| Abijah Cheever | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Saugus | |
In office 1821–1821 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cheever |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Makepeace1 |
In office 1829–1831 | |
| Preceded by | William Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Zaccheus N. Stocker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1760 Saugus, Massachusetts |
| Died | April 21, 1843 (aged 82) Saugus, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Federalist[1] |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
Abijah Cheever was an American surgeon and politician from Saugus, Massachusetts.[2]
Early life[]
Cheever was born on May 23, 1760, in Saugus.[1][3] He was a descendant of Ezekiel Cheever, longtime headmaster of the Boston Latin School. Cheever spent much of his youth working on his family's farm.[4]
American Revolution[]
On the evening before the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Cheever ran bullets from a mold over a fire for the muskets of his brothers, who would take part in the battle the following day.[4]
In 1779 Cheever graduated from Harvard College. He then studied medicine and surgery under John Warren and obtained his M. D. in 1782.[4]
On May 13, 1782 Cheever was commissioned as a surgeon aboard Tartar, a ship fitted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for service in the American Revolution. On the ship's second voyage, it was captured by HMS Belisarius and Cheever was sent to a prison ship in New York Harbor. Once the war ended, Cheever was exchanged and returned to Massachusetts.[4]
Boston[]
After the war, Cheever settled in Boston's North End, where he worked as a physician and surgeon.[4] On July 5, 1789, he married Elizabeth Scott. The couple would have three children before her death on July 5, 1795.[5] On October 16, 1798, he married Sally Williams, with whom he had two children.[1]
Return to Saugus[]
Cheever returned to Saugus in 1806 and would remain here for the rest of his life. Cheever was one of Saugus' largest land owners with over two-hundred acres. He was also one of Saugus' few slave holders. On his family's land he built an elegant home that became well known throughout the region.[1][6]
In 1815, Cheever was elected to Saugus' first Board of Selectmen, Assessors, and Overseers of the Poor.[7]
In 1821, 1829, 1830, and 1831, Cheever represented Saugus in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[8] During his political career, Cheever frequently competed with his brother Joseph Cheever.[6]
Cheever died on April 21, 1843.[1][9]
Notes[]
- 1.^ Until 1857, a majority of votes at a town meeting was needed to elect a representative to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. If no person received a majority of votes, no representative was sent. No representative was selected in 1822, but Jonathan Makepeace was chosen the following year.[8]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lynn in the Revolution, Volume 2. W.B. Clarke Co.. 1909. https://books.google.com/books?id=xCgWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA252&dq.
- ↑ "Template:Cite wikisource/make link". American Medical Biographies. Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Company.
- ↑ "Dr. Abijah Cheever". NOBLE Digital Heritage. http://heritage.noblenet.org/items/show/14209. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Kelly, Howard Atwood (1920). American Medical Biographies. W.B. Saunders Company. https://books.google.com/books?id=GPssAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA211&dq.
- ↑ Johnson, Dale T. (1990). American Portrait Miniatures in the Manney Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://books.google.com/books?id=od6eLeOkdkcC&pg=PA131&dq.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lynn Historical Society (Lynn, Mass.) (1913). The Register of the Lynn Historical Society, Volumes 16-18. https://books.google.com/books?id=zMAWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA144&dq.
- ↑ Atherton, Horace H. (1916). History of Saugus, Massachusetts. Citizens Committee of the Saugus Board of Trade. pp. 93. https://archive.org/details/historyofsaugusm00athe_0.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Duane Hamilton Hurd, ed (1888). History of Essex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Volume 1. J. W. Lewis & Company. p. 394. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_15Q6AQAAIAAJ. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Lynn in the Revolution Pensioners/Lists". Shaun Cook. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101125194932/http://lynnhistory.com/History/LynnInTheRevolution/LynnInRevPenLsts.html. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
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