Matthew St. Clair Clarke
Encyclopedia
Matthew St. Clair Clarke (1790 Greencastle
, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
- May 6, 1852 Washington, D.C.
) was an American journalist, book author and politician. He was for seven terms Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
.
On December 3, 1822, he was elected on the 11th ballot Clerk of the House of Representatives in the 17th United States Congress
, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Clerk Thomas Dougherty
. He was re-elected five times, serving throughout the 18th
, 19th
, 20th
, 21st
and 22nd United States Congress
es, and opened the proceedings in the House of the 23rd United States Congress
on December 2, 1833, when he was succeeded by Walter S. Franklin
.
On May 31, 1841, Clarke was again elected Clerk of the House of Representatives in the 27th United States Congress
. Clarke opened the proceedings of the 28th United States Congress
on December 4, 1843, but was defeated for re-election by Caleb J. McNulty two days later.
In 1843, he was appointed Sixth Auditor of the United States Treasury and remained in office until 1845.
In 1852, his daughter Anna L. Clarke married Gen. William B. Franklin
, the son of Clerk of the House Walter S. Franklin
who had succeeded Clarke in 1833.
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Franklin County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile . There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
- May 6, 1852 Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) was an American journalist, book author and politician. He was for seven terms Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House....
.
Life
He was admitted to the bar in 1811, and practiced in Greencastle. Later he removed to Washington, D.C.On December 3, 1822, he was elected on the 11th ballot Clerk of the House of Representatives in the 17th United States Congress
17th United States Congress
The Seventeenth 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 Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...
, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Clerk Thomas Dougherty
Thomas Dougherty
Thomas Dougherty is an American diplomat. He is the current United States Ambassador to Burkina Faso.-Biography:Thomas Dougherty is from Casper, Wyoming. He graduated from Brown University and joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1989. He was nominated to be the ambassador to Burkina Faso by...
. He was re-elected five times, serving throughout the 18th
18th United States Congress
The Eighteenth 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 Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825, during the seventh and eighth...
, 19th
19th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: John Gaillard , until December 4, 1825** Nathaniel Macon , from May 20, 1826- House of Representatives :* Speaker: John W. Taylor -Members:...
, 20th
20th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
, 21st
21st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
and 22nd United States Congress
22nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President:** John C. Calhoun , resigned December 28, 1832, thereafter vacant.* President pro tempore:** Samuel Smith , first elected December 5, 1831** Littleton W...
es, and opened the proceedings in the House of the 23rd United States Congress
23rd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:For the beginning of this congress, the size of the House was increased from 213 seats to 240 seats, following the 1830 United States Census .- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Martin Van Buren...
on December 2, 1833, when he was succeeded by Walter S. Franklin
Walter S. Franklin
Walter S. Franklin was a politician from Pennsylvania who was the seventh Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1833 until his death in 1838....
.
On May 31, 1841, Clarke was again elected Clerk of the House of Representatives in the 27th United States Congress
27th United States Congress
The Twenty-seventh 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 Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1841 to March 3, 1843, during the one-month...
. Clarke opened the proceedings of the 28th United States Congress
28th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida .- Senate :*President: Vacant...
on December 4, 1843, but was defeated for re-election by Caleb J. McNulty two days later.
In 1843, he was appointed Sixth Auditor of the United States Treasury and remained in office until 1845.
In 1852, his daughter Anna L. Clarke married Gen. William B. Franklin
William B. Franklin
William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater.-Early life:William B. Franklin was born in York,...
, the son of Clerk of the House Walter S. Franklin
Walter S. Franklin
Walter S. Franklin was a politician from Pennsylvania who was the seventh Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1833 until his death in 1838....
who had succeeded Clarke in 1833.
Works
- The Life and Adventures of Colonel David Crockett (novel, 1833)
- Cases of Contested Elections in Congress 1789 to 1834 compiled by Matthew St. Clair Clarke and David A. Hall (Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 1834, on line version)
Sources
- Clerks of the House at House History
- Niles' Register (edition of December 7, 1822; pages 219 and 224)
- Obit transcribed from the Daily National Intelligencer originally published on May 7, 1852