John Floyd, I

Abt 1640 - Bef 1687  (< 47 years)

• Name	John Floyd  [1]
  Suffix	I
  Birth	Abt 1640  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Anecdote	Note: the surname of Floyd is derived from the Welsh name of Lloyd which in turn came from the Welsh "Llwyd", meaning "grey". The name has been spelled variously as: Floyde, Flude, Flood, Floodd, Flud, Fludd, Fluid, Floid, Floide, Flode, Flod, Floydd and Floyd. The Lloyd progenitors of this family came from Wales. At least one branch settled in Ireland.
  Headright	30 Jul 1660	Northampton Co, Virginia   [3, 4]
  	It was on this date that a land certificate was granted to John Wilcocks for 1,000 acres for transporting 20 persons into the county. The full list included Ann Wilcocks, Rose Yardly, Mary Avery, Cornelius Johnson, John Custis, Wm Marshall, Robt Marklockson, Henry Yardley, Wm Burton, Arien Ames, John Wilcocks, Wm St. Johns, Mary Barber, Ann Jeanes, Geo. Jenkins, John Floyd, Florence Pomroy, Wm Taylor, John Fereby & Wm Pryer. (NOTE: He was presumably born in Wales, although nothing of his parentage or early life is known.)
  Land bought	1 May 1668	Northampton Co, Virginia   [4, 5]
  	It was on this date that John Waterson and his wife Frances assigned 100 aces of tract N37 to John Floyd. In 1687 Floyd left to son John who later died intestate but seems to have been followed by still another John. In 1789 John and Elishe Floyd of Princess Anne County sold to James Floyd. In 1823 a survey of the land of the late Captain James Floyd showed 127 1/2 acres.
  Anecdote	1669	Oyster, Northampton Co, Virginia   [6]
  	John Floyd was appointed constable of N'hamp County by the county court in 1669. His home plantation, the 100 acres acquired by him from Waterson, et. al. in 1668, was located about two miles south of Cheriton in the present N'hamp County on the water on the eastern side of the peninsula just south of the present small village of Oyster.
  Land patented	1681	Northampton Co, Virginia   [7]
  	It was in this year that a patent for 2,200 acres was granted to Thomas Hunt, John Floyd, Edmund Bibby and George Clarke. In 187 a new patent was granted to the same partners for a total of 3,350 acres called Hogg Island alias Shooting Beach. The next year the island was formally divided as follows: the south end to mary "Lloyd" on behalf of Charles, Berry and Matthew "Lloyd," the deed for which definitely says "Lloyd," but it was later disposed of by Floyd; to Thomas Hunt, the land north of the Floyds; the part north of him to Elizabeth Clarke on behalf of George and William Clarke; and the north end to Bibby. (NOTE: Brice Claget reports that Lloyd and Floyd are interchangeable in Welsh.) In the allotment of the Floyd part it was stated that it was near Coffin's house; perhaps he was the Thomas Coffin who had taken out a patent for Rogues' Island, and as overseer for the owners of Hog Island, he may have been the first person to live the latter. In 1728 Benjamin and Matthew Floyd sold 100 acres to Thomas Bell. In 1746 Samuel Floyd sold 139 acres to Charles Floyd. In 1747 Matthew Floyd sold 139 acres to Berry Floyd. In 1750 There was a formal division of 595 acres of Floyd land: 139 acres to Samuel Floyd; 278 acres to Matthew Floyd Sr., and 178 acres to Berry Floyd.
  Land patented	1687  [8]
  	It was in this year that a Patent was issued to John Floyd for 400 acres called Prout's Island. In the years following, sales for parts of the island were noted, but no effort was made to trace each component part. In 1815 a Patent was issued to H. W. Cobb for 210 acres of Prout's Island. As time went on, storms cut a channel through the upper part of the island and the north part thus cut off became Prout's Island, while the remainder was called Cobb's Island. The former is now entirely gone. During the last quarter of the past century, a substantial hotel was built on the latter island and it became a very popular resort for some years, but erosion became so severe that finally the project had to be abandoned.
