Matthew Floyd (1729 - 1787)

Born 1729 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 1787 at about age 58 in Nova Scotia, Canada

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Biography

This profile is part of the Floyd Name Study.

In the Memorials (Affadvits) dated 11 Oct 1784 and May 11 1786, that Matthew made for his claims against the British for his Loyalist Services, he stated "that he was a native of Ireland, and that about 40 years ago, he left there at the age of 17 and came to America in Pennsylvania and by 1774 he was settled in South Carolina as a Planter upon his own Estate.".1

Matthew was given 11 land grants by the Governor of North Carolina between the period of 28 Feb 1755 to 29 Apr 1768 for a total of 2577 acres at which time was supposedly Anson and Mecklinburg Co's. This was a disputed area because of the division line of NC and SC along with the Indian Land. This is a description of each of the land grants.

Matthew must have been in the North Carolina Militia as there are Public Claim hearings of North Carolina at New Bern on 1 May 1760 that a Lt. Matthew Floyd and his company were payed 126 pounds 3 shillings 8 pence for services for fighting Cherokee Indians Oct 1759.3

Matthew was a Justice of the Peace for the County of Meklinburgh, NC as at a Council held by the Governor 31 December 1762 ordered that a "Commission of Peace and 'Dedimus'" be issued to Matthew Floyd.4

Matthew played a brief but promient part in the actions at Ninety-Six Ddistrict South Carolina in the autumn of 1775. The leaders of the loyalists and the whigs made a treaty on November 22 at Ninety-Six courthouse, one of the provisions being that the loyalists should consult Governor Lord William Campbell, then a fugitive on board a man-of-war, about the settlement of the public differences, while the whigs consulted the Council of Safety at Charlestown. Matthew was chosen as the messenger sent by Major Robinson to Lord William Campbell under the terms of the treaty. He arrived in Charlestown and applied to the Council of Safety for permission to repair to his Lordship on board the British man-of-war, declaring that he had lost his dispatches, and therefore it was necessary he should himself give his Excellency accounts of the transaction at Ninety-Six. This story of the loss of his dispatches naturally created suspicion, and the Council of Safety in allowing him to go to his Excellency required that he should be accompanied by one Mr. Merchant on the part of the Council, who was required to be present at any interview and conversation between Lord William and Floyd. But not withstanding Mr. Merchant's remonstrance, as soon as Floyd was on board, Lord William took him down into his cabin, where, with Innes his secretary, they had a private interview; and upon it conclusion Innes informed Mr. Merchant that his Lordship desired he would return and inform those who had sent him that Floyd was a messenger from a friend of the government and must be detained until his Lordship had determined on his answer. Upon this the Council, indignant at the conduct of the Governor, issued an order for the arrst of Floyd upon his landing from the man-of-war; and, accordingly, two days after, upon his attempting secretly to pass through the town at night, he was seized and taken before the body. There he was examined, and it was drawn from him that Lord William had directed him to tell those who sent him "to do everything they could for the best advantage - that he did not desire any effusion of blood, but whatever they should do would meet with his concurrence." A weaker and more mischievious message it's difficult to conceive; but surely the Council having received the messenger sent by the King's friends under a treaty made by Williamson and Mayson their officers, good faith demanded that he should be allowed to return and deliver his Lordship's message, whether that message was for peace or war. But the Council took a different view and put Floyd in Jail.9,10

In the year 1775 Matthew was Capt. of Militia in Camden District and Justice of the Peace. He was also taken prisoner in that year and close confined for about 3 months on account of his having carried intelligence to Lord William Campbell. He took an oath, in order to release himself from his confinement, not to take up arms against the Americans.11,12

Matthew continued to serve with Lord Cornwallis until the surrender of Charlestown by the British. He then went to East Florida, where he first applied for restitution for his losses, but it seems his papers never arrived in London.

Matthew must have acquired some land and furnishings in East Florida as in a witnessing deposition for the claim of Alexander Paterson for compensation as a Loyalist, Matthew mentions that he had to ride over Alexander's Plantation on the Mantonze River (near St. Augustine) in order to get to his own Plantation twenty miles further south.13

On 9 March 1781 at Camden District, South Carolina, Matthew and his wife Sarah sold to Abraham Floyd (son) the 155 acres of land that was Matthew's last land grant by North Carolina 29 Apr 1768, which by this time was to be in the Camden District of South Carolina. This was to be the last piece of land he sold before he was declared a Loyalist and had all his deeds, papers, land, and furnishings confiscated and sold.14

When in late 1783, England gave East Florida back to Spain, Matthew decided to go back to England where he arrived the first of October 1784. Here he found out that his claims for restitution never arrived at the Public Claims Court. He obtained a lawyer and began the process again. He produced papers and memorials from people that had known him as a plantation owner in the Carolinas and for his actions against the "Rebels", including statement from Lord Cornwallis.

Matthew made claim for losses of : Sterling 1. 2300 acres of land Camden District, SC 2300 00 2. 7 negro men and 2 women 450 00 3. 9 horses, 45 cattle, 27 sheep, 54 hogs and poultry 143 05 4. Household furniture and farming utinsels 60 00 5. Money due on Bonds and notes 125 13 Total 3078 18

In his petition for restitution he also made statement that he was "single" in England, but that he had two children in America that required his support. The Public Claims Court awarded him an Allowance of 25 pounds a year from the 10th day of October 1784.

On 4 June 1787 he left a note a the Court "I called during the recess to acquaint the Board of my being to sail in a few days for Nova Scotia where I propose to settle, and have to request that my annual subsistances may be continued to be paid to my attorney W. John Simpson of London. As I am to go on board tomorrow, hope the necessity of the case will excuse this mode of application, I am with great respect.".1 .

Military

American Revolution Loyalist Services British Army; Colonel FLOYD, MATTHEW, of S. C., was in commission under the crown after the fall of Charleston in 1780, and his estate was confiscated.

Sources

• "Descendants of Col. Mathew Floyd, Loyalist of South Carolina and His Son Abraham Floyd" by Marjorie Dodd Floyd, Dayton, Ohio:
• North Carolina, Land Grant Files, 1693-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
• South Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
• Document: Jury Lists, 1778, Acts #1078 [at SC Archives]; Page Number: 10; Family Number: 218
• American Biographical Library [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 1997.