Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather Cotton Mather, circa 1700 Born (1663-02-12)February 12, 1663 Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony Died February 13, 1728(1728-02-13) (aged 65) Occupation Minister Parents Increase Mather and Maria Cotton Relatives John Cotton and Richard Mather Signature Cotton Mather, FRS (February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728; A.B. 1678, Harvard College; A.M. 1681, honorary doctorate 1710, University of Glasgow) was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer. Known for his vigorous support for the Salem witch trials, Mather also left a scientific legacy due to his hybridization experiments and his promotion of inoculation for disease prevention.