John Bryce Syphax (c. 1838 – September 8, 1916) was an African-American politician during the Reconstruction era. Born free in Virginia, he served as a justice of the peace of the Arlington Magisterial Board. He served as a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

, serving from 1874 to 1875. Later in life he moved to New York City, where he settled in Brooklyn.

Life

Syphax was a son of

Charles Syphax The Syphax family is a prominent American family in the Washington, D.C., area. A part of the African-American upper class, the family is descended from Charles Syphax and Mariah Carter Syphax, both born into slavery. She was the daughter of an ...

and Maria Carter Syphax. His mother was the natural daughter of an enslaved woman, Ariana Carter, and white planter

George Washington Parke Custis George Washington Parke Custis (April 30, 1781 – October 10, 1857) was an American antiquarian, author, playwright, and slave owner. He was a veteran of the War of 1812. His father John Parke Custis served in the American Revolution wi ...

. Custis was the only grandson of First Lady

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...

, by her first marriage. Custis permitted his mixed-race daughter and her chosen spouse, Charles Syphax, to marry at his mansion of Arlington in 1821. In addition, Custis arranged in 1826 for Maria Syphax and her (then) two children to be freed by selling them to a Quaker apothecary. Because children's status was determined by that of the mother, this ensured that the remainder of the Syphax children were born free. In addition, he granted Maria 17 acres at his Arlington estate, where she and her family could live. She stayed there for the remainder of her life. Among Syphax's siblings was his older brother William Syphax, who became active in Washington, DC, working for the Department of Interior and later on the school board for black schools. John Syphax became active in politics after the Civil War. He was appointed as a justice of the peace of the Arlington Magisterial Board. Later, he was elected to the Virginia Assembly, serving two terms representing

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

and

Alexandria County Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the national capital. Arlington ...

, from January 1, 1874, to March 31, 1875, alongside J. C. O'Neal. In the late 19th century, Syphax migrated north to New York. He died in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, on September 8, 1916, and was buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery in that city.

References

1830s births 1916 deaths Politicians from Alexandria, Virginia 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era {{Virginia-delegate-stub

Life

See also

References