Matthew Fielding Locke
Encyclopedia
Matthew Francis Locke was an American
politician in Texas
. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
and the Texas Senate
. Locke served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
in the Seventh Texas Legislature
. He was also the first Arkansas Commissioner of Agriculture.
, Tennessee
on 20 July 1824 to Margaret Bell Bowman and William Locke. In 1836, the family moved to Marshall County
, Mississippi
.
, Locke enlisted in the 1st Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers, where he was a bodyguard to Col. Jefferson Davis
. He tended to Davis’ foot wound and was present at the surrender at the Battle of Buena Vista
. Locke also accompanied Maj. Gen. Zachary Taylor
when he entered Mexico City
.
, Texas
. He established a plantation about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of present-day Gilmer
and founded the nearby town of LaFayette (which he named after his son, LaFayette C. Locke, who was born in 1850). Locke began the first of two terms as a state representative in 1855 in the Sixth Texas Legislature
. In the Seventh Legislature, Locke was elected Speaker of the House pro tempore on 26 December 1857 when Speaker William S. Taylor
took ill. When Taylor resigned on 18 January 1858, Locke was elected Speaker over Reps. Isaac N. Dennis and John Henry Brown
, 39 votes to 14 and 13, respectively.
In 1860, Locke was elected to the Texas Senate
from District 6
. In 1861, Locke was a member of the Texas Secession Convention
, and was on the committee that informed Sam Houston
, a life-long friend of Locke’s, that the convention had removed him from office. When Locke was appointed a colonel in the cavalry
by Gov. Edward Clark
, he resigned his senate seat and raised the unit that became the 10th Texas Cavalry when it was transferred to the Confederate Army. He served throughout the war, including at the Battle of Murfreesboro, fought near his hometown.
and was one of the founders of the town of Alma
, where he married Narcissa A. Montgomery. His residence, the first in Alma, was constructed in 1868–1869 using lumber hauled in by oxen team, and was located at the corner of Fayetteville Road and Walnut Street. He was elected the first Commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Arkansas in 1887 and served for a number of years. Following the death of Narcissa Locke in 1886, Locke married again in 1890 to Jennie Lester White.
In 1909, Locke returned to Texas for his wife’s health, locating in El Paso
. There he died on 4 June 1911. By his three wives, Locke had at least eleven children, about six of whom survived him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
and the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
. Locke served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
in the Seventh Texas Legislature
Seventh Texas Legislature
The Seventh Texas Legislature met from 2 November 1857 to 16 February 1858 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1857.-Senate:...
. He was also the first Arkansas Commissioner of Agriculture.
Early Life
Locke was born in MurfreesboroMurfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
on 20 July 1824 to Margaret Bell Bowman and William Locke. In 1836, the family moved to Marshall County
Marshall County, Mississippi
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 34,993 people, 12,163 households and 9,110 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 per square mile . There were 13,252 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Military Service
Upon the outbreak of the Mexican–American WarMexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, Locke enlisted in the 1st Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers, where he was a bodyguard to Col. Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. He tended to Davis’ foot wound and was present at the surrender at the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
. Locke also accompanied Maj. Gen. Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
when he entered Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
Political Career
After the war, Locke returned to Mississippi, and in 1849 married Elizabeth A. Biue. Shortly thereafter they moved to Upshur CountyUpshur County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,291 people, 13,290 households, and 10,033 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 14,930 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He established a plantation about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of present-day Gilmer
Gilmer, Texas
Gilmer is also the name of a county in West Virginia.Gilmer is a town in and the county seat of Upshur County, Texas, United States. It is best known for being the birthplace of popular music singer Johnny Mathis. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census...
and founded the nearby town of LaFayette (which he named after his son, LaFayette C. Locke, who was born in 1850). Locke began the first of two terms as a state representative in 1855 in the Sixth Texas Legislature
Sixth Texas Legislature
The Sixth Texas Legislature met from 5 November 1855 to 1 September 1856 in its regular session and one adjourned session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1855.-Sessions:...
. In the Seventh Legislature, Locke was elected Speaker of the House pro tempore on 26 December 1857 when Speaker William S. Taylor
William S. Taylor (politician)
William S. Taylor was an American politician that served in the Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas State Legislatures, and was Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives briefly in the Seventh Texas Legislature. Taylor, at 62, is the oldest person to assume the office of Speaker of the Texas...
took ill. When Taylor resigned on 18 January 1858, Locke was elected Speaker over Reps. Isaac N. Dennis and John Henry Brown
John Henry Brown
John Henry Brown was an American historian, journalist, author, military leader, and a politician who served as a state legislator and as mayor of both Dallas and Galveston, Texas. Brown was among the first to publish scholarly histories of the state of Texas and the city of Dallas...
, 39 votes to 14 and 13, respectively.
In 1860, Locke was elected to the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
from District 6
Texas Senate, District 6
District 6 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 6 is Mario Gallegos, Jr. who has served since 1995.-2004:-2002:-1998:...
. In 1861, Locke was a member of the Texas Secession Convention
Texas Secession Movement
Since the annexation of Texas by the United States of America, segments of its population have sought independence from the union. While those who have sought to secede from the union have often been a minority of the population, Texan nationalism has been highlighted through history in events such...
, and was on the committee that informed Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, a life-long friend of Locke’s, that the convention had removed him from office. When Locke was appointed a colonel in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
by Gov. Edward Clark
Edward Clark (governor)
Edward Clark was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, he resigned his senate seat and raised the unit that became the 10th Texas Cavalry when it was transferred to the Confederate Army. He served throughout the war, including at the Battle of Murfreesboro, fought near his hometown.
Later Years
In September 1864, shortly after giving birth, Elizabeth Locke died in LaFayette. After the war, Locke settled in ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and was one of the founders of the town of Alma
Alma, Arkansas
Alma is a city in Crawford County located in the western part of U.S. state of Arkansas, along I-40 about 13 miles from the Oklahoma border. Alma's population is 4,734, making it the sixth largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he married Narcissa A. Montgomery. His residence, the first in Alma, was constructed in 1868–1869 using lumber hauled in by oxen team, and was located at the corner of Fayetteville Road and Walnut Street. He was elected the first Commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Arkansas in 1887 and served for a number of years. Following the death of Narcissa Locke in 1886, Locke married again in 1890 to Jennie Lester White.
In 1909, Locke returned to Texas for his wife’s health, locating in El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. There he died on 4 June 1911. By his three wives, Locke had at least eleven children, about six of whom survived him.