▁the ▁fish ing ▁community ▁of ▁Mar ble head ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁his ▁native ▁P ly mouth . ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 7 , ▁he ▁married ▁Hann ah ▁St ur te v ant , ▁the ▁only ▁child ▁of ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁Pil gr im ▁family . ▁He ▁also ▁pet ition ed ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁Company ▁for ▁an ▁appointment . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 9 , ▁Governor ▁Samuel ▁Sh ute ▁appointed ▁him ▁justice ▁of ▁the ▁peace ▁and ▁qu orum . ▁As ▁a ▁civil ▁magistr ate , ▁Judge ▁Cot ton ▁rose ▁to ▁considerable ▁height s , ▁but ▁in ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁his ▁" Ind ian ▁Business ", ▁the ▁lay ▁mission ary ▁labor ed ▁in ▁the ▁long ▁shadow ▁cast ▁by ▁his ▁father . ▁From ▁the ▁start , ▁however , ▁Cot ton ' s ▁mission ary ▁enter prise ▁was ▁vulner able . ▁Un like ▁John ▁Eli ot , ▁Exper ience ▁May hew , ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁father , ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁settled ▁past or ate . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁this ▁time ▁pre aching ▁to ▁isolated ▁Indian ▁families ▁and ▁indent ured ▁servants ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁English ▁society . ▁ ▁Mr . ▁Cot ton ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 6 , ▁aged ▁ 7 6 ▁years , ▁leaving ▁numerous ▁pro gen y . ▁His ▁son ▁John ▁Cot ton ▁( 1 7 1 2 – 1 7 8 9 ) ▁succeeded ▁his ▁civil ▁duties . ▁Cot ton ▁possessed ▁a ▁strong ▁and ▁sound ▁mind , ▁was ▁fer vent ly ▁p ious ,