  Will	2 Apr 1687	Northampton Co, Virginia   [1, 9, 10]
  	Will of John Floyd In the name of God Amen, the 2nd day of April anno 1687, I John Floyd of the County of Northampton being sick in body but of perfect mind and memory calling to mind the uncertain estate of this transitory life and that all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call, have and do therefore ordain, make and constitute this my last will and testament, revoking disclaiming all wills either by word or writing to be of noneffect only this to be observed in form and manner as followeth. I yield my body unto its original mother the Earth to have decent burial and my soul I bequeath unto the arms of my most all sufficient and blessed redeemer my alone Savior Jesus Christ confidently believing the resurrection of my flesh and all men etc and as for my worldly estate it hath pleased God to endow me with. I order and dispose (vizt) Imprimis – My will and desire is that all just debts that I owe to any person be paid within convenient time after my decease by my exec’rs here after named. Item – I will and bequeath unto my son John my plantation whereon I now dwell and all houses, orchards and all profits there unto belonging containing one hundred acres to him and his heirs forever and one set of cooper’s tools and all the carpenter’s tools that I have given unto John. Item – I will and bequeath unto my sons Charles, Berry and Matthew all my quarter part of Hog Island to be equally divided to every one of the three sons an equal part to them and their several heirs forever, what cooper’s tools is more than a set I give unto my son Charles. Item – I will and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah one feather bed and bolster and what furniture there is with it. Item – I will and bequeath unto my daughter Esther one feather bed and bolster and. what furniture there is with it when she comes to the age of sixteen if she die before to remain for the rest of her brothers and sister. Item – I will that my son John so assist his brother Charles to get feathers to fill a bed and bolster for Charles and that Charles do assist his brother Berry to get feathers to fill a bed and bolster for Berry and that Berry do assist Mathew to get feathers to fill a bed and bolster for Matthew. Item – I will and bequeath unto my loving wife Mary two feather beds and bolsters and what furniture there is belonging to them. Item – I do will and bequeath all my movable estate goods and chattles to be equally divided to my loving wife and children to everyone a part and my loving wife to divide the same as conveniently it may be after my decease to every child a part and to be. For their sole profit and benefit and to be delivered unto every child as they come to age, the sons at eighteen years if their mother remarries one and twenty years if she doth not marry and the daughters sixteen years of age. Item – I give unto my son John and his heirs forever the one half of Prout’s Island. Item – I do desire that my loving wife may have as her due by right the one third part of my plantation during her life. And privilege to carry and leave her cattle on Prout’s Island and either of my daughters to have privilege to carry two cows a piece upon the island and as they increase to remove them of the island. Item – I ordain my loving wife Mary and my son John my sole exec’rs of this my last will and testament. Item – I will and desire that if it please God any of my children die before age that their part of estate shall go equally to all surviving children. Item – My desire is that if any of my three sons shall not lie to live on their part of Hog Island that they sell to their brothers or brother for the just value and cost that it stands me in and to sell it to no other person and for confirmation hereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the day and year before written. Signed, John Floyd Witnesses: William Jarvis William Shepheard Thomas Hunt Probated: July 28th, 1687. Mary and John Floyd executors.
  Anecdote	May 1687	Hog Island, Northampton Co, Virginia   [11]
  	According to Brice Clagget the Floyd quarter of Hog Island amounted to 837 acres, and on the whole John Floyd's descendants obeyed his testamentary command that "my desire is that if any of my three son shall not like to live on their part of Hog Island that they sell to their brothers or brother for the just value and . . . sell it to no other person." In the century and a half that Floyds continued on Hog Island, there were many conveyances among the family and, though there were a few to outsiders, these were made up for by new acquisitions. In 1833, by two deeds, 700 acres of Hog Island were conveyed to Joshua Bloore by Esther, Betsy, James, Sally D., Thomas B., Sally, William, Polly and Susan S. Floyd. Eight years previously Shepherd B. Floyd had deeded 125 acres to Eli Dowty. Thus the Floyd ownership of the Island came to an end (except for 100 acres purchased in 1828 by Matthew Floyd from Charles West); but the family has continued in Northampton County and is still prominent there; being noted in recent years for breeding racehorses. A small settlement of oysterman and fisherman remained on the island until the early 1930's, when a great hurricane drove them away. They never returned, and the island is now totally uninhabited.
