Elbert Floyd-Jones

A descendant of an old Long Island family, he was born at the family mansion on the Fort Neck estate in South Oyster Bay, New York (then Queens, now Nassau County). He was the youngest son of Brig.-Gen. Thomas Floyd-Jones (1788–1851) and Cornelia Haring ({{nee}} Jones) Floyd-Jones (1796–1839).{{cite book |title=Genealogies of the State of New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation |date=1915 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |pages=554–556 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wekpAQAAMAAJ |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}} Among his siblings were Lt.-Gov. of New York David R. Floyd-Jones, merchant William Floyd-Jones, and Sarah Maria Floyd-Jones (wife of Coleman Williams).{{cite book |title=Tributes to D.R. Floyd-Jones |date=1873 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TX2P57lExZIC&pg=PA3 |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Weeks |first1=Lyman Horace |title=Prominent Families of New York: Being an Account in Biographical Form of Individuals and Families Distinguished as Representatives of the Social, Professional and Civic Life of New York City |date=1898 |publisher=Historical Company |page=220 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PyRKAQAAMAAJ |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}}

His paternal grandparents were David Richard Floyd-Jones and Sarah ({{nee}} Onderdonk) Floyd-Jones and his maternal grandfather was Maj. William Jones. Among his extended family was his uncle, New York State Senator Henry Floyd-Jones, and first cousin, Col. DeLancey Floyd-Jones. He was a descendant of William Floyd, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Maj. Thomas Jones who owned what is known today as Jones Beach.{{cite web |title=David R. Floyd Jones |url=https://digitalworks.union.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=alumnifiles_1832 |website=digitalworks.union.edu |publisher=Union College |access-date=18 July 2022}}

Floyd-Jones devoted his early years to "agricultural pursuits and the raising of fine trotting horses."{{cite news |last1=Floyd-Jones |first1=Elbert |title=Letter to the Editor -- WHAT AN "OLD-TIME RACE" IS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1892/07/20/archives/letter-to-the-editor-1-no-title.html |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=20 July 1892}}

In 1845, Floyd-Jones served as a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing all of Queens County, which extended from the East River to Suffolk County, during the 68th New York State Legislature. During the U.S. Civil War, Floyd-Jones was an ardent supporter of the Union, and was a "candidate for the Vice Presidency of the United States."

He was again a member of the Assembly in the years 1877 and 1878 in the 100th and 101st New York State Legislatures. By this time, Queen County was split into two districts and he represented District 1.{{cite book |last1=Hutchins |first1=Stephen C. |last2=Werner |first2=Edgar Albert |title=Civil list and constitutional history of the Colony and State of New York |date=1879 |publisher=Weed, Parsons & Co. |location=Albany |pages=298–304, 376f |url=https://archive.org/details/civillistandcon00unkngoog/page/291/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=18 July 2022}} Following the death of Benjamin D. Silliman on January 24, 1901, Floyd-Jones became the oldest living former-member of the Assembly.{{cite news |title=ASSEMBLY'S OLDEST EX-MEMBER. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/02/02/archives/assemblys-oldest-exmember.html |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=2 February 1901}}

During his lifetime, Floyd-Jones was married four times.{{cite book |last1=Stuart |first1=Robert |title=Stuart Letters of Robert and Elizabeth Sullivan Stuart and Their Children, 1819-1864: With an Undated Letter Prior to July 21, 1813 |date=1961 |page=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B2ThAAAAMAAJ |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}} His first was marriage was on June 5, 1838 to Emily Glentworth (1815–1845),{{cite book |last1=York |first1=Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New |title=Genealogical Record |date=1905 |publisher=The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York |page=60 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gJMwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA60 |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}} daughter of Dr. Plunket Fleeson Glentworth and Harriet Straker ({{nee}} Budden) Glentworth. Together, they were the parents of:

• Cornelia Floyd-Jones (1839–1890), who married Richard Van Wyck Thorne.{{cite book |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Jane Errickson |title=The Descendents of Thomas Hutchinson of Southold, New York, 1666-1982: Including the Female Lines Into the Related Families of Boisseau ... |date=1982 |publisher=Gateway Press |pages=115, 151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a1RVAAAAMAAJ |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}}
• Thomas Floyd-Jones (1841–1919), who married Julia Haines.
• George Floyd-Jones (1842–1927), who married Antoinette Wood, a daughter of Royal and Charlotte ({{nee}} Kortright) Wood, in 1986.
• Emily Glentworth Floyd-Jones (1845–1923), who married Howard Malcolm Giles in 1869.

His second marriage was on January 25, 1848 to Mary Caroline Wigham (1828–1867), a daughter of Isaac Wigham and Mary ({{nee}} Seaman) Wigham of New York City. Together, they were the parents of:{{cite book |last1=Appeals |first1=New York (State) Court of |title=New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs. |date=1917 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RwXv32q5B6oC&pg=PA64 |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}}

• William Floyd-Jones (1851–1857), who died young.
• Mary Wigham Floyd-Jones (1853–1855), who died young.
• Elizabeth Underhill Floyd-Jones (b. 1858)
• Edward Pearsall Floyd-Jones (b. 1860)
• Arthur Floyd-Jones
• Elbert Floyd-Jones (b. 1867).

He married thirdly on October 21, 1869 to Martha A. Thorne (1836–1870), daughter of Mr. Thorne and Sarah ({{nee}} Townsend) Thorne. Together, they were the parents of:

• Sarah Thorne Floyd-Jones (1870–1870), who died young.

On January 17, 1872, he married for the fourth time to Elizabeth Morrison Smith (1838–1916), daughter of Jeremiah and Emily Smith of New York. He had an estate on his family's property in Massapequa, New York (also known as South Oyster Bay),{{cite news |last1=Kirchmann |first1=George |title=Floyd Jones Cottage |url=https://patch.com/new-york/massapequa/floyd-jones-cottage |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=Massapequa, NY Patch |date=1 August 2010 |language=en}} and for many years, spent his winters at the Park Avenue Hotel in New York City. He was responsible for construction of Old Grace Church in 1844.

Floyd-Jones died at the Park Avenue Hotel in New York City on February 17, 1901.{{cite news |title=DEATH LIST OF A DAY. {{!}} Elbert Floyd-Jones |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/02/18/archives/death-list-of-a-day.html |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=18 February 1901}} He was buried in the Floyd-Jones family cemetery in Massapequa. After his death, his estate on South Country road was sold to Senator James H. McCabe.{{cite news |title=FLOYD-JONES ESTATE SELLS; Hundreds of Acres Held for Years by Family Goes to Developers. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/05/29/archives/floydjones-estate-sells-hundreds-of-acres-held-for-years-by-family.html |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=29 May 1921}} The house was destroyed by fire in 1926 as a result of the a Fourth of July fireworks celebration.{{cite book |last1=Collora |first1=Christopher M. |title=Long Island: Historic Houses of the South Shore |date=1 April 2013 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-4313-6 |page=21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y55pBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA21 |access-date=18 July 2022 |language=en}}

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{{succession box

| title = New York State Assembly
Queens County, 1st District

| before = Townsend D. Cock

| years = 1876–1878

| after = William J. Youngs

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{{succession box

| title = New York State Assembly
Queens County

| before = Samuel Youngs

| years = 1845

| after = John Willis

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Category:1817 births

Category:1901 deaths

Category:Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly

Category:19th-century members of the New York State Legislature