Mather (Cotton) is born in Boston.

The son of the Increase Mather and grandson of Richard Mather and John Cotton, Cotton Mather and graduates from Harvard College at 15, serves as his father’s assistant at the Second Church in Boston, the succeeds him as pastor (1685-1728). He marries Abigail Philips in 1686, Elizabeth Hubbard in 1713, and Lydia George in 1715, and lives near today’s 332 Hanover Street. A prolific writer, he publishes more than 400 volumes on religion, history, and science. Mather is credited with promoting both the witchcraft hysteria in 1692* and smallpox inoculation in 1721.* He serves as a fellow at Harvard, but resigns because of its growing liberalness and subsequently promotes the establishment of Yale College in New Haven hoping it will provide a more traditional Congregational education. Mather dies in Boston on February 13, 1728, and is buried at the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.