Interior of the Leffingwell Inn (Tavern Room), first owned by Thomas Leffingwell

579. Thomas¹¹ Leffingwell (Thomas¹²) was born in White Colne, County Essex, England 1624.⁽⁶⁴⁸⁾ Thomas died 1710 at age 86.

He married Mary White. Mary was born circa 1627 in Kent, England.⁽⁶⁴⁹⁾ Mary was the daughter of Edward White and Martha (unknown). Mary died February 6, 1711/1712 in Norwich, New London, CT, at age 83.⁽⁶⁵⁰⁾ Ensign, or Lieutenant, Leffingwell has made a place in history, as so many books give testament to. Thomas played a very important role in what is often referred to as the War for the Relief of Uncas. Chief Uncas of the Mohegan tribe, a valuable asset to the Colonists, was involved in a tribal war with a competing group of Indians. On a slab at the site of Uncas' old main fort, "Shantok", is written:

Here stood the fort of Uncas Sachem of the Mogegans and friend of the English Here in 1645 when besieged by the Narragansetts he was relieved by the bravery of Lieutenant Thomas Leffingwell ---------- Erected by the Colonial Dames 1898 (See Burpee's History of Connecticut, Vol. II, p.597)

Leffingwell built and operated the Leffingwell Inn, a "house of public entertainment" sometime shortly after 1700 (See Trilogy, pp. 177-178). The house still stands at 348 Washington Street, and has been proclaimed the oldest in Norwich. In fact, George Washington, on April 8, 1776, "partook of the Hospitalities of Leffingwell Inn". In additon to the Inn, Thomas had paper and fulling mills, and a store that sold "lamb's gloves, sattin, cambricks and stuff shose; lute strings, palongs and humhums". It was noted in Trilogy that the Leffingwell house may have been built onto the old Backus residence; local historians say the house was built by Stephen Backus.

Thomas Leffingwell and Mary White had the following children:

580 i. Mary¹⁰ Leffingwell was born in Saybrook, CT. She married Joseph Bushnell November 28, 1673.⁽⁶⁵¹⁾ Joseph was born May 2, 1651 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut. Joseph⁽⁶⁵²⁾ was the son of Richard Bushnell and Mary Marvin. Joseph died December 23, 1748 in Norwich, New London, CT, at age 97.

581 ii. Samuel Leffingwell was born in Saybrook, CT. Samuel died December 1691 in Norwich, New London, CT, at age unknown. He married Hannah Dickenson November 16, 1687 in Connecticut. Hannah died February 22, 1691/1692 in Norwich, New London, CT, at age unknown.

582 iii. Thomas Leffingwell was born in Saybrook, CT circa 1652. He married Mary Bushnell September 1672.⁽⁶⁵³⁾ Mary was born January 1654/1655 in Norwich, New London, CT. Mary⁽⁶⁵⁴⁾ was the daughter of Richard Bushnell and Mary Marvin.

+ 416 iv. Nathaniel Leffingwell was born December 11, 1656.

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