For a number of years now, I would often find myself wondering where I came from, who were the people that literally made me what I am today, and how did the Floyds get to America? After many hours of digging through records available online and the records at the Mormons Latter Day Saints, the only conclusion that I can come up with is almost taken directly from the work of N.J. Floyd. Mr. Floyd wrote a book titled BIOGRAPHICAL GENEALOGIES OF THE VIRGINIA-KENTUCKY FLOYD FAMILIES . Therefore I think that the best way to explain about the origins of the Floyd family is to quote N.J. Floyd and his book directly. "Beginning with the nationality of the Floyds he finds that the Welsh people, according to the writings of some of the most profound archaeologists of the present age, possess the only living language which has been handed down to the present day through recognizable congeneric gradations from the dialect that was spoken by the sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaea--the Titans, Saturn, Jupiter, Hercules and other old aristocrats of the polytheistic period. They virtually claim that at the beginning of time, when "the Morning Stars sang together," it was the Cymrian dialect which furnished a human note to "the Music of the Spheres." That in the course of slowly revolving ages, the Cymrian grew into the Amoric dialect and the Amoric into the Cambrian tongue, which the Cambrian Britons molded, as the multiplied centuries dragged their slow length along, into the present Welsh language--the one and only living literary and oral link connecting the practical present with the most distant ages of the past, when great hunters, fierce warriors and strenuous female forerunners of the twentieth century suffragettes, were silhouetted as gods and goddesses in the first faint light of dawning tradition. Among them--not the mythological notables, nor yet the Cambrian Britons, but the ancient Welsh people, a tradition, accepted by most branches of the Floyd family, is to the effect that the earliest known Floyd ancestor was one Llewellwyn ab Flloyd, a poet and also a prince, belonging to the reigning family of Wales, who was put to death when Edward the First of England decreed the slaughter of the patriotic bards of subjugated Wales in the thirteenth century. Diligent search through musty tomes brought no light on that or any cognate fact, save the mere mention of the slaughter of the Welsh bards; and the searcher was compelled to come back home and seek information among, and about, less important personages than Welsh bards and poet princes. The general trend of all Virginia and Georgia traditions and genealogies leads back to two Floyds who landed at Jamestown something over a dozen years after its settlement, as the progenitors of the family in the South. Their names are given as Nathaniel and Walter. A patient and exhaustive research among old records that have been preserved of Jamestown and the early settlements of Virginia, revealed the fact that in 1623 a record was made of the arrival from Wales of "Nathaniel Floyd, age twenty-four years, in his own vessel, the "Nova," bringing 16 other persons." With one single exception, which will be noticed later, there is no record found of any other Floyd landing upon the shores of Virginia. We find the name mentioned with increasing frequency after the middle of that century, but always, and only, in connection with some professional, business, or public enterprise or duty. One well buttressed genealogy, however, goes back only as far as 1675 when several Floyds settled in Accomac County, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, "bringing their coat armor with them," and accepts these as the original immigrants. But there is no room for reasonable doubt that they were grandsons of Nathaniel--perhaps one of them of Walter. And it is quite certain that John, the elder of the party, was the grand-father--possibly the father--of William of Amherst (1720-1789) from whom all the Virginia-Kentucky Floyd families are descended. Though the name of Nathaniel's brother, Walter, is not mentioned, it seems that he accompanied him, and that they used the Nova for a number of years in trading with the home country. This theory is partly substantiated by the fact that not until 1632 did Walter patent 400 acres of land in "Martin's Hundred," and it was five years later when Nathaniel patented 850 acres in Isle of Wight County. Previous to these purchases the brothers took possession of an island on the Virginia coast which became known as "Hog Island" and is still so called. In 1653 a relative of theirs, Richard Floyd, came out with a view of investing his patrimony. After a visit at Jamestown he went north and settled on Long Island. It is believed he was the immigrant ancestor of William Floyd, a New York signer of the Declaration of Independence. The father of the two young men, Nathaniel and Walter, was a man of some wealth and distinction. His name was John Floyd, born in Wales about 1570. From information and intimations gathered, here and there, in an exhaustive and persistent search into old historical and genealogical writings, it is gathered that when less than eighteen years of age he fought, as a volunteer, with the forces of Queen Elizabeth in the destruction of the Spanish Armada, which fearfully menaced the existence of the English government. In the extreme national peril Queen Elizabeth had appealed to every subject, able to bear arms, to offer his life upon the altar of patriotism. The young man was knighted by the Queen, and later married a lady of her household, who lived only a few years, and left him with a family of small children. He had already become a writer of some