John Wayles | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 31, 1715 |
| Died | May 28, 1773 (aged 58) |
| Occupations |
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| Spouses | Martha Eppes
(m. 1746; died 1748)Tabitha Cocke
(m. 1750, died)Elizabeth Lomax
(m. 1760; died 1761) |
| Partner | Betty Hemings (1761–1773) |
| Children | 13, including Martha Wayles, James Hemings, and Sally Hemings |
John Wayles (January 31, 1715 – May 28, 1773) was a colonial American planter, slave trader and lawyer in colonial Virginia. He is historically best known as the father-in-law of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Wayles married three times, with these marriages producing eleven children; only five of them lived to adulthood. Through Betty Hemings, a woman he enslaved, Wayles fathered six additional children, including Sally Hemings, who was the mother of six children by Thomas Jefferson and half-sister of Martha Jefferson.