Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

orn 1628, in Liverpool, England, came
to America with his father, and was the
only one of the family who did not become
a minister. He is the ancestor of
all the New England Mathers. He died
as the result of a fall in his barn in Dor-
chester, January 14, 1684. He married
(first) about 1649, Catherine, daughter of
Major-General Humphrey Atherton ;
(second)
March 20, 1679, Elizabeth, daughter
of Amiel Weeks. Children :
uel, mentioned below ;
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Rev. Sam-
Richard, born De-
cember 20, 1653; Catherine, January 6,
1656; Nathaniel, September 2, 1658; Joseph,
May 23, 1661 ; Atherton, October
4, 1664. Rev. Samuel Mather, eldest child
of Timothy and Catherine (Atherton)
Mather, was born July 5, 1650, in Dor-
chester, graduated from Harvard College
in 1671, entered the ministry, and was
stationed successively at Deerfield and
Hatfield, Massachusetts ; Milford and
Branford, Connecticut. In 1682 he was
settled at Windsor, Connecticut, the second
minister of the church there, where
he died March 18, 1728. He married
Hannah, daughter of Governor Robert
and Jane (Tapp) Treat, of Milford, born
1661, died March 3, 1708. Their eldest
child was Dr. Samuel Mather, born 1677,
graduated from Harvard College, 1698,
was licensed by the General Court to
practice medicine in 1702. He became
greatly distinguished, both as a scholar
and a physician, and his practice covered
a wide circle of territory, in which he was
often called as counsel. He died in
Windsor, February 6, 1746. He married,
April 13, 1704, Abigail Grant, born Jan-
uary 27, 1680, in Windsor, baptized July
17, 1681, in Hartford, daughter of John
and Mary (Hull) Grant, died September
1, 1722. Her fourth son was Nathaniel
Mather, born August 8, 17 16, in Windsor,
died August 31, 1770. He married, about
1740, Elizabeth Allen, who died May 7,
147
1791, a daughter of Peletiah and Mary
(Stoughton) Allen, of Windsor, born November
22, 1722. Her third daughter and
twelfth child was Abigail Mather, born
September 20, baptized October 9, 1757,
in Windsor, married. May 6, 1777, Colonel
Job Allyn, of that town, as above
noted.
ABBOTT, George Edward,
Manufacturer.
"The name Abbott is derived from the
Hebrew Ab, or father, through the Syriac
Abba. It had its origin in the monasteries
of Syria, whence it spread through
the East, and soon became accepted gen-
erally in all languages as the designation
of the head of a monastery." The name
at a very early date in England was
spelled with one t, but at a later date in
England, and with a very few exceptions
ever since the first Abbott came to Amer-
ica, the name has been spelled as in this
sketch.
Robert Abbott—spelled Abbitt in the
Colonial records—was admitted freeman
in Watertown, Massachusetts, September
3, 1634. He received a grant of thirty-
five acres there on July 25, 1636, and several
other grants at later dates, and was
a member of the small company that
removed to Wethersfield, Connecticut, in
1640, called at that time Watertown. He
was a juryman for the "Particular Court"
at Hartford, July 12, 1640, and September
2, 1641. His name was number 30 on a
list of seventy freeman of the "Court
of New Haven." He was a member of
the "Court on the 6th of the 6th month,
1642," and on the "5th of the 2d month,
1643," that court freed him from "trayning
by reason of bodily infirmityes." He
took the oath of fidelity to the King, July
1, 1644, and removed to what is now Bran-
ford, Connecticut, probably about 1645,