note and his proclivities being entirely of a literary character he became deeply interested in the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, whose doctrine had been recently promulgated, and he finally became a writer and lecturer in the Society of Jesus. During the same period we find Henry Floyd--probably a brother--doing earnest and able work in England as a Jesuit missionary. But a more versatile writer than either was found, about the same period, in Thomas Floyd, a modern "Welsh bard," who, though he wrote in a less poetic period, was, doubtless, as accomplished a bard as his reputed princely ancestor who died for his stubborn and ineffective loyalty to family and race. His poems were published in Latin, as was then a Welsh custom, and translated into other languages. He was, however, more generally noted for prose works, published in both Welsh and English, one of which was entitled "A Picture of a Perfect Commonwealth." This created quite a stir in Great Britain, not only on account of the alleged revolutionary doctrines advanced, but also because many wise and thoughtful men, of that somewhat embryonic period in the gradual growth of self-government ideas, were deeply impressed by the wisdom of his political philosophy. The leading thought of the work was the theory that mankind could never achieve perfection in government until the common people should achieve the right to appoint their own rulers, and to make laws giving to all classes and conditions, perfect equality in the benefits and privileges, as well as in the duties and obligations, of citizenship. To return to the Virginia family: an old writer on heraldry and genealogies already alluded to, says: "The Floyds date back to the early Virginia Colony since 1675 when three brothers, William, Charles and Frederick Floyd, settled in Accomac County, from whom many of the most prominent citizens of Virginia and other States have descended. They brought with them their coat-armor described as: 'Argent, a cross, sable; Crest; A Griffin sejant, azure, holding in dexter paw a garland of laurel, vert.' No motto but their arms distinguished them in England as previous to Queen Elizabeth." Another genealogist speaks of these three and states that John Floyd joined them and bought 2200 acres of land in Accomac and Northampton Counties. He speaks of the belief, on the part of some descendants, that the three came directly from Wales, but expressed doubts on that point and felt satisfied that John was a grandson of the first immigrant, Nathaniel. The fact is there is no evidence, circumstantial or other, to cause a doubt that all four of them were grandsons of Nathaniel and his brother Walter who were tobacco planters, and the young men had left the thin lands of Isle of Wight County, where the grandfather Nathaniel settled, for the more fertile lands of the Eastern Shore--tobacco being the chief, if not the only, "money crop" of the Colony. The "coat-armor" which, as stated, they "brought with them" was merely a rude and not entirely correct drawing made, doubtless, by one of the young men from the heraldic description brought over by his grandfather Nathaniel....the family had a right, which was also then a custom, to blazon on their shields a cross which was not a Greek cross, ages before our John fought the Spanish Armada--even before the time of the Crusades--indeed, before heraldry became a science. As early as A.D. 843 one Roderic, Prince of Wales, blazoned as his escutcheon a device described, in heraldic terms, as "Azure; A Cross, Pattee Fichee; or." This blazon, archaeologists say, is traceable back to one Arviragus, the first Prince of Wales A.D. 45. If that cross, probably the first ever blazoned upon an escutcheon, had to be classified now it would be called a Latin cross. Another error has been the blazoning of the griffin with claws of an eagle instead of the forepaws of a lion. This is a permissible departure in heraldry, on account of the griffin being a mythical animal, with which artists may take liberties. In modern times many take that liberty, but it is believed not to have been done before or during Queen Elizabeth's time. In the thirteenth edition of "Family crests comprising every prominent family of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland," published by Reeves and Turner, No. 196, Strand, London, the Floyd griffin is pictured with eagle's claws. But an old edition of "Fairbairn's Crests of Great Britain," revised by Laurence Butts, "Seal Engraver in ordinary to the Queen of Scotland;" gives, in a brief note, a neat sarcasm intended for English heraldists, which may explain the appearance of eagle's claws upon the Floyd griffin. He says: "It will occasionally be found that reference is made to crests which a special blazonry from the heraldic description in the College of Heraldry, London. As far as the coat of arms of the Floyds is concerned, the crude blazonry, made by John Floyd of Accomac, in 1675, is sufficient evidence that their griffin was originally blazoned with lion's paws. An earnest effort was made to ferret out the few names of heads of families between John of Accomac, 1675, and William of Amherst, 1720, as well as those before John, but in those early days in America the minds of immigrants and their immediate posterity, seem to have been too fully occupied with present dangers and difficulties, and the vastness of future possibilities presented in the New World, to give thought to less important matters. The search for information, however, was productive of some interesting discoveries concerning individual members of some collateral branches of the family. One of these indicates that use of the old Floyd coat of arms had not been entirely abandoned by one branch of the descendants of the youthful Spanish Armada hero, and is of sufficient interest to justify its being briefly sketched here. It seems that during the American Revolution, John Floyd,--a young ensign in the British service, whose father had been killed in Germany while commanding the King's Dragoon Guards, a part of the troops sent by Great Britain to aid Frederick the Great of Prussia in the "Seven Years' War" with Austria over the possession of Silesia, seeing that the three wars, in which England was engaged, were taxing her military resources to the utmost; and fearing, perhaps, that he might be sent to fight the descendants of his own people in America, and his own blood-kin in Virginia, applied for, and received, a commission to raise a cavalry company especially for service in India. He quickly came to the front among the troops in that ancient land and received many promotions. After Lord Cornwallis' failure in America, and surrender at Yorktown, Virginla, he was sent to India and put in supreme military command there. Whatever may have been his other capabilities as a commander, he was quick to see young Floyd's military genius and dash; and after a time, put him in command of all the cavalry on the Coromandel coast. This was almost tantamount to putting him over all the active fighting force in India. The cavalry was kept in almost continuous activity, and after repeated strenuous campaigns the perfidious Sultan Tippoo Sahib, who had frequently broken faith with the English, was driven from the open field into his capital, Seringapatam, where, after a gallant resistance, he was slain. On his return to England, Sir John was received with the greatest distinction, was made a Lieutenant-General and a Baronet, was showered with honors, and, as a crowning honor, the Heralds' College, by royal order, awarded him a special crest. Instead of "A Griffin, sejant, holding in dexter paw a garland of laurel," he was authorized to blazon "The British Lion, rampant, holding in dexter paw the conquered banner of Tippoo Sultaun." " As written by N.J. Floyd, that is the history of the Floyd family up to William Floyd who settled Amherst County. William was born in Accomac County, Virginia, about the year 1720. He was a son or grandson of John Floyd, the wealthy owner of over two thousand acres of fine tobacco land in Accomac and Northampton Counties. He was educated and excelled in mathematics which led to his career as a surveyor. He worked as a surveyor in the James River Valley from the settlement at Richmond up to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In a region which was little more than a primeval forest, now known as Amherst County, he patented a body of land on which he made a home for himself. He married Abidiah Davis in 1747 and had nine chlildren. William and several of his sons later made their way to Kentucky and settled an area known as Floyds Station. In the book compiled by Donna Huffer titled "Fare Thee Well, Old Joe Clark History of the Clark Family of Rockbridge County," she made reference that Samuel Floyd was probably descended from William Floyd and Abidiah Davis. However, I have since found this to be in error because they did not have a child named Samuel. William may not have been Samuel's father, but he could have been Samuel's uncle or even great uncle. I am inclined to believe that since William was a surveyor that it is quite possible William could have worked with his brothers as a surveyor. In that thought, it would only stand to reason that one of Williams relatives (brother or uncle) would be our Samuel's father. Within Ms. Huffer's book, she was only able to go back as far as Samuel Floyd and Eliza Hartless with any certainty. I too have not been able to ascertain the parents of Samuel. However, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon some interesting stories about some of the descendents of William and Abidiah Floyd that I will share. In 1775, John Floyd, the son of William and Abidiah, was supervising the construction of buildings within the fort at Boonsborough in Kentucky. Here, John and Daniel Boone met and became great friends. "It was there that an incident occurred--an account of which, written by young Floyd to Colonel Preston, his friend and patron, found its way into the histories and storybooks of the period. Boone's daughter, Jemima, and two daughters of Colonel Calloway went to the forest to gather blossoms. They had not returned at noon and Boone and Floyd went out to search for them. Their trail was found and followed a mile or more to where another trail intersected it and there were scattered blossoms. This told them what had occurred, and fearing to lose time by returning to the fort for assistance, they pushed forward and on the next day came upon the party of Indians who had captured them about forty miles from the fort. Several of the Indians were killed and the captives brought back to the fort " (N.J. Floyd). John then heard news that the colonies would attempt to become independent of England and "[a]s soon as young Floyd learned that the Colonies would certainly separate from the mother country he returned to Virginia and, aided by his stanch friend, Colonel Preston, and others, he fitted out a schooner which he named the Phoenix and on being commissioned, joined the naval force of the Colonies as a privateer. After some thrilling experiences in the West Indies he captured a merchantman so richly ladened that he determined to take her and the cargo to Virginia. But when almost within sight of the Virginia capes he was overhauled by a man-of-war, the prize retaken, the Phoenix sent to the bottom of the sea, and he and his crew sent in chains to England. After languishing in prison for more than a year he was aided in making his escape by a little daughter of the commandant. Begging his way to Dover, a benevolent clergyman procured him a pass and a ticket across the English Channel. The vintage season had commenced in France, and the vineyardists did not let him suffer for grapes, and an occasional loaf of bread, on his way to Paris. He was received with great cordiality by Dr. Franklin, our Minister to France, who supplied his immediate needs and soon furnished him with money and such information and papers as were necessary to insure his safe and speedy return home. Dr. Franklin, in writing about the incident, spoke of him as: 'An earnest patriot, and a well informed young gentleman." It is also rumored that Marie Antionette took a liking to this young Floyd and sent to him, through Dr. Benjamin Franklin, a purse of gold coins so that he would sit for a portrait and send it back her. It seems that she was intrigued by his tall tales of savage indians and heroic deeds. Another famous Floyd was Charles Floyd, grandson of William and Abidiah. It appears that Charles accompanied the famous surveyors Lewis and Clark on their expedition acorss that vast expanse of wilderness. Sergeant C. Floyd died an untimely death after a sudden illness near Sioux City, Iowa on August 20,1804. A monument stands there today with the inscription, " INSCRIPTION WEST FACE. FLOYD THIS SHAFT MARKS THE BURIAL PLACE OF SERGEANT CHARLES FLOYD A MEMBER OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION HE DIED IN HIS COUNTRY'S SERVICE AND WAS BURIED NEAR THIS SPOT, AUGUST 20, 1804. GRAVES OF SUCH MEN ARE PILGRIM SHRINES-- SHRINES TO NO CLASS OR CREED CONFINED. ERECTED A. D. 1900 BY THE FLOYD MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION AIDED BY THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF IOWA." It is said that Sgt. Charles Floyd was the first soldier to give his life in the line of duty west of the Mississippi river. Continuing with the lineage of William and Abidiah, the state of Virginia has had two govenors from the Floyd family. The first being the son of John Floyd mentioned above. John Floyd Jr. graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1806. He settled in Lexington, Va, the same year and soon thereafter moved to Christiansburg, Monroe County, VA, where he practiced his profession. He was justice of the peace in 1807, major of Virginia State Militia 1807-1812, served as surgeon with rank of major in the War of 1812. This subsequently led him to become brigadier general of militia. He was a member of Virginia State Legislature, U. S. Representative from Virginia, 1817-29; Governor of Virginia, 1830-34, during Nat Turner's rebellion and the Slavery Debates of 1831-32. Received the electoral vote of North Carolina for President in 1832. Brother-in-law of James Patton Preston, who was Governor of Virginia, 1816-1819; uncle of James McDowell. James McDowell was a delegate from the Valley who gave an important anti-slavery argument during the Debates of 1831-32. He later served as Governor of Virginia from 1842-1846. John Floyd Jr.'s son John Buchannan Floyd who is probably more famous than John Jr. also served as a Governor of Virginia, 1849-52. He served as U. S. Secretary of War,1857-1860, in President Buchanan's Cabinet and was also a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. Below is a picture of John B. Floyd that I captured from the internet. John B. Floyd (1806-1863) Governor of Virginia Brigadier General of the (1849-1852) Confederate Army This is merely a few of the influential people that make up the Floyd family that are more than likely descended from the first Floyd to step foot upon the soil of the "New World" and he is Nathniel Floyd. Although it can not be proved nor disproved, I am inclined to believe that we are all related to the two brothers, Nathaniel and Walter, directly. Upon nearing completion of this brief family history, I receive some interesting information pertaining to William Floyd who settled Amherst. This information is a descendant tree that I received in an email. I can neither prove nor disprove its accuracy, but I will include it in the hopes that someone else may pursue it further. It THOMAS FLOYD was born Abt. 1623 in Southwest Scotland. He married unknown Wife. Child of THOMAS FLOYD and UNKNOWN WIFE is: 2. i. JOHN FLOYD, b. 1690; d. Abt. 1756, Northhampton, NC. Generation No. 2 2. JOHN FLOYD was born 1690, and died Abt. 1756 in Northhampton, NC. He married (1) MARY FLOYD. He latet married again to another woman also named MARY FLOYD. Children of JOHN FLOYD and MARY FLOYD are: 3. i. SAMUEL FLOYD, b. 1737, Virginia. ii. MORRIS MOSES FLOYD. iii. THOMAS FLOYD. iv. WILLIAM FLOYD. v. JESSE FLOYD. vi. JOHN FLOYD vii. STEPHEN FLOYD. viii. ELIZABETH FLOYD, m. UNKNOWN COOK. Children of John Floyd and his second wife Mary are: ix. MORRIS MOSES FLOYD. x. WILLIAM FLOYD, b. Abt. 1720. This information shows that Thomas Floyd was probably a son of either Nathaniel or Walter. The more common belief is that John (Thomas' son) was Nathaniel's grandson. One can easily see that William born in 1720 did indeed have male siblings. I have not been able to find any descendants of any of these brothers. However, as I stated above, I believe that one of these men are likely to be our Samuel's father. The Samuel listed above as William's brother is far too old to be our Samuel. This Samuel brother of William is the only other sibling that I did have a descendant list and again it did not include our Samuel. The name Samuel appears to be a family name giving even more weight to my hypothesis. I hope that one day I can definitely say for sure.