Early Life
Clements was born in January 1831 in Washington, D.C., and was the son of Eliza B. Clements (whose maiden name may have been Banks) and John Thomas Clements, a carpenter originally from Maryland. Little is known about his early life and education, but by 1850 he was a machinist living in Baltimore. By 1860 Clements had moved to the city of Norfolk, where he continued working as a machinist, and on August 15 of that year he married Margaret Catherine Jarvis. They had at least seven sons and five daughters, but six of their children did not live to adulthood. Clements remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War and may have been the same James Clements who served with the 2nd Dragoons of the regular army or the 1st Battalion, District of Columbia militia.
Political Career and Convention of 1867–1868
A self-proclaimed Radical, and characterized as such by Brigadier General John McAllister Schofield, commander of the Virginia military district, Clements voted with reformers on most issues, including universal manhood suffrage, expansion of public schools, and democratizing state government. His moderate beliefs emerged, however, as he voted with Conservatives in defeating measures calling for the integration of public schools and disfranchising whites who had voted for secessionist delegates to the Convention of 1861. On April 17, 1868, he joined the majority in approving the constitution, which voters ratified in July 1869.
In March 1869 Republicans gathered in Petersburg, once again to select candidates for statewide office. This time the moderate Clements battled the increasingly radical Wells for the party's gubernatorial nomination. Amid political maneuvering, fistfights, and accusations of bribery, Wells became the candidate for governor, but the convention split the party, and he was defeated in the general election by a moderate Republican, Gilbert Carlton Walker. Despite Clements's loss, his party affiliation and political contacts secured his appointment on April 8, 1869, as postmaster of Portsmouth, although he also continued to work as a machinist. Reappointed four years later, he served until February 1876. The following year Clements began working as a United States pension agent. In this capacity he traveled to such cities as Baltimore, Boston, Knoxville, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, where in January 1882 he wrote his will.
Later Years
Clements eventually grew weary of the travel demanded of a pension agent, and in March 1881 he sought Mahone's endorsement for reappointment as postmaster in Portsmouth. Denied that post, Clements by July 1883 had been appointed a clerk in the division of special examinations of the federal pension office, and four years later he became a clerk in the principal examiner's office. He was reappointed for another two years in July 1899. These jobs required him to move to Washington, D.C., but he maintained a residence in Portsmouth, where he owned four town lots, two with buildings having a combined value of more than $4,000. James H. Clements died at his residence in Washington, D.C., on August 16, 1900, and was buried three days later in Oak Grove Cemetery, in Portsmouth.
Time Line
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January 1831 - James H. Clements is born in Washington, D.C., the son of Eliza B. Clements and John Thomas Clements.
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1850 - By this year, James H. Clements is a machinist and lives in Baltimore.
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1860 - By this year, James H. Clements has moved to the city of Norfolk, where he works as a machinist.
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August 15, 1860 - James H. Clements marries Margaret Catherine Jarvis. They will have at least seven sons and five daughters. Six of their children will not live to adulthood.
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1861–1865 - James H. Clements remains loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He may be the same James Clements who serves with the 2nd Dragoons of the regular army or the 1st Battalion, District of Columbia militia.
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October 22, 1867 - James H. Clements is elected to represent Norfolk County and Portsmouth at the Convention of 1867–1868.
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April 17, 1868 - Delegates to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867–1868 vote in favor of the new state constitution, which includes such reforms as universal manhood suffrage, the establishment of a public school system, and popular election in a greater number of local offices.
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May 1868 - James H. Clements is elected president of the Republican Party's state nominating convention. Henry Horatio Wells and James H. Clements are chosen as the Republican candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, but the statewide elections of 1868 are canceled.
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April 8, 1869 - James H. Clements is appointed postmaster of Portsmouth, although he continues to also work as a machinist. He will serve in this position until February 1876.
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1877 - James H. Clements begins working as a U.S. pension agent.
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March 1881 - James H. Clements seeks William Mahone's endorsement for reappointment as postmaster in Portsmouth, but is denies the post.
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January 1882 - James H. Clements writes his will in New Orleans.
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July 1883 - By this month, James H. Clements is appointed a clerk in the division of special examinations of the federal pension office.
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1887 - James H. Clements is appointed a clerk in the principal examiner's office.
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August 16, 1900 - James H. Clements dies at his residence in Washington, D.C., and is buried three days later in Portsmouth.
References
Further Reading
Cite This Entry
- APA Citation:
Deal, J. G., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. James H. Clements (1831–1900). (2013, December 12). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/Clements_James_H_1831-1900.
- MLA Citation:
Deal, John G. and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "James H. Clements (1831–1900)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. READ_DATE.
First published: May 20, 2013 | Last modified: December 12, 2013
Contributed by John G. Deal and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. John G. Deal is assistant editor of the Dictionary of Virginia Biography at the Library of Virginia.