Thacher, Peter (1)

a Congregational minister, was born at Salem, Mass., in 1651, and was the son of Rev. Thomas Thacher, first pastor of the Old South Church, Boston. He graduated at Harvard College in 1671, and was tutor there for several years following. He then went to England to prepare himself more fully for his profession, but his friend Samuel Danforth dying shortly after, Mr. Thacher returned to America. He refused several tempting offers to enter the Established Church; and in September, 1681, was ordained pastor of the Church in Milton, Mass. Here he labored effectively until a week before his death, which occurred Dec. 17,1727. "He was a person of eminent sanctity, of a most courteous and complaisant behavior, cheerful, affable, humble, and free of speech to the meanest he met." He published- several theological treatises and single sermons (1708-23), for a list of which see Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 1, 196.