Who is the father of Michael & Henry Francis FLOYD?

For years no one had any proof of who the father of Henry Francis FLOYD was. We all know the family stories of a connection to William FLOYD of New York, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Although I would love for this to be true, I have never seen a shred of evidence to support this assertion. In addition, all three of Henry’s children who were alive in 1880, when the census asked the birthplace of their fathers, state Henry was born in Virginia. This tends to support the belief that Henry is the son of Robert F. FLOYD of Bromfield Parish in Culpeper County, VA. This Robert FLOYD did in fact have a son Henry. The question is: “Is this our Henry”? One fact which may support this belief is the DAR’s reference to Germany as the birth place of Henry F. Robert’s wife Agnes “Aggie” HOFFMAN came from one of the Germanna colonies in this part of Virginia. On the CON side of this question we have:

• Michael FLOYD states in his affidavit in support of Henry’s Revolutionary War pension application, that he rode with Henry to the home of Marquis CALMES to enlist in August of 1776. If Henry and Michael were living at the home of Robert in Bromfield Parish at the time, this would have been a ride of 75 miles. It seems Henry could have enlisted a little closer to home and also that a 75 mile trip on horseback might be a bit much for a 9 year old Michael, especially if he had to make the return trip alone.

• I cannot place the above mentioned William STRAHAN in Culpeper County.

• I cannot place Benjamin SATTERFIELD, who also claims he knew Henry as a young man and supported his Revolutionary War pension application, in Culpeper County.

• I cannot place Michael in Culpepr County.

• All oral references to Henry’s residences refer to the Shenandoah Valley. Culpeper County is NOT in the Shenandoah.

None of this is proof. of course. It is possible Robert FLOYD although married and died in Culpeper County could have lived further north in Berkley or Frederick Counties in 1776. I suppose Henry at the age of 26 may have been living on his own and that Michael was living with him. Robert’s will was probated 15 OCT 1787. Agnes (Aggie) appears on the Culpeper County tax roles in 1791. Henry Francis first appears in Monongalia County, VA on 6 JAN 1798 when he purchased 110 acres of land from James and Mary MATHENY on the Cheat River next to Nathan MATHENY. It seems to me likely that Henry’s mark should appear on a land sale in Culpeper between 1791 and 1798.