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.

[5][6][7] Eastman was a successful printer in Boston, Massachusetts, when he closed his printing business in October 1833 and traveled with his first wife, Lucy Bailey, to Ceylon.

The couple worked as Congregational missionaries, seeking to convert people to Christianity, first in Ceylon, then India, Singapore, and Bangkok.

It was while living at Lambeth that Minor murdered George Merrett, after which he was found to be criminally insane and confined for many years at Broadmoor Hospital until his eventual deportation back to America.

Thomas and Sarah were the parents of two daughters: In 1868, Minor moved from Nebraska to Port Townsend, where he was an owner and partner in the Marine Hospital.