Family of Capt. William Floyd (1788-1868) and Eleanor “Ellen” Heard: William Floyd, son of Jesse Floyd, Sr. and Elizabeth Taylor, served with the militia during the War of 1812 and raised a family of six children in the area around St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md.
William Floyd earned the title “Captain” with the militia during the War of 1812. He was living by himself in the 1810 census, but on June 6, 1814 he received a license to marry “Eleanor Heard” (daughter of Matthew Heard and Margaret Leigh) and a large family developed. By August 1820, they had 3 small children, but the census taken that month shows a much larger household that must include another family living with them: in total, two boys and two girls under aged 10, one young man and woman aged 16-25, two men and three women aged 26-44, and five slaves. The 1830 census for St. Mary’s County does not exist. In 1840, his household has 10 white persons broken down by age and 10 slaves.
The 1826 will of Sarah Fenwick bequeathed to “Ann Mary Floyd, Elizabeth Floyd, and Mary Eleanor Floyd, daus. of William Floyd, the land where Sam Thompson now lives” and names William Floyd and his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Floyd as executors. The will was challenged by her Fenwick relatives as having been written under pressure from the Floyds and the lengthy court documentation captures various aspects of the daily life and psychology of the sickly spinster who had been boarding at Mrs. Elizabeth Floyd’s.
In the 1850 Census, William Floyd was a farmer with real estate valued at $8,000, living with his wife “Eleanor”, his six unmarried children, his wife’s sister Rebecca L. Heard (1783-1859) and William Brown (a laborer aged 21). The 1860 Census lists him with $5,000 real estate, $8,000 personal estate, and his three unmarried daughters who are keeping house.
Along with many members of his family, he worshiped at St. John Francis Regis Church in Hollywood and buried at Old St. John’s Cemetery (which once had an excellent website photographing each tombstone). His dates there are apparently inscribed as Oct. 4, 1783 – Jan. 23, 1868 (tombstone), but from his order in his father’s will and the later census data (in 1850 he gave his age as 62, in 1860 as 73), we can deduce that the tombstone is a mistake for 1788. Nearby, “Ellen, wife of William” March 3, 1791 – May 3,1854 (tombstone).
His will, written Jan. 22, 1868, leaves his two unmarried daughters Margaret E. Floyd and Mary Ellen Floyd $500 each, his son Francis F. Floyd the land which FFF was deeded previously, his granddaughters Catharine Ellen Floyd, Mary Rebecca Floyd and Ann Eliza Floyd the note he has against the estate of their father (his son William G. Floyd deceased). The residue of his estate was to be divided equally among his “six children Francis F. Floyd, Ann Mary Payne wife of Cornelius Payne, Margaret E. Floyd, Mary Ellen Floyd, Sarah Maria Greenwell wife of William F. Greenwell, and Mary Amanda Spalding wife of Z.T. Spalding” (presumably they are named in birth order). His son Francis F. Floyd and son-in-law William T. Greenwell were the executors. Children:
5.1) Francis Ferdinand Floyd (1815-1893) marr. Mary W. Davis
He was called “Francis F.” in his father’s will and in the record of his Jan. 13, 1852 marriage to Mary Wellington Davis (daughter of Cornelius Cassandre “Nealy” Davis and Elizabeth Thompson) at St. Aloysius Church (witn: James C. Greenwell, Noema Thompson, Silas Floyd, Mary Colton). He served as a county commissioner 1859-1867. From the 1860s onward he is called “Ferdinand F.” The Beacon carried death notices of two children who died in infancy (Eliza and Carrie) in the 1870s. He died March 23, 1893, aged 78, in the Patuxent district, leaving his wife and six children. His daughter, Miss Lucy, found him dead in bed (Beacon 3/30/1893). His wife, known as “Miss Polly”, died at home in Sept. 1916, aged 87, leaving behind sons and 3 daughters (Beacon 9/28/1916).
The 1860 and 1870 Censuses lists his children as William B., Frances F., Mary E. (marr. Samuel Chapman Thompson), James M., Lucy, Eliza, and Francis.
5.2) Ann Mary Floyd (1817 – 1898) marr. Cornelius Payne
“Ann Mary Payne d. Sunday, 11/19/1898. Relict of the late Cornelius Payne and eldest child of the late Capt. William Floyd, aged 81 years.” (The Enterprise, 11/26/1898). She is buried at St. Joseph’s RCC, Morganza. In 1847, she married Cornelius Payne (son of Thomas Payne and Catherine Wildman) who is buried at Old St. John’s Cemetery, “Departed this life Oct. 9, 1877 aged 58 years.”
They had twin daughters: (1) Sarah Floyd “Sally” Payne, b. 3/15/1850 and d. 1932, who married Daniel Thomas Dixon and (2) Mary A. Payne, twin to Sally, b. 3/15/1850 and died 9/25/1856. No sons.
5.3) Margaret Elizabeth Floyd (1818-1893)
Called “Elizabeth” in the will of Sarah Fenwick and in the 1860 census. Margaret E. Floyd was aged 31 in the 1850 census and aged 75 when she died on March 1, 1893 at the residence of Daniel T. Dixon, Laurel Grove (Beacon, 3/9/1893). In the 1860 and 1870 censuses, she modestly approximated her age as 10 years less than it really was! In her will, she left bequests to niece Sally F. Dixon and grandniece Mary A. Dixon.
5.4) William Giles Floyd (1820-1860) marr. Mary F. Mills
On 24 March, 1856, (aged 35) he marr. Mary F. Mills (aged 18, daughter of John Judson Mills and Catherine Clarke) with witnesses Bennett R. Abell and Sally Floyd. His tombstone at St. John’s Hollywood tells us that he died only four years later (Oct 9, 1820-May 17, 1860). The August 1860 census, taken a few months afterwards, listed his wife as a “Farmer” with $7,500 real estate, $8000 personal estate, and three daughters: Mary E. Floyd 22, C. Ellen Floyd 3, Mary R. Floyd 2, Ann E. Floyd 9 mos. They were living together with her mother Catharine Mills who also has real estate of $3000 and personalty of $4000. In 1864, Mary married secondly Leo Hayerman Hayden and they moved to Baltimore and she died there on 26 May 1909.
Their three daughters were: (1) Catherine Ellen “Kate” Floyd, b. 1857- d.after 1924; m. C. B. Lloyd, (2) Mary Rebecca “Mamie” Floyd, b. 1858, d. 23 Jul 1924 at her sister’s in Baltimore. (3) Ann Elizabeth “Nannie” Floyd, born 1859- d. 23 Dec 1905, at her mother’s in Baltimore, MD.
5.5) Mary Eleanor “Ellen” Floyd (1824-1882)
In the 1836 will of Sarah Fenwick, she is called “Mary Eleanor”. Aged 26 in the 1850 census, she died aged 58 on Aug. 12, 1882 in the 6th district (Beacon 8/17/1882)
5.6) Sarah Maria “Sallie” Floyd (1827-1900) marr. Wm. Francis Greenwell
She marr. 1860 her first cousin William Francis Greenwell and among their children was Dr. Francis Floyd Greenwell, whose biography can be found in Margaret K. Fresco, Doctors of St. Mary’s County, 1634-1900. (1993), 115-6. For more information on this family, see Betty Greenwell Burgelin, Some of the Many Branches of the Greenwell Family Tree (1984), pp. 50, 64, etc.
- The Enterprise (8/11/1900) tell us: Sarah M. Greenwell died at her son’s residence in Leonardtown on 8/7/1900 in the 73rd year of her age. Relict of the late William F. Greenwell. Daughter of the late Capt. William Floyd. Four children survive her: William F. Greenwell, Dr. Francis F. Greenwell, Miss Madgie Greenwell, and Mrs. A. F. Fenwick. Buried on Wednesday by the side of her late husband.
5.7) Mary Amanda Floyd (1829-1901), marr. Zachariah T. Spalding
She was born Dec 1829 and died 24 Nov 1901 in Hillville, St. Mary’s Co., MD. On 01 Jun 1858, she married Zachariah T. Spalding (son of Zachariah Spalding and Cecelia Van Reswick), 10 Mar 1828 and died 30 Jun 1892. Their only child, Henry F. Spalding was born May 1860 and died 11 Jun 1912; he never married.
- Amanda Spalding d. at her res. at Hillville on Monday, 11/25/1901. Relict of Zach T. Spalding, in the 71st year of her age. She was the last of the children of the late Capt. William Floyd. She was a sister of the late Mrs. Sallie Greenwell of Leonardtown, Mrs. Ann M. Payne of Laurel Grove, Miss Lizzie Floyd, Giles Floyd, Eleanor Floyd, and of Capt. F. F. Floyd of Patuxent. (The Enterprise, 11/30/1901).
- Henry F. Spalding d. on Tuesday afternoon last at the Hebrew Hospital, Baltimore from heart disease. Son of the late Zach T. Spalding of Hillville. He was born in this county 51 years ago then later removed to Baltimore and engaged in the practice of law. His remains were brought down by steamer on Thursday last and interred on Friday in St. John’s Cemetery beside the graves of his parents, of whom he was the only child. (The Enterprise, 6/15/1912 — see also the obituary in the St. Mary’s Beacon, June 20, 1912).
Special thanks to Linda Reno for assistance on this page.