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. He was morning preacher at St. Nicholas's, and preached once in six weeks as chaplain to the lord-deputy. Wood commends him for his civility to episcopal divines; he declined to act on commissions for displacing them in Munster and Dublin. At the
Restoration he was suspended (October 1660) for sermons against the revival of the ceremonies. Crossing to England he obtained the perpetual curacy of
Burtonwood, Lancashire, a poor chapelry with a wooden chapel, in the parish of Warrington. From this he
was ejected by the
Uniformity Act 1662. He went back to Dublin and gathered a congregation, which met at his house till a meeting-house was erected in New Row. He was arrested on 18 September, and imprisoned on 20 September 1664 for preaching at a private conventicle, but soon released. A pressing call came to him from Boston, Massachusetts, which he declined. He died in Dublin on 29 October 1671, and was buried in St. Nicholas's Church. ==Works==