Floyd was born on December 17, 1734, in Brookhaven, Province of New York, on Long Island into a family of English and Welsh origins. He was the son of Tabitha (née Smith) Floyd and Nicoll Floyd (1705–1755).[5] Among his siblings was sister Ruth Floyd, who married Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull;[a] sister Charity Floyd, who married Continental Congressmen Ezra L'Hommedieu; and brother Charles Floyd, who married Margaret Thomas in 1761.[7]
William's great-grandfather was Richard Floyd, who was born in Brecknockshire, Wales, in about 1620 and was the last of his brothers to leave England, first visiting Jamestown, Virginia, before settling in the Province of New York around 1640 where he practiced law. Around 1688, his grandfather purchased 4,400 acres from Tangier Smith's family in the Mastic Neck of the Town of Brookhaven.[8] William's father Nicoll built a house there in 1723 where William was born.[b]
In 1820, Floyd was chosen a presidential elector but did not attend the meeting of the electoral college, and Martin Van Buren was appointed to fill the vacancy. In the 1820 Census, when Floyd was 86, he had 6 slaves and 2 free black residents lived in his household[11] at the General William Floyd House in Westernville, New York.
Personal life
Family
In 1760, Floyd was married to Hannah Jones (1740–1781), who was born in Southampton, New York, and was the daughter of William Jones. Together, they were the parents of:[5]
Catherine Floyd (1767–1832), who married Reverend William Clarkson (1763–1812).[12]
After the death of his first wife in 1781, Floyd remarried to Joanna Strong (1747–1826), who was born in Setauket, New York, and was the daughter of Benajah Strong and Martha (née Mills) Strong. Together, they were the parents of:[5]
The William Floyd House, the family home, is located in Mastic Beach, is part of Fire Island National Seashore and is open to visitors.[13] It consists of the home, grounds and a cemetery of the Floyd family. Over the course of 200 years, eight generations of Floyds have managed the 25-room mansion and 613-acre property.[14] Prior to the 20th century, the estate was much larger.[15][c]
Descendants
Through his son Nicoll, he was a grandfather of U.S. Representative John Gelston Floyd,[16] and Mary Floyd, who married John Lawrence Ireland (grandson of New York State Senator Jonathan Lawrence).[17] Through his daughter Catherine, he was the grandfather of Harriet Ashton (née Clarkson) Crosby (1786–1859),[12] and great-grandfather of New York State Senator Clarkson Floyd Crosby, who married Angelica Schuyler, daughter of John Schuyler.[18]
Death and legacy
Floyd died on August 4, 1821, and is buried at the Westernville Cemetery in Oneida County. His widow died in 1826.[19]
There are several places named after William Floyd, including:
↑Richard Floyd, who is buried at the Presbyterian Church in Setauket, New York, was the grandfather of Charity Floyd Johnson, the mother of William Samuel Johnson, a signer of the U.S. Constitution.[9]
↑The husband of William's great-granddaughter Katherine "Kitty" Floyd, William Buck Dana, carved out a settlement between the five children of Floyd's grandson, John Gelston Floyd (i.e. Katherine, Sarah, August, John Jr. and Nichol). Sarah and Kitty were each given about 200 acres initially. John Jr. got the 600+-acre piece that is what remains today of the William Floyd Estate and is now in control of the National Park Service. August got a large piece just north of that and also the Woodhull estate that became the original section one of Mastic Beach. Nichol's land was just north of Gus'. Kitty was also given a separate deed in 1880 for 20 prime acres that fronted on both the south shore of the Poospatuck Creek and 1,500 feet on the western bank of Forge River.
