William Floyd

William Floyd in a 1792 portrait

Floyd's signature

William Floyd (December 17, 1734 – August 4, 1821) was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York.

He was born in Brookhaven, Long Island, New York, into a family of Welsh origin and took over the family farm when his father died. His great-grandfather Richard Floyd [1] was born in Brecknockshire, Wales in about 1620 and settled in the Province of New York. William Floyd was a member of the Suffolk County Militia in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, becoming Major General. He was chosen to represent New York in the First Continental Congress during 1774 to 1776. In 1789 he was elected to the U.S. Congress under the new Constitution as an Anti-Administration candidate and served from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791. He returned to the New York State Senate in 1808.

The William Floyd Estate, the family home, is located in Mastic Beach, is part of Fire Island National Seashore and is open to visitors. The home is a preservation and is located in the middle of extensive woods, grassland and wetlands.

In honor

There are several places and institutions named after William Floyd, they include:

• the William Floyd School District in present-day Brookhaven Town, which includes William Floyd Elementary, William Floyd Middle School and William Floyd High School.

• William Floyd Parkway in the Town of Brookhaven.

• the town of Floyd in Oneida County. General Floyd moved into the present day hamlet of Westernville, Oneida County before his death. His final resting place in the Westernville cemetery is marked with a simple stone plaque.

• the General William Floyd Elementary School in the Holland Patent School District, Oneida County. [2]

Among his descendants are cinematographer Floyd Crosby and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld. A second cousin twice removed was Abraham Lincoln.

External links

• William Floyd at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
• Fire Island National Seashore - William Floyd Estate
• Town of Floyd, NY Official Website
• William Floyd at Find a Grave

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