John Wayles Eppes (April 1772September 13, 1823) was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Virginia in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1803 to 1811 and again from 1813 to 1815. He also served in the U.S. Senate (1817–1819). His positions in Congress occurred after he served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Chesterfield County (1801–1803).

Early life and education

Eppes was born in April 1772 at Eppington, in Chesterfield County in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

, the sixth child and only son of Elizabeth (née Wayles) and

Francis VI Eppes Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) Places *Rural M ...

, who would serve one term in the House of Delegates a decade later. A member of the First Families of Virginia, he was related through both his parents to Martha Jefferson, his mother's half-sister and the wife of Thomas Jefferson, with whom Eppes was close. After being taught by tutors as was customary in his planter class, Eppes attended the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, and graduated from

Hampden–Sydney College gr, Ye Shall Know the Truth , established = , type = Private liberal arts men's college , religious_affiliation = Presbyterian Church (USA) , endowment = $258 million (2021) , president = Larry Stimpert , city = Hampden Sydney, Virginia , cou ...

in Virginia in 1786. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1794, commencing practice in the state capital,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Marriage and family

Eppes married his first cousin Mary Jefferson (known as "Polly" in childhood and "Maria" as an adult) on October 13, 1797, at Monticello. They resided at Mont Blanco plantation in Chesterfield County, Virginia. After several miscarriages and the death in January 1800 of a newborn baby girl, Maria and John had two children:"Maria Jefferson Eppes"
''Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia'', Monticello website *

Francis Wayles Eppes Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places *Rural Mu ...

(September 1801 – May 1881) *Maria Jefferson Eppes (February 1804 – February 1806) Mary died at Monticello on April 17, 1804, two months after the birth of Maria, and is buried there. On April 15, 1809, Eppes married Martha Burke Jones, daughter of

Willie Jones Willie Jones may refer to: Sports *Willie Jones (American football) (born 1957), former American football player with the Oakland Raiders *Willie Jones (third baseman) (1925–1983), American Major League Baseball player * Willie Jones (catcher) ( ...

, a prominent North Carolina planter and politician. They had six children.

Betsy Hemmings

After Mary's death, Eppes moved his household and

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

from Mont Blanco to another of his plantations called Millbrook in Buckingham County, Virginia. Among the slaves was Betsy Hemmings, the mixed-race daughter of

Mary Hemings Mary Hemings Bell (1753-after 1834) was born into slavery, most likely in Charles City County, Virginia, as the oldest child of Elizabeth Hemings, a mixed-race slave held by John Wayles. After the death of Wayles in 1773, Elizabeth, Mary, and her ...

and granddaughter of Betty Hemings."Betsy Hemmings"
''Hemings Family/People of the Plantation'', Monticello, accessed February 14, 2011 According to her descendants, Hemmings became a concubine to Eppes in a relationship that began when he was a young widower. She bore his son, Joseph, likely named for her brother. She named their daughter Frances, a name traditional among men in the Eppes family. She lived at Milbrook for the rest of her life,"Betsy Hemmings: Loved by a Family, but What of Her Own?"
''Plantation & Slavery/Life after Monticello'', Monticello, February 14, 2011 and when she died in 1857, was buried next to John Wayles Eppes in the family cemetery there.Laura B. Randolph, "THE THOMAS JEFFERSON/SALLY HEMINGS CONTROVERSY: Did Jefferson Also Father Children By Sally Hemings' Sister?"
, ''Ebony'', February 1999, accessed February 16, 2011

Political career

Eppes was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1801 to 1803 alongside Matthew Cheatham.Leonard pp. 223, 227 On March 4, 1803, he won election as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the Eighth United States Congress and the next three succeeding Congresses, so he was frequently away from his plantations. He chaired the Ways and Means Committee for the Eleventh Congress but lost his re-election attempt so did not serve in the Twelfth, but instead spent the next two years at his Milbrook plantation. Eppes won election to the Thirteenth Congress (March 4, 1813 – March 4, 1815) and again chaired the Committee on Ways and Means. After losing the election to the

Fourteenth Congress The 14th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washingto ...

, he was elected to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1817, until December 4, 1819, when he resigned because of ill health. He chaired the Committee on Finance during the second session of the

Fifteenth Congress The 15th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, ...

Retirement and death

Late in life Eppes suffered from various ailments. He died at Millbrook on September 13, 1823, and was buried in the Eppes family cemetery at Millbrook.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eppes, John Wayles 1772 births 1823 deaths People from Chesterfield County, Virginia United States senators from Virginia Jefferson family Virginia lawyers American planters Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians 18th-century American lawyers American slave owners United States senators who owned slaves