Richard MATHER

Notes:

Name:
Richard Mather, named after his grandfather Richard Mather, was a farmer, and settled at first in Dorchester, but a few years after his marriage he removed to Lyme, Conn. In the year 1687 he bought a tact of land in Lyme of Hezekiah Usher of Boston. As Mr. Mather died the next year, he could not have done much in his new enterprise. He died on the fifty-third anniversary of the landing of his grandfather in America, which was on the 17th of August 1635.

Although Mr. Mather died at the age of thirty-five yers, his descendants far outnumber either of the other branches, the Windsor, or Suffield, and many of them have attained eminence in the professions and in business, some of whom will be noticed farther along in the history.

Richard married Catharine WISE on 1 Jul 1680. Catharine was born on 26 Apr 1657. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Capt. Timothy MATHER was born on 20 Mar 1681; died on 25 Jul 1755.
2. Elisabeth MATHER was born on 20 Nov 1682.
3. Samuel MATHER was born on 3 Jan 1684; died on 17 Jul 1725 in Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut.
4. Lieut. Joseph MATHER was born on 29 Jan 1686 in Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut; died on 30 Sep 1749 in Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut; was buried in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut.

Notes:

Name:
Timothy Mather, second son of Rev. Richard Mather and his wife Catharine Holt, was born in Liverpool in 1628 and came to Boston with his father in 1635 when he was but seven years of age. He was not educated at Harvard as all his brothers were, nor did he like them become a preacher, but for some reason he took a bent contrary to the rest of the family and gave himself up to the care of his father's large landed estate. Hence, and as if to emphasize this contrary bent, he became known as the "Mather Farmer." Apparently he was the business head of the family and kept things going while his brothers were fitting themselves to become preachers and his father was struggling with the versification of the "Bay Psalm Book". In his will his father very thoughtfully and considerately provides: - "And concerning my son Timothy, inasmuch as he hath not had so much cost bestowed upon him in his education as his brothers have had, therefore I think it meet that I should otherwise bestow upon him and his a greater portion of my outward estate," and then proceeds to give Timothy a life interest in the bulk of his real estate, remainder over to his children, and to make him also his residuary legatee.

Timothy married Catharine ATHERTON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Major General Humphrey Atherton of Dorchester