CLOYD. It is a tradition in all branches of the Cloyd family that soon after the raising of the siege of Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland, which occurred in 1689, three brothers James, aged nine years, Joseph and David Cloyd, left Ireland and came to America, settling first in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where James remained throughout his life. Joseph seems lost in obscurity. David, after several removals from one place to another, is said to have located finally in Orange County, Virginia. If James was but nine or ten years old at the time of his emigration, he did not of course come to America and settle in Chester County of his own volition. The probabilities are that the three lads were brought to this country by their parents or other members of an older generation, and David, of the three brothers, was not the David of Orange County, Va., as proven by a comparison of dates. (See records below.) According to Dr. A. D. Cloyd of Omaha, Neb., who has written the only published genealogy of the family, David of Orange Co., was a son of James, who at nine years of age was present at the siege of Londonderry. It has been well established that the family came to America from Ulster. Preponderance of evidence indicates that the name was originally allied with that of Clyde and Dr. Cloyd refers to several instances where one part of a family was called Clyde and another part of the same family called themselves Cloyd. A. C. Myers in "Narratives of Early Pennsylvania," p. 458, quotes the following lines in connection with the marriage of his father and the widow of Thomas Lloyd: "You have heard tell in Dyffryn Clwyd Thomas "Llwyd" was Thomas Lloyd,-by making the same change of "o" for "w" in Clwyd, the name of course becomes Cloyd. Penmaen is a town in North Carnarvonshire, Wales. The family of Cloyd was probably of Welsh extraction and had fled to Ireland with thousands of others in times of religious persecution. JAMES' CLOYD, born about 1680, in Ireland. Said to have been present as a boy of nine at the siege of Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland, in 1689, and soon thereafter to have emigrated to America. He lived in Chester Co., Pa. He often talked to his grandchildren on the subject of wastefulness and told them of the privations and hardships endured at the Londonderry siege. Children: James,2 born 1707. David, born 1710. Joseph,2 John,2 Thomas,2 JAMES CLOYD, (James'), born, 1707; died, 1771. Married: before 1731, Margaret Wilson, died, 1764. In 1752 James Cloyd bought 378 acres of land in Whiteland Twp., Chester Co., Pa. In the deed for the transfer of title, dated May 2d, 1752, he is called "yoeman of Gwynned Township, Philadelphia Co.," from which we may infer that he had lived previously in what is now Montgomery County. He added to his property until he owned 800 acres. His will was dated 1769 and probated May 7th, 1771. He left his plantation of 110 acres in Charlestown, "where I now dwell," to his son James subject to the life interest of his wife Margaret. The estate in East Whiteland was to be sold and the proceeds divided among his children Rebecca, Elizabeth, David, Sarah, Margaret and Jane. (Abstracts of Chester County Wills, Vol. 2, p. 389, of the collection of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.) Children: Mary, born 1731; married: 1st, John Meredith; 2nd, Wil liam Todd. Sarah, married James Morrell. David, born Feb. 25th, 1738; married: 1st, Ann Boyd; 2nd, Mrs. Elizabeth (Boyd) Jenkins; 3rd, Mrs. Mary (Rittenhouse) Morgan, a sister of David Rittenhouse the Astronomer. David Cloyd was a noted patriot of the Revolution. Rebecca,3 Margaret, born 1746; married Captain Samuel Culbertson. 3 Jane, born 1753; married John McKee. Elizabeth, born April 23rd, 1760; married Francis Lee. DAVID CLOYD, (James'), born, 1710. The first legal record referring to David Cloyd is in connection with the purchase of a tract of land in Newcastle Co., Pa., from Letitia Aubrey, a daughter of William Penn. In 1745 he bought from John Montgomery 400 acres of land in that part of Orange Co., Va. which was afterwards set off to form Augusta Co.; again, in 1770, set off from Augusta Co. to form Montgomery Co.; and in 1776 set off from Montgomery Co. to form Rockbridge Co. His land was in that tract known as "Beverly Manor." In 1749 he sold his Pennsylvania land and, either before or shortly after that sale, moved to Virginia to live. In 1764 his house was raided by Indians who killed his wife and his son John. An account of this massacre, written in 1843 by a daughter of Col. William Preston, a near neighbor of David Cloyd, is given in Waddel's "Annals of Augusta County." Children: James,3 born 1731; married Jean David, died 1789; married Elizabeth Woods. John, killed by Indians, 1764. Elizabeth, married James McDowell, 1760. Margaret, married John Templeton. Mary, born March 14th, 1741; died March 5th, 1827; married James McGavock, 1760. Joseph, born June 10th, 1742; married Mary Gordan. This was Col. Joseph Cloyd of Revolutionary fame, of Pulaski Co., Va., and for whom Cloyd's Mountain was named. It is related that when he wished to move with his family to a new home on Back Creek, in the "backwoods," his wife refused to acquiesce unless he promised that as soon as they were comfortably settled he would take steps towards the erection of a Presbyterian church. He agreed to the condition and the New Dublin Church near Dublin Depot, still standing, was the fulfillment of his promise. JOHN CLOYD, (James'), died, Sept. 9th, 1782. Married: before March 23d, 1757, Mrs. Sarah (Carver) Bartholemew, step-daughter of William Williams of Philadelphia Co. Mrs. Bartholemew had four children by her first marriage as shown by her will dated Sept. 18th, 1782 and proved Aug. 6th, 1784. She directed her estate to be divided into five equal shares to go respectively to her sons John and Benjamin Bartholemew; her daughter Hannah Tomson, widow of Archibald Tomson; her granddaughter Sarah Tomson; and her granddaughter Hannah, daughter of Samuel Davis. John Cloyd was evidently a man of means for those days. After providing for his wife in his will he made bequests to various near relatives amounting to 1175 pounds. An abstract of his will is given here for its information concerning family relationships. Will of John Cloyd of Tredyffrin, dated Oct. 30th, 1781, probated Oct. 8th, 1782. (Chester County Will Book G, p. 106.) "Provides for wife Sarah. To Mary, Margaret and John, children of nephew David Cloyd, Fifty pounds each when of age. To James and Elizabeth, children of Samuel and Margaret Culbertson, Fifty pounds each when of age. To niece Jane McKee, Fifty pounds. To kinsman Robert Morrell, One hundred and Fifty pounds, joiners tools, etc. To nephew James Cloyd, Fifty pounds. To niece Rebecca North and Elizabeth, Fifty pounds each. To niece Mary Todd, Twenty five pounds. To James, son of my nephew James Morrell of Philadelphia, Fifty pounds at age of twenty-one. To the following children of brother Thomas deceased, Joseph, Mary, Jane, and their youngest sister, Two hundred pounds to be divided. To sister Jane, wife of William Hudson of York County, Fifty pounds, and to their sons George and Joseph, Fifty pounds each, and to their daughter Mary, wife of Lewis Williams, Fifty Pounds. To Jane, wife of James Davidson of Cumberland County and daughter of William Hudson, Fifty Pounds. To Hannah, widow of Archibald Tomson, Fifty pounds. Executors: wife Sarah and nephew David Cloyd. Witnesses: Joseph Lewis, Jesse Reece, John Beaton." No issue. THOMAS CLOYD, (James'), died before Oct. 30th, 1781. Children: Joseph,3 Mary, A daughter.3 JANE CLOYD, (James'), born, probably 1718-220. Married: Sept. 26th, 1740, at the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pa., William Hudson. The date of this marriage is taken from the records of the church. Children, surnamed Hudson: George,3 Joseph,3 Mary, married Lewis' Williams. See page 17. Jane,3 married James Davidson. |