Samuel Mather

Samuel Mather (13 May 1626 – 29 October 1671) was an Independent minister. Born in England, he went with his family while still young to New England. He returned to England under the Commonwealth, went to Scotland after a period at Oxford, and became a Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. After 1662 he was a nonconformist minister in Ireland.

Biography Samuel Mather was the eldest son of Richard Mather. He was born at Much Woolton (now Woolton), near Liverpool, Lancashire, on 13 May 1626. His father took him in 1635 to New England, where he was educated at Harvard College and graduated M.A. in 1643, becoming a fellow of the College. He was the first fellow of Harvard who had graduated there.

Having already become a preacher, Mather returned to England, and in 1650 was made one of the chaplains of Magdalen College, Oxford, under the presidency of Thomas Goodwin, the Independent. He is said to have been incorporated M.A.; of this there is no record in the register. He frequently preached at St. Mary's.

In 1653 Mather resigned his chaplaincy, having been appointed to attend the parliamentary commissioners who journeyed to Scotland to proclaim and implement the Tender of Union. He was at Leith, for two years, exercising his ministry, but without regular charge.

Returning to England, Mather is said to have been incorporated M.A. at Cambridge. He went over to Ireland soon after with Henry Cromwell. He was incorporated M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1654, and appointed one of the senior fellows. On 5 December 1656 he was ordained in the Church of St. Nicholas Within, Dublin, by Samuel Winter, provost of Trinity, Timothy Taylor of Carrickfergus, and Thomas Jenner (born 1606/7) of Drogheda, all Independents.