Thomas Taylor Minor[1] was born on February 20, 1844, in Manepy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India. He was a son of Eastman Strong Minor, part of an old and esteemed Connecticut family[2][3] that descended from Thomas Miner, originally of Chew Magna in North East Somerset, England. An early New England diarist, Thomas Minor arrived on the Lyon's Whelp and helped found New London, Connecticut, and later Stonington, Connecticut.