By

Reginald L. Boyd

Henry Winter Syle was born in China on November 1846 to distinguished parents, Reverend Edward Syle, D.D. and Jane Mary Winter Davis. His mother's family came from Maryland, a family noted for political and public servants of the people. His father was also a successful man. He was a mission for the Church in China and once a professor of Moral Philosophy and History in the Imperial University of Japan.

Henry W. Syle was very gifted child that he was very eager in learning many things. "When only three and half years old the ladies of the mission where his parents were stationed often asked him to read to them from the Bible."

Syle became deaf when he was 6 years old by the form of a severe attack of scarlet fever. Ever since that time, he never enjoyed a good health. He would get some kind of sickness many times in his lifetime.

Despite of his endurance illness, he was still a brilliant boy and managed to overcome it. He was sent to his great aunt in Virginia to take care of him. Then he attended Mr. Bartlett's Family School for young Deaf-Mute Children in 1853. A private tutor taught his education. The educators felt that he was too far advance for those children in Deaf schools. He later learned to use sign language by the Deaf children in American Asylum for the Deaf. But he preferred to be by himself with a book. He could speak orally but later he gave it up because his speech was more and more indistinct.

In 1863 Syle entered Trinity College and accomplished the courses with high grades. It was only for a year. He was ordered to discontinue with his studies by his doctor because he had an acute bout with inflammation of the eyes. Later he wanted to enter Gallaudet University but was dissuaded from doing so by Thomas Gallaudet and Richard Storrs. They considered him to be too far advanced to benefit much from the courses offered by the college. He wanted to go there because his "role models" John B. Hotchkiss and Amos G. Draper were students there. So instead he went to Cambridge University. He was doing very well and hoped to get scholarship funds in order to stay there for another year or so. But again his ill health prevented him from doing so. He returned to America in 1869. In the same year he was appointed to be a teacher at New York School for the Deaf. While his health was improving, he took the chance to attend Yale University. He passed many series of examinations in order to enroll the university. The President of the Yale University, Woolsey, delighted him. In the quote made by his daughter, "Father used to say that the Faculty at Yale told him, "You can teach us better than we can." In 1872 he received the degree of Master of Arts in course from Yale University, in addition he also was a student at Columbia University. He employed various positions at the Fanwood.

In the year of 1872 was also special to him, He married to a Catholic Deaf woman, Margaret Jane Flannery. Margaret lost her hearing due to fright. It was a common ill-defined cause of deafness during that time. Her father immediately disowned her when she married a Protestant.

Syle was active in St. Ann Church for the Deaf and was an assistant to the Reverend Dr. Thomas Gallaudet. He decided to resign as a teacher at Fanwood in order to conduct his evening Bible class. He then moved to Philadelphia to employ for the United States Mint. He continued to provide his Church services in the Philadelphia area and used his free time to study in theology and received a license to be a lay reader. He conducted some services and a Bible class at St. Stephens. He was ordained a deacon and continued his study at Philadelphia Divinity School. A year later he was ordained a priest. He was not having an easy time going through these periods. Thomas Gallaudet had to persuade the bishops that he was qualified to be a priest. He left his employment at U.S. Mint so he could concentrate full time in his Church services. He was one of the founders of All Souls' Church for the Deaf and was the first vicar of the Church.

Syle was a writer, too. He got involved with American Annuals of the Deaf, Deaf Mute Journal, the Silent Missionary, Empire State Association of the Deaf and Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf. Syle was also an active in an organization other than Church. He was elected the first President of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf in 1881.

One of his goals was to have a Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf and Blind. He was busy with raising funds for the Home. The Home was established in 1902 that he never saw. He died 12 years before. But his wife was dedicated to the Home until her death.

Syle was passed away in evening of June 6, 1890. The cause of death was by an acute attack of influenza followed by pneumonia. A few days before his death, he persisted and left his bed to attend a special celebration for the De L' Epee at his Church. It made his illness worst. And he was mourned by thousand of Deaf, too. For he was called " Friend, Servant, Scholar and Teacher."