Madison-Lawrence County AlArchives Biographies.....Speake, Henry Clay 1834 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 18, 2011, 10:58 pm

Source: See below
Author: Smith & De Land, publishers

  HENRY CLAY SPEAKE was born in Lawrence County, Ala., June 17, 1834, and is a
son of James B. and Sarah B. (Lindsay) Speake.

  James B. Speake was born in Kentucky in 1803, where he received his education
mostly after he was grown. He came to Lawrence County, Ala., in 1832, and
located near Oakville, where he taught school and followed teaching for a
livelihood for several years. He married in June, 1833, and settled near
Oakville on a plantation, and has remained there all his life. He and his wife,
who are still living, have reared six children, of whom the subject of our
sketch is the eldest. He has served as County Superintendent of Lawrence County
several terms, and was a member of the Convention that framed the Constitution
of Alabama in 1865. He was in the Legislature in 1870, '72, '76 and 1878. He has
been very active in the Baptist Church, and is a member of the Masonic
fraternity. His father, Basil Speake, came from Maryland to Kentucky about 1790,
and his ancestors came from England with Lord Baltimore, and settled in Maryland.

  Henry Clay Speake was reared on a farm; received a common-school education,
and, at the age of twenty, taught school to procure money with which to attend
the law-school at Cumberland University, from which institution he graduated in
January, 1857. In February of that year, he located at Decatur, and with the
exception of six mouths in Texas in 1860, he lived there until the war. He
entered the army in August, 1862, as a private in Company D, Fourth Alabama
Cavalry Regiment, and was soon afterward promoted to sergeant-major, and, later,
to adjutant of the regiment. About January, 1864, he was appointed quartermaster
of the regiment, and was captured, with a part of Forrest's command, near
Columbus, Ga. After the war he settled in Moulton, and in 1874 was elected
Chancellor of the Northern Division of Alabama, which position he held until
1880. In August of that year, he was elected Judge of the Eighth Judicial
Circuit of the State, and re-elected thereto in August, 1886. His present term
will expire in 1892.

  In December, 1876, Judge Speake located at Huntsville, where he has since
resided. He was married January 27, 1860, to Carrie O. Mayhew, daughter of
Jonathan Mayhew, remembered as an educator of more than ordinary ability. He was
originally from New England. The three children born to Judge Speake, now
living, are Kate M., Henry C., Jr., and Paul M. He has three dead: Sallie May,
James M. and Carrie Belle.

  The Judge is a Campbellite and his wife a Presbyterian. He is also a member of
the Masonic fraternity.

  It is worthy of note that Judge Speake was called to the chancellorship and
afterward to the judgeship by the voice of the people who considered his eminent
fitness for the position, and that in neither case was it in response to any
solicitation upon his part. His career, both as Chancellor and Judge, have shown
the wisdom of the selection.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART IV.
MONOGRAPHS OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA,
TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF MANY OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVE PEOPLE.


Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/madison/photos/bios/speake97nbs.jpg

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/madison/bios/speake97nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/alfiles/

File size: 3.9 Kb