Willand FLoyd, farmer. land proprietor. patriot, received a very limited formal education, He became landed proprietor in 1753, following the death of his father. FLoyd was intelligent and possessed a strong character. The connections of his wealthy family soon enabled him to be effective in the civic and military affairs of Suffolk County, new York. He was made an officer in the Malita in 1760
Having allied himself with the patriots, Floyd was elected as one of the New York's 12 delegates to the First Continental Congress and took his seat on September 5, 1774. He served During sessions in 1774-1777 and 1778-1783, except for an absence in 1780. His activities in Congress were nether brilliant nor aggressive, he took no part in the debates and did not make speeches. He did, however serve on many comities, and his sound judgement commanded the respect of his fellow congressmen.
He was elected to the Second Continental Congress and had, During 1775, became a Colonel in the Suffolk County Militia. On July 8, 1775, he signed the Olive Branch Petition. He was member on the important committees on clothing in 1776.
On October 20, 1774, he signed the Articles of Association. He was elected to the Second Continental Congress. When the British first attacked Long Island, he led the Malita and drove them off.
New York had no delegates present at the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, when the vote for In dependance occurred. However, William Floyd was on the four New York delegates who has the honor of signing the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.

On July 19, 1776, the British invaders confiscated his home. His family escaped across the sound to Connecticut.
The homeple against the king. Was appointed the 1st Continental Congress which met September 5, 1774, and served on numerous committees. For seven years his family lived in Connecticut while the British occupied his home on Long Island.

He signed the Declaration Of Independence (4th name) July 4, 1776. He was Senator from New York in 1777 and a member of Congress 1778-1779. He ran for Govenor on New York in 1795

He bought land on the Mohawk River in 1784 (Probably near Utica, New York where I had relatives-HT)
In 1803 he moved to his lands in New York State and remained a Presidential Elector form 1800 to 1820.
He was a very determined and independent man"

Following is excerpt form HTT journal: "If you look at the portrait of this gentleman, wearing a green suit with some 20 buttons down the vest, and with the Mastic House in the background, you will not only think that he is "determined", but you will think of an overfed green rabbit. The portrait was, during this at the Masitc House (Known now as the William Floyd house) . However since the area has been taken over by the development "Mastic Acra", I have not seen the place." ????
Make of the above as you will HHT.

The Declaration of Independence

A Transcription


IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen
united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

The 56signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

[Column 1]
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

[Column 2]
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

[Column 3]
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

(Column4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

(Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6]
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

National Archives and Records Administration
URL: http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/declaration/declaration.html
webmaster@nara.gov

• Married: 20 AUG 1760 in Middletown,Connecticut

1. Nicoll FLOYD b: 4 OCT 1762 in Masitc,Long Island New York
2. Mary FLOYD b: 6 MAR 1764 in Mastic,Long Island
3. Catherine FLOYD b: 24 APR 1767 in Mastic Long Island New York

• Married: 16 MAY 1784 in Setauket,Long Island

1. Hannah 'Anna' * FLOYD b: Bef 14 JAN 1786 in Long Island. New York
2. Eliza FLOYD b: 2 MAR 1789 in Mastic Long Island,New York