Governor of Kentucky, U.S. Congressman, Judge. A native of Virginia, his family moved to Clark County, Kentucky in 1794. He attended the Pisgah Academy, studied law, and became an attorney in Winchester, Kentucky. Clark became a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1807 and 1808 and was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeals in 1810. Elected as a Democratic Republican to represent Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives, he served from 1813 until his resignation in 1816. He became a Kentucky Circuit Court Judge from 1817 to 1824 and was reelected to Congress as a member of the Adams Party to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Clay on August 1, 1825. He was nearly removed from the bench after rendering an unpopular decision that set off a major dispute in the court system between the policies of the old and new courts. He was re-elected as an Anti-Jacksonian in 1826 and was the chairman of the Committee of Territories. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1830 and became a member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1831 to 1835. Elected as a Whig, he became the 12th Governor of Kentucky and served from 1836 until his death in 1839. While governor, he oversaw the creation and establishment of a public school system by the State Board of Education. He also enacted harsher fugitive slave laws.

James Clark was first married on July 2, 1809, to Susan Forsythe (1792-1825). They had four children.

James married second to widow Margaret (Buckner) Thornton on March 3, 1829. Margaret died just a few years later, on August 15, 1836. She was the daughter of Ariss and Lucy (Hooe) Buckner.

Governor of Kentucky, U.S. Congressman, Judge. A native of Virginia, his family moved to Clark County, Kentucky in 1794. He attended the Pisgah Academy, studied law, and became an attorney in Winchester, Kentucky. Clark became a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1807 and 1808 and was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeals in 1810. Elected as a Democratic Republican to represent Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives, he served from 1813 until his resignation in 1816. He became a Kentucky Circuit Court Judge from 1817 to 1824 and was reelected to Congress as a member of the Adams Party to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Clay on August 1, 1825. He was nearly removed from the bench after rendering an unpopular decision that set off a major dispute in the court system between the policies of the old and new courts. He was re-elected as an Anti-Jacksonian in 1826 and was the chairman of the Committee of Territories. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1830 and became a member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1831 to 1835. Elected as a Whig, he became the 12th Governor of Kentucky and served from 1836 until his death in 1839. While governor, he oversaw the creation and establishment of a public school system by the State Board of Education. He also enacted harsher fugitive slave laws.

James Clark was first married on July 2, 1809, to Susan Forsythe (1792-1825). They had four children.

James married second to widow Margaret (Buckner) Thornton on March 3, 1829. Margaret died just a few years later, on August 15, 1836. She was the daughter of Ariss and Lucy (Hooe) Buckner.

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