Spencer Clack
Spencer Clack | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the Sevier County district | |
| In office 1796–1803 Serving with Samuel Newell | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Buckingham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 28, 1740 |
| Died | July 9, 1832 (aged 92) near Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forks of Little Pigeon Church Cemetery Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Mary Beavers (m. 1766) |
| Children | 11 |
| Relatives | John Clack (brother) Spencer Clack (nephew) |
| Occupation |
|
Spencer Clack (March 28, 1740 – July 9, 1832) was an American politician from Tennessee. A slave owner, he served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1796 to 1803.
Early life
Spencer Clack was born on March 28, 1740, in Loudoun County, Virginia.[1] His younger brother was John Clack.[1]
Career
Clack attained the rank of lieutenant in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.[1] Following the war, he moved to Henry County, Virginia.[1] He served in the militia of Henry County under captains James Cowden and William Ryan. On January 23, 1783, he was appointed first lieutenant of the militia.[1]
Clack served in the 1796 Tennessee Constitutional Convention.[1][2] He was the first representative of Sevier County to the Tennessee House of Representatives. He served in that body from 1796 to 1803.[1][2] He owned slaves and had a large estate on the east bank of Pigeon River near the border to North Carolina.[1] He also owned a mill.[1][3] He was a member of the school board of Nancy Academy in Sevier County.[1] He gave land for the Forks of Little Pigeon Church, a Baptist church in Sevierville. He served as the church's first clerk.[1][4]
Personal life
Clack married Mary Beavers on November 2, 1766.[1] They had 11 children: Raleigh "Rolly", John, Rhoda, Katherine, Mary, Malvina, Frances, Nancy, Rebecca, Mrs. Stone, and Spencer Jr.[1][3] He was a Baptist.[1] He was friends with John Sevier and according to his family, he advocated for the city of Sevierville to be named after Sevier.[1] His brother John and nephew Spencer also served in the Tennessee legislature.[1][5]
Clack died on July 9, 1832, near Sevierville.[1][6] He was buried at the Forks of Little Pigeon Church Cemetery in Sevierville. The church later moved, but the old cemetery remains.[1][3][4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Bond, Octavia Zollicoffer (1928). The Family Chronicle and Kinship Book of Maclin, Clack, Cocke, Carter, Taylor, Cross, Gordon and Other Related American Lineages. pp. 641–645, 649–653. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Archive.org.
- 1 2 Miller, Charles A. (1890). The Official and Political Manual of the State of Tennessee. Marshall & Bruce. pp. 79–80, 197–199. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Archive.org.
- 1 2 3 Ray, Worth S. (1984). Tennessee Cousins: A History of Tennessee People. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 208. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Archive.org.
- 1 2 Mansfield, Stephen; Grant, George (1997). Faithful Volunteers: The History of Religion in Tennessee. Cumberland House. p. 212. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Archive.org.
- ↑ Gambill, Nell McNish (1946). The Kith and Kin of Captain James Leeper and Susan Drake, His Wife. p. 77. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Archive.org.
- ↑ "Died". National Banner and Nashville Whig. July 23, 1832. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1740 births
- 1832 deaths
- People from Loudoun County, Virginia
- People from Henry County, Virginia
- People from Sevier County, Tennessee
- Continental Army officers from Virginia
- American militia officers
- Members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- U.S. state legislators who owned slaves
- Slave owners from Tennessee
- 18th-century American politicians
- 19th-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly