Patrick was a member of the militia of Louden Co., VA in 1794. He is somehow associated with William Allison who named one of his daughters Cassander Florida Allison. Richard Allison moved to Wilson Co., TN about the same time as Patrick. Apparently, they were both in VA in 1794, in Burke Co., NC in 1806 and in Wilson Co., TN by 1810-12. Patrick was in Wilson Co., TN on January 1, 1813, when he purchased 53 acres of land on Fall Creek from Vincent Lester. Patrick and Richard Allison owned adjacent land, and were chain carriers for the survey of each other's land. One possibility, William and Richard Allison were brothers of Cassander Allison who was Patrick's first wife.

Patrick deeded to Thomas B. Florida (his son) 147 acres of land on Fall Creek for $900 on February 1, 1848. Patrick deeded to Malinda Allison (his daughter) 40 acres of land on Fall Creek. He deeded to Malinda Allison land during her life and then to descend to her bodily heirs. He is listed on 1820, 1830, 1840 census of Wilson Co., TN and also 1850 in 17th District. Family tradition is that he lived two miles north of Cainsville. In that location is Florida Cemetery and Florida Creek.

Patrick and Richard both also had ties to Benjamin believed son Richard. William first appeared in the 1791 Loudon Co., VA tax list living with Richard Allison, who paid his tax. Richard also paid the tax for Patrick Floridy. The following year, Patrick Floriday had a marriage bond with Cassander Allison, and Richard Allison was the bondsman. In the 1792 tax list, both William Allison and Patrick Florada continued to live with Richard Allison, who paid their taxes. Patrick was living on his own in 1793, but Richard continued to pay William's taxes in both 1793 and 1794. Richard Allison, William Allison, and Patrick Flority were all members of Captain Samuel Captain 56th Regiment in Loudon County in 1794. William Allison and Patrick Florida both moved to Burke County, NC about 1799.

After moving to Burke County, William Allison and Patrick Floraday both entered land on 28 Jan 1799, with William's entry described as adjacent to Patrick Flourady. Those two tracts along with an additional one that Patrick Floiday entered later in 1799 were surveyed on 26 June 1800. Each was one of the chain carriers for the other's survey. William Allison purchased one of the tracts from Patrick on 23 Oct. 1802. Both William Allison and Patrick Florida later moved to Wilson Co., TN, where William named a daughter Cassander Florida Allison, after his sister.

The Florida name may have been O'Flaugherty at one time and then Flowerty, then Floridy, then Florida. Patrick had red hair. It has been reported that he left Ireland at 12 years old to avoid war. Patrick Bethel Florida was born in 1767 in Ireland. He wrote his name as Flority and served in the Loudon County Virginia militia in 1794. He may have come from Ireland with a brother, Shone. He was in Burke Co. NC in 1806 and in Wilson by 1810.

He did name a son, Thomas Byrd Florida. The family of Rutha Florida Bond states that her mother was born in Ireland, and that after her death, Patrick married a Byrd. Byrd is family tradition in the family of Thomas Byrd Florida. Patrick and Nancy Byrd lived near Statesville, Wilson, Tennessee, where they are buried in the Florida Cemetery.