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 parts 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, DC 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 ens ...
and
Maria Carter Syphax
Maria Carter Syphax, otherwise spelled Mariah (1803 – ), was the matriarch of the Syphax family, a prominent family of African Americans in the greater Washington, D.C., area who became civic leaders, civil servants, and educators. She was bo ...
. 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 plantation owner, antiquarian, author, and playwright. His father John Parke Custis was the stepson of George Washington. He and his sister Eleanor grew u ...
. Custis was the only grandson of First Lady
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...
, 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
William Syphax ( 1825 — June 15, 1891) was born into slavery but manumitted when he was about one year old, along with his mother Maria Carter Syphax and sister. As a young man, he became a U.S. government civil servant in Republican administ ...
, 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 ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and
Alexandria County
Arlington County is a County (United States), county in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the Washington, D.C., District of Co ...
, 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 borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, on September 8, 1916, and was buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery in that city.
See also
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References
1830s births
1916 deaths
Politicians from Alexandria, Virginia
19th-century American legislators
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