Matthew Clay was born on May 25, 1754 in western Halifax County, Virginia, which became Pittsylvania County in 1767. He was the son of Charles and Martha Green Clay. As an officer in the Continental Army, he served in the 9th Virginia Regiment (1776-1778), the 1st Virginia Regiment (1778-1781) and the 5th Virginia Regiment (1781 to 1783). As a member of the 1st Virginia, he achieved the rank of first lieutenant and became Regimental Quartermaster. After being mustered out of the military, Matthew Clay was briefly employed by the State Solicitor's (Auditor's} Office in Richmond, Virginia. Once he had completed reading law in Richmond, he returned to the place of his birth. He married Mary Williams, the orphan daughter of Joseph Williams. Mary's wealthy guardian, Colonel Robert Williams, assisted Clay in launching a career in politics. As a Delegate to the General Assembly, Matthew Clay always considered himself a servant of the people. After his return from the General Assembly, Clay became involved in agriculture, especially tobacco. In 1797 he returned to the world of politics and won election to the 5th through the 12th Congresses (1797-1813). During that period, he established himself as a political conservative, holding true to the principles that he had been exposed to when he entered Congress in 1