Richard Henry Clarke (February 9, 1843 – September 26, 1906) was a politician and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Biography

Born in

Dayton, Alabama Dayton is a town in Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 28 at the 2020 census. History Dayton began to be settled in the early 19th century, with a town survey done and a "public well" established in 1832. The post off ...

, Clarke attended Green Springs Academy. He graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in July 1861. He soon enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

, and during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

was a lieutenant in the First Battalion of Alabama Artillery. After the war, Clarke studied law and passed the bar in 1867; he commenced practice in

. He moved to

Demopolis, Alabama Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, Alabama, Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee ...

, and continued to work as a lawyer. There he was elected as State Solicitor for Marengo County, serving 1872-1876. He was prosecuting attorney of the seventh judicial circuit in 1876 and 1877. He moved to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, where he resumed a law practice. Helen Gaines Clarke

Marriage and family

In 1877 he married Helen Gaines Foot, a native of Mobile. Her father, C. K. Foot, was a native of Vermont, and a descendant of Nathaniel Foot, one of the early settlers of

Wethersfield, Connecticut Wethersfield ( ) is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 27,298 at the time ...

. Her mother was Sarah Lyons, of Mobile, of the distinguished Pendleton and Gaines families. His wife spent her early years in Mobile, but she later attended school in New York City. Their daughters, Helen Gaines and Mary Morris Clarke, resembled their mother in face and manner.

Later political career

Clarke was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

from

Alabama's 1st congressional district Alabama's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It includes the entirety of Baldwin County, Alabama, Baldwin, Coffee County, ...

to the Fifty-first and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1897). He was not a candidate for renomination, as he ran in 1896 for governor. He was not successful. Clarke resumed the practice of law in Mobile. He was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1900 and 1901. He died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, on September 26, 1906. His body was returned to Mobile, where he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

References

;Specific

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Richard Henry 1843 births 1906 deaths People from Demopolis, Alabama Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature