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Matt Clark
Member From: 1874 - 1875
- Birth Date: 1844 Birth Place:Halifax County, Virginia
- Death Date: Unknown
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Elizabeth Betts - died 1876; Nannie Walker - marriage date 1879
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Encyclopedia Virginia
- Additional Info: Matt Clark, a farmer, was born a slave in 1844 to Mathew and Chaney Clarke. He became a landowner in Halifax County. In the General Assembly, he often signed his name simply "Matt Clark," without the "e." He represented Halifax County in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1874 to 1875 and served on the House Committee on Asylums and Prisons. He introduced a resolution supporting the improvement of living conditions at the Central Lunatic Asylum, now Central State Hospital, in Petersburg and agreed to the refinancing of the state war debt at a lower interest rate or repudiating a portion of the debt and using the remaining revenue to support the new public school system and other public programs.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874-1875 | Halifax | Republican | Asylums and Prisons Committee |
*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.