Recollections - Legends of Yesterday: Syfrett-Johns Family

­­This is a reprint of original articles by Hugh Woolley, a longtime resident and community leader of Graceville. Woolley published these articles in The Graceville News more than 20 years ago.

Originally published in the March 20, 2003 edition of The Graceville News.

South Carolina to Jackson County - Syfrett-Johns

by J. Murray Johns

John A. Syfrett (1803-1858) was born in Orangeburg, SC. He was the grandson of the German Emigrant, Alexander Syfrett who came to America in the early 1700’s.

John A. and his wife, Margaret C. Edwards Syfrett (1805-1842) migrated, with their families, to Jackson County, Florida in the 1830’s. Florida records show them in Jackson County in 1835.

He built a house for his wife at Greenwood, Florida where he had acquired a land grant January 5, 1839. The house is likely the oldest house in Jackson County.

The house is constructed of yellowheart pine. The doors and windows are hand hewn. It has seven rooms, two halls and two dressing rooms. Original flooring was oversized pine boards. The house faces Fort Road, believed to have been routed by Andrew Jackson. It is on the Historic Registry.

John A. and his second wife, Mary Ann Mercer Syfrett, sold the house in 1851 to Mary Roberts, guardian of Hiram Roberts. The property was next sold to Henry Bryan in 1852. He sold it to Dr. Franklin Hart in 1855. Dr. Hart sold to Col. John Erwin in 1861. The house has since been known as “The Erwin House.”

Margaret Edwards Syfrett died in 1842 and John A. married Mary Ann Mercer who was born in Georgia about 1820. Her father was Joshua Mercer, Baptist minister, who went to Florida and helped to establish The West Florida Association. Jesse Mercer established churches in Georgia and started Mercer University, now in Macon, Georgia.

According to the “History of Jackson County”, Mary Ann Syfrett was in the congregation that organized the Union Academy Baptist Church on March 16, 1845. The church changed its name on November 5th, 1855 to Greenwood Baptist Church.

John A. and Margaret Edwards Syfrett’s oldest son, Frederick Manuel Edwards Syfrett, was born in South Carolina in 1827. He enlisted in the Confederate Navy October 15, 1862. He was a member of the crew of the gunboat Chattahoochee which is now in a museum in Columbus, GA. It was raised from the Chattahoochee River where it had been sunk during the Civil War. Frederick Manuel died in 1904 and is buried in Marvin Chapel Cemetery in Graceville, FL. A marker has been placed at his grave denoting his service in the Confederate Navy.

On November 5, 1879 fifteen Methodists met to organize their own church. Frederick M.E. Syfrett, and George Syfrett were in this group. The church was organized as Marvin Chapel Church, Holmes Valley Circuit, Marianna District, Alabama Conference. This is now the First Methodist Church of Graceville.

John A. and Mary Ann Mercer Syfrett’s oldest son, Francis Marion (1839-1923), was born in Greenwood, Florida. He married Frances Watford. They homesteaded land where the Baptist College of Florida, Campbellton Graceville Hospital and Marvin Chapel Cemetery are now located. He donated land for Marvin Chapel Church and cemetery. The church has long been gone but the cemetery is now quite large and is the resting place for many Syfretts and their descendants. He organized the first Sunday School in Graceville. He was Graceville’s third postmaster. His salary was determined by the number of stamps he sold. He received $4.00 from this source the first year.

John Ellis Syfrett (1871-1920), son of Francis Marion and Frances W. Syfrett, married Margaret Henrietta Slater (1874-1909). John Ellis was a successful farmer.

Frank Edward Syfrett (1894-1984), son of John Ellis Syfrett, was born in Graceville. He married Lillie Mae Everett. They had no children. He served in the US Navy in WWI. He served two terms as City Councilman and three terms as Mayor of Graceville. As were all the Syfretts, Frank was a builder. Among the many buildings in Graceville for which he contracted is the current First Baptist Church.

Cora Tullia Syfrett, oldest daughter of John Ellis, was born in Graceville in 1891. She was playing with another child in her yard when she saw a wagon loaded with household goods pass by. Following behind the wagon was a 10 year old boy. She said to her playmate, “That’s my boyfriend.” She had never seen him before. That boy was Graves Howell Johns. She married him when she was 16 years old.

The Johns family, as had many early settlers, migrated from South Carolina. Enoch Johns (1800-1864) was captured during the Battle of Marianna, Civil War, along with several other members of the Home Guard. They were sent to a Union prison in Elmira, NY where he died in 1864.

Enoch’s son, Charles S. Johns (1831-1913) was born in Georgia. He enlisted in the Confederate Army September 15th, 1861 at Campbellton, Florida. He served in Co. E 4th Florida Regiment. He fought at Chickamauga and the Battle of Atlanta where he was wounded.

Enoch Monroe Johns, son of Charles Johns, married Sallie Elizabeth Herring. Enoch Monroe was a farmer.

Graves Howell Johns (1890-1986) married Cora Tullia Syfrett (1891-1977). These were my parents. My father was a farmer. They helped to organize the First Assembly of God Church in Graceville.

I am the fifth generation from John A. Syfrett. I was born in Graceville. I served in the US Navy in WWII in the South Pacific. I later spent seven years with the Atomic Energy Commission, nine years with the Space Program and a number of years as superintendent on nuclear power plants. I retired to Graceville and now own and live on land that has been in the Johns family for over a hundred years.

Descendants of John A. Syfrett and Enoch Johns are found in all areas of Florida, predominantly in Northwest Florida.

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