my will is that the house at Boston bee sold & imployed & improved for her further & better supply: -- Item I doe will & bequeath unto my son John Cheiney all that Land both arable & pasture lying on the East side of the Great Lotts, being twenty Acres more or less, being now in the possession of the said John. Also I give to my said sonn a parcell of meadow in the fresh meades being two Acres bee the same more or less as it/lyeth on the south of a ditch made to dreine the said meadow. Also I Give unto him one Acree of salt marsh, bee it more or less as it lyeth bounded with a Creek next the marsh of John Bowles, formerly Isaac Heathes Also give unto him Eight Acres of Land more or less lying neere house of William Hopkins all & Every of these parcells of Land my will is that my said sonn John bee possessed immediately after my decease:--Item I bequeath unto my sonn William Cheiney all that lying & being in medfeld, latly in the possession of my sai[d] [son] upon this condition or proviso [that] hee & his wife Debo[rah] bee Reconsiled & live together in meadfeild or Elsewh[ere], [to] the sattisfaction of John Wisewell of Boston & Deacon [Williams] of Roxbury, but not in Providence or that Jurisdiction [pro]vided also that what either my selfe or Deacon Williams have alrea[dy] or doe stand Engaged for to the Court ehalfe bee first repayd & fully discharged by h[im] or assignes, but otherwise if said sonn neglect [to] accept it with these provisoes then my will is that [there] bee paid to John Wisewall of Boston out of my Estate * * * [the re]sidue I dispose of as followeth Item I will & bequeath to my sonn Joseph Cheiney sixty pounds (to witt) my Land lying in the thir . . * * being thirty seaven Acres more or less. & twenty paid to my said sonn Joseph out of my stoch:-- Item my will is that my three daughters (to witt) [Ellen], [Marga]ret [and] mehittable have Each of them Tenn pounds out of my stock After my said wives decease my will is, first that . . . . . & Lands in Roxbury ondisposed of before by this my [will be] give[n] unto two sonns of my Eldest sonn Thomas Cheiny his sonn Thomas & his sonn William, to bee improv[ed for their] bennefitt by their ffather untill they are twenty one then bee Enjoyed by them: -- secondly what remaines of my Estate after my said wiv[e] [de] cease either in stock or otherwise in housing or Lands [or] other Estate in any kind undisposed of by this my will is that the one halfe of it bee given to my sonn Joseph Cheiney & for the other halfe thereof is that [it] divided into ffoure Equall parts. And soe disposed of [it to] sonn John Cheiney & to my Three aforesd daughter[s] [to each of] them an Equal Portion thereof Lastly I doe [make my] Loving sonns Thomas Cheiney & Thomas [Hastings] [executors] of this my will, requesting my deare & respected [friends] John Elliot, Deacon William Parke & Edward Bugbee Overseers, Aprill the last sixty seaven.

William W Cheiney
his marke & a seale
Witnesses
John newell
Samuell scarbarow."
"30th of July 1667
John newell & Samuel scarbarow deposed," &c.

30 July, 1667 "Thomas Cheny & Thomas Hastings Executors to the last will & Testament of William cheny" presented the inventory of the estate, taken by James Everell and Joseph How.

It seems practically certain that the eldest son, Thomas, had previously received his portion of his father's property in land or money.

AN INVENTORY of the Goods & Estate of William Cheny, late of Roxbury, deceased, Taken by us whose names are heere, underwritten the 10th day of July: 1667.

I: in wearing Apparrell010:13:4 ,, one dwelling house with other housing adjoyning with or-chards & yards in all about two Acres230:00:= ,, 16 : Acres more or less pasture & Arable lying within the Great Lotts in Roxbury060:00:= ,, 10: Acres pasture & wood land neere the Great Lotts020:00:= ,, 5: Acres of meadow in the meadowes more or less025:00:= ,, 8 Acres of Land in upper Calves pasture032:00:= ,, 38 Acres of wood Land more or less in first division, being the first Lott in that Division056:00:= ,, 8 Acres of salt marsh meadow lying at gravily point more or less043:00:= I: 5 Cowes. 21l. one horse, 6l. two oxen. 13l:040:00:= ,, 2 heifers one steere one yeare, advantage006:00:= ,, one mare with her fole, a horse coult two yeares009:00:= ,, 3. Swine002:10:= 534:03:4 In the Parlor:,, one Bedstead one feather bed one feather boulster, one great flock boulster one feather pillow, one pa of sheets one red rugg 3 Curtaines two Curtaine rodds, one chaffe bed011:00:= ,, a small trundle bedsted one old chaffe bed, 2 great flock boulsters one pr of sheets one Coverlide002:00:= ,, 3: chayres one of them a great broad chayre000:12:= ,, one great Cubberd 30s: 3 fine sheets 2li003:10:= ,, in other linnen 1li: 13s. 2 yards of new woolen cloath 10s002:03:= ,, one great Table: 1li: three white streked blanckets 2li:003:00:= ,, 3 remnants of Kersey 8 yards or thereabouts at 8s p. yd.003:00:= ,, one remnant of Cotton 7s. one small Carpet000:12:= ,, one little Cubberd: 7s. two chests, 16s001:03:= ,, 5 Quishions 25s, one feather pillow, one great flock pillow, & one pillowber 8s001:13:= 562:17:4 In the Hall:,, two Tables000:10:0 ,, in pewter 4l: 1s: in brass 4li: 10s008:11:= ,, one pr of Cob iron & tongs one old gridiron000:08:= ,, 2 Trammells one iron drypin pann one spitt, a pr bellows & a chafin dish000:18:= ,, one musquett 10s in iron tools 1li 6s001:16:= ,, in pailes or wooden ware or lumber000:10:= In Hall Chamber:,, : one bedsted one old bed & boulster001:05:= ,, : one pr sheets 15s. 3 old blankets Coverlid000:07,= ,, : The sheets before Expressed000:15:= ,, : 2 blankets: 1l: 4s. 15 yards of new cloath 1l: 18s003:02:= ,, : A house at Boston080:00:= In Parlor Chamber:,, : one bed sted a bed one pr of sheets 2 blankets & curtaines & vallance003:10:= ,, : one linen wheele 5s: & 10l of Cotton yarne: 15s001:00:= ,, : 4l of Cotton 2s: 12l of Course linen yarne 8s000:10:=