  Reference Identifier	#@N'hamp
  Record ID	69655
  Death	Bef 28 Jul 1687	Northampton Co, Virginia   [1, 9]
  	John Floyd's will was written on April 2, 1687 and was probated on July 28, 1687 so he died. between those dates.
  Origins
  Person ID	I69655	MilesFiles23
  Last Modified	31 Aug 2024

  
  

  Family	Mary Berry, (Berry?),   b. Abt 1655   d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	Abt 1674	Northampton Co, Virginia   [1, 12]
  	According to Brice M. Clagett of Washington, DC, it has been alledged that John Floyd's wife was born Mary Berry and was a daughter of either William Berry or James and Elizabeth Berry. There appears to be no evidence for this and presumably the allegation is based merely on the fact that a son of John & Mary was named Berry Floyd. That fact alone cannot, of course, be regarded as conclusive proof of Mary's maiden name. William Berry, founder of the family of that name in Southern Maryland, was born on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and was a son of James Berry, who first appears there about 1640.
  Children	+ 1. John Floyd, II,   b. Abt 1674, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Bef 14 Nov 1738, Northampton Co, Virginia (Age < 64 years) ╚═ Ann (66) Wilkins  m. Abt 1725 + 2. Charles Floyd,   b. Abt 1676, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Bef 17 Feb 1718/19, Northampton Co, Virginia (Age < 43 years) ╚═ Elizabeth (29) Fisher  (Age < 38 years)  m. Abt 1698 + 3. Berry or Benjamin Floyd,   b. Abt 1678, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Bef 11 Dec 1750, Northampton Co, Virginia (Age < 72 years) ╚═ (w_o Berry or Benj) (--?--)  m. Abt 1720 + 4. Matthew Floyd, Sr.,   b. Abt 1680, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Bef 9 Jun 1752, Northampton Co, Virginia (Age < 72 years) ╚═ Sarah Green  m. Abt 1714   5. Sarah Floyd,   b. Abt 1682, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Yes, date unknown   6. Esther Floyd,   b. Abt 1684, Northampton Co, Virginia d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 Mar 2023
  Family ID	F22591	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S497] Marshall, James H. Wills & Adm N'hamp Co,1632-1802, (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1994), p. 129 (will of John Floyd, wife Mary), 497. [S1988] Hickman, Research Files, 1988. [S2011] Mary Burton Derrickson McCurdy, McCurdy, Mary B. Derrickson - William Burton, (Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD 1982), N'hamp Co Order Bk 8, p. 72 (land certificate to John Wilcocks), 2011. [S2058] Brice M. Clagett of Washington DC, Clagett, Floyd Report, (Copy sent to Bessie Lec. McMath Mears, Balitmore, MD, 1964), p. 1, 2058. [S572] Ralph T. Whitelaw, Whitelaw, Ralph T. - Virginia's Eastern Shore, (Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1968), p. 162 (tract N37), 572. [S2058] Brice M. Clagett of Washington DC, Clagett, Floyd Report, (Copy sent to Bessie Lec. McMath Mears, Balitmore, MD, 1964), p. 3, 2058. [S572] Ralph T. Whitelaw, Whitelaw, Ralph T. - Virginia's Eastern Shore, (Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1968), p. 368 (tract N62, Hogg Island), 572. [S572] Ralph T. Whitelaw, Whitelaw, Ralph T. - Virginia's Eastern Shore, (Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1968), p. 214 (tract N48), 572. [S1961] Walczyk, N'hamp Co Bk 12, Orders &c, 1686-1689, (Peter's Row, Coram, NY), p 67 (will of John Floyd), 1961. [S3559] Northampton County Record Book Volume XV Orders and Wills 1683-1689, p 294 (will of John Floyd). [S2058] Brice M. Clagett of Washington DC, Clagett, Floyd Report, (Copy sent to Bessie Lec. McMath Mears, Balitmore, MD, 1964), p. 2, 2058. [S2058] Brice M. Clagett of Washington DC, Clagett, Floyd Report, (Copy sent to Bessie Lec. McMath Mears, Balitmore, MD, 1964), p. 4, 2058.