Thomas T. Minor
Encyclopedia
Thomas T. Minor, was a physician
, businessman, civic and political leader and the only person to have been elected as mayor of Seattle, Washington
and Port Townsend, Washington
and founder of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
.
, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India
. He was a son of Eastman Strong Minor, who was descended from an old and esteemed Connecticut family. He was a successful printer. He closed his printing business and left Boston, Massachusetts with his first wife, Lucy Bailey, in October 1833 as Congregational missionaries to Ceylon, to spread the gospel of Christianity
from India through Singapore
and up to Bangkok
. He returned to the United States in July 1851 and settled in New Haven, Connecticut
.
His mother, Judith Manchester Taylor, was born in Madison, Madison County, New York
in 1814 and died in New York in 1900. She was an orphan and the daughter of Isaac and Judith Taylor. She ran the local school in Ceylon, learned Singhalese, and taught it to her 2 stepchildren as well as her own six children.
He was a direct descendant of Thomas Miner
who came originally from Chew Magna
in North East Somerset, England
, and sailed on the Lyon's Whelp
and was a founder of New London, Connecticut
and later of Stonington, Connecticut
. He married Grace Palmer in 1634. She was the daughter of Walter Palmer (Puritan)
. Minor was also an early New England diarist. He was also a descendant of Elder William Brewster (pilgrim)
, (c. 1567 - April 10, 1644), the Pilgrim leader and spiritual elder of the Plymouth Colony
and a passenger on the Mayflower
, through his son Jonathan Brewster
.
His half brother was Dr. William Chester Minor
, also known as W. C. Minors (June 1834 – March 26, 1920). He was an American surgeon who made many scholarly contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary
. It was while living at Lambeth
that Minor murdered George Merrett, for which crime he was found criminally insane and confined for the rest of his life at Broadmoor Hospital
. His life was chronicled in The Surgeon of Crowthorne
by Simon Winchester
(published in the United States as "The Professor and the Madman").
. He rose to the rank of captain and served as hospital steward and then surgeon. After the war, he entered Yale School of Medicine
graduating in 1867.
and died on June 11, 1931 at Seattle, King County, Washington. She was the daughter of William Montgomery and Eliza Moorhead, They were the parents two daughters --
On July 11, 1887 he was elected Mayor of Seattle by a substantial majority.
He was also actively involved in both the territorial and national Republican Party.
. The body of Dr Thomas Taylor Minor was never recovered. The city of Seattle held a memorial service and a procession on Sunday, December 15, 1899 in honor of Minor and Haller.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, businessman, civic and political leader and the only person to have been elected as mayor of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
and founder of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was a railroad founded in Seattle, Washington, on April 28, 1885, with three tiers of purposes: Build and run the initial line to the town of Ballard, bring immediate results and returns to investors; exploit resources east in the valleys, foothills,...
.
Early life and ancestors
Thomas Taylor Minor was born on February 20, 1844, in Manepy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) an island country in South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was a son of Eastman Strong Minor, who was descended from an old and esteemed Connecticut family. He was a successful printer. He closed his printing business and left Boston, Massachusetts with his first wife, Lucy Bailey, in October 1833 as Congregational missionaries to Ceylon, to spread the gospel of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
from India through Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and up to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. He returned to the United States in July 1851 and settled in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
.
His mother, Judith Manchester Taylor, was born in Madison, Madison County, New York
Madison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
in 1814 and died in New York in 1900. She was an orphan and the daughter of Isaac and Judith Taylor. She ran the local school in Ceylon, learned Singhalese, and taught it to her 2 stepchildren as well as her own six children.
He was a direct descendant of Thomas Miner
Thomas Miner
Thomas Miner or Minor was a founder of New London and Stonington, Connecticut, USA, and an early New England diarist.-Early life and marriage:...
who came originally from Chew Magna
Chew Magna
Chew Magna is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley in the Unitary Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, in the Ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,161.To the south of the village is Chew Valley Lake...
in North East Somerset, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and sailed on the Lyon's Whelp
Lyon's Whelp
In 1628, the very wealthy Duke of Buckingham built a private fleet of 10 three masted, armed pinnaces each of which carried the name Lion's Whelp. At least one Lion's Whelp participated in the English attempt to relieve the Huguenot citadel of La Rochelle during the Anglo-French War...
and was a founder of New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
and later of Stonington, Connecticut
Stonington, Connecticut
The Town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic...
. He married Grace Palmer in 1634. She was the daughter of Walter Palmer (Puritan)
Walter Palmer (Puritan)
Walter Palmer was an early Separatist Puritan settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who helped found Charlestown and Rehoboth, Massachusetts and New London, Connecticut.-Early life:...
. Minor was also an early New England diarist. He was also a descendant of Elder William Brewster (pilgrim)
William Brewster (Pilgrim)
Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...
, (c. 1567 - April 10, 1644), the Pilgrim leader and spiritual elder of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
and a passenger on the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
, through his son Jonathan Brewster
Jonathan Brewster
Elder Jonathan Brewster was an early American settler, the son and eldest child of elder William Brewster and his wife, Mary. Brewster had two younger sisters, Patience and Fear, and two younger brothers, Love and Wrestling along with an unnamed brother who died young.-Life:Brewster was born in...
.
His half brother was Dr. William Chester Minor
William Chester Minor
William Chester Minor, also known as W. C. Minor was an American army surgeon who, later, was one of the largest contributors of quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary...
, also known as W. C. Minors (June 1834 – March 26, 1920). He was an American surgeon who made many scholarly contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
. It was while living at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
that Minor murdered George Merrett, for which crime he was found criminally insane and confined for the rest of his life at Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
. His life was chronicled in The Surgeon of Crowthorne
The Surgeon of Crowthorne
The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words is a book by Simon Winchester that was first published in England in 1998...
by Simon Winchester
Simon Winchester
Simon Winchester, OBE , is a British-American author and journalist who resides mostly in the United States. Through his career at The Guardian, Winchester covered numerous significant events including Bloody Sunday and the Watergate Scandal...
(published in the United States as "The Professor and the Madman").
Education and war years
He returned to the United States when he was seven years old, locating at New Haven, Connecticut and attended the local school. In 1861, when he was 17, he enlisted in the Union Army as a private in Company G, 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry
The 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Because it was in the same brigade as the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, both regiments were often jointly called the 77th New England.-Service:The regiment...
. He rose to the rank of captain and served as hospital steward and then surgeon. After the war, he entered Yale School of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
The Yale School of Medicine at Yale University is a private medical school located in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. It was founded in 1810 as The Medical Institution of Yale College, and formally opened its doors in 1813....
graduating in 1867.
Marriage and family
Minor married Sarah Montgomery on August 20, 1872 in Oregon. She was born on May 21. 1840 in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and died on June 11, 1931 at Seattle, King County, Washington. She was the daughter of William Montgomery and Eliza Moorhead, They were the parents two daughters --
- Elizabeth Montgomery Minor, born on May 14, 1874 at Port Townsend, Washington and died on November 34, 1958 at Seattle, Washington. She married on January 2, 1900 at Trinity Episcopal Parish Church (Seattle)Trinity Episcopal Parish Church (Seattle)Trinity Episcopal Church is an historic church located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington and is an Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Olympia.-History of Trinity Episcopal Church:...
, on First Hill in Seattle, Washington, Bernard Pelly, the British vice-Consul and then Consul to Seattle. He was born on June 5, 1860 at Little HallingburyLittle HallingburyLittle Hallingbury is a village located in Essex, UK. It is between river and forest, on a high rise of ground, near the main railway at Bishop's Stortford and the M11 motorway.It is located in the Uttlesford district of North West Essex....
, England and died on August 10, 1938 at Seattle, Washington. He was the son of Justinian Pelly and Fanny Ingleby and the great nephew of Sir John Pelly, 1st BaronetSir John Pelly, 1st BaronetSir John Henry Pelly, 1st Baronet, DL was an English businessman. During most of his career, he was an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company , serving as Governor of the HBC for three decades. He held other noteworthy offices, including Governor of the Bank of England...
.
- Judith Strong Minor, December 2, 1876 in Port Townsend, Washington and died on July 19, 1959 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On April 15, 1909 she married at Seattle, Washington, Lyman Roswell Colt. He was born on January 5, 1868 at Orange, New Jersey and died on January 9, 1927 at Winter Haven, Florida. He was the son of Morgan Gibbs Colt and Mary Beekman Borrows. Morgan Colt was the first cousin of Samuel ColtSamuel ColtSamuel Colt was an American inventor and industrialist. He was the founder of Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company , and is widely credited with popularizing the revolver. Colt's innovative contributions to the weapons industry have been described by arms historian James E...
(July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) an American inventor, industrialist and inventor of the revolving pistol. Lyman Colt had spent time living in Alaska and the Yukon and was one of Jack Londons acquaintances in Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. He subsequently owned a small ranch at Chelan in Washington State where he raised cattle.
Politics
In 1868, he removed from Nebraska and settled in Port Townsend. He was an owner and partner in the Marine Hospital there. In 1880 and again in 1881, he was elected Major of Port Townsend. In 1883, he moved to Seattle and joined the Chamber of Commerce.On July 11, 1887 he was elected Mayor of Seattle by a substantial majority.
He was also actively involved in both the territorial and national Republican Party.
Death
He died, along with his friend George Morris Haller, and Haller’s brother-in-law Lewis Cox, on or about December 2, 1889 when their canoe apparently overturned in Saratoga Passage near Camano IslandCamano Island
Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...
. The body of Dr Thomas Taylor Minor was never recovered. The city of Seattle held a memorial service and a procession on Sunday, December 15, 1899 in honor of Minor and Haller.
Descendants
- Thomas PellyThomas PellyThomas Minor Pelly , an American politician born in Seattle, Washington, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1953 to 1973. He represented the First Congressional District of Washington as a Republican. Due to health concerns, he did not run for re-election in...
- Charles Moriarty, Jr. (1928–1999), Washington State Representative 1957-1959, Washington State Senator 1959-1966. Son of Charles P. Moriarty, U.S. Attorney in Washington 1953-1961. They are members of the Moriartys and Pellys political families in the United States.