John Hopkins CLARKE, Congress, RI (1789-1870)

CLARKE John Hopkins , a Senator from Rhode Island; born in Elizabeth, N.J., April 1, 1789; moved to Providence, R.I., where he studied under a private teacher; graduated from Brown University, Providence, R.I., in 1809; studied law; admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Providence in 1812; clerk of the supreme court of Providence County in 1813; proprietor of a distillery in Cranston, R.I., until 1824, when he became a cotton manufacturer in Providence, Pontiac, and Woonsocket; member, State house of representatives 1836-1842, 1845-1847; elected as a Whig to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1853; resumed his former manufacturing pursuits; died in Providence, R.I., November 23, 1870; interment in the North Burial Ground.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present