▁to ▁ 1 6 9 7 . ▁ ▁Cot ton ▁was ▁the ▁mat ernal ▁grand father ▁of ▁William ▁C ushing , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁just ices ▁appointed ▁by ▁George ▁Washington ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁longest ▁served ▁of ▁those ▁original ▁jur ists . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁death ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 0 ▁in ▁P ly mouth , ▁Massachusetts , ▁Jos iah ▁Cot ton ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Jane ▁( née ▁Ross iter ) ▁and ▁John ▁Cot ton ▁Jr . ▁( 1 6 3 9 – 1 6 9 9 ), ▁a ▁prominent ▁Indian ▁mission ary ▁and ▁son ▁of ▁John ▁Cot ton , ▁a ▁leading ▁Pur itan ▁cl erg yman ▁in ▁New ▁England . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁the ▁town ' s ▁fourth ▁minister ▁and ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁and ▁names ake ▁of ▁Boston ' s ▁most ▁v ener able ▁past or ▁and ▁the olog ian . ▁He ▁had ▁minister ed ▁to ▁well - est ab lished ▁communities ▁of ▁Native ▁Christians ▁on ▁Mar tha ' s ▁V ine yard ▁and ▁Cape ▁C od . ▁V irt ually ▁all ▁of ▁Cot ton ' s ▁un cles , ▁brothers , ▁and ▁c ous ins ▁purs ued ▁successful ▁minister ial ▁call ings , ▁while ▁a un ts ▁and ▁sister s ▁married ▁em inent ▁country ▁cl erg ymen . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 8 , ▁Cot ton ▁graduated ▁from ▁Harvard ▁College . ▁ 1 6 9 8 – 1 7 0 7 , ▁he ▁served ▁for ▁several ▁years ▁as ▁school master ▁in