The purpose of the Thomas Minor Society (TMS) is to honor the memory of Thomas and his descendants, to collect and preserve genealogical records of the Minor/Miner family, and to foster a spirit of fellowship among its members. Membership in this Society is open to any person who is interested in its purposes. Descendants of Thomas Minor (1608 – 1690) are particularly welcome.
TMS was founded in September 1979 in Chew Magna, England by John Minor. 75 of Thomas’s descendants gathered to visit his birthplace and commemorate the 350th anniversary of his departure for America. Those in attendance decided to organize a family society and established officers. The Society has grown over the years. We now have many members who are now generationally connected with TMS.
RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBERS
An application form must be submitted when a member joins the Society. This Form shows only briefly the member’s descent from Thomas and is not to be considered the complete lineage. If the new member does not know his descendancy from Thomas, he should fill as much of the application form as he can and leave the rest blank. The Society Genealogist will help the member with his research. The actual searching of the line must be done by the member himself as we are not equipped to do genealogical research other than in connection with our own records. In many cases we can complete the lineage immediately from our records. The larger and more detailed our records become, the more often this will be possible.
After the completed application form has been submitted, the new member will then be told what additional information we need to bring his branch of the Family up to date. It is the responsibility of members to submit such information if possible.
SOCIETY PROJECTS
Many of our early ancestors are buried in several small cemeteries in the Stonington, Conn. area. Some of these cemeteries have been badly neglected over the years —many tombstones have fallen, are broken and are becoming illegible due to weathering. We have undertaken the project of restoring these cemeteries so that the memory of those who lie there may be honored and perpetuated. This project will require a great deal of time and money and we are dependent for restoration funds on contributions from members and proceeds from the sale of various Society related articles.
BUSINESS MEETINGS AND MEMBERSHIP DUES
Business meeting reunions are held biennially at locations to be determined by the Officers. Membership dues are $15.00 annually and membership includes the descendant, spouse and dependent children, if any. Life/Legacy Memberships are also available at a onetime fee of $250.00. Members are encouraged to offer suggestions for the betterment of the Society at any time and to ask any questions they may have.
LOGO
Our TMS logo is significant in the life of Thomas:
The left panel shows the flag of Great Britain – the land from which Thomas emigrated aboard the Lyon’s Whelp in 1629.
The second panel shows St. Andrews Church in Chew Magna, Somerset, UK – the church in which Thomas was baptized on April 23, 1608.
The third panel shows the wolfstone that covers Thomas’ grave in Wequetequock Cemetery in Stonington, Connecticut. Thomas died in 1690.
The last panel is the flag of the United States – and shows who Thomas’ descendants became.
Our original website was developed by member Bud Wood with assistance from Albert Trevino, of the BYU Academic Technology Office. The original logo was designed by Debra Biser, also of the BYU AT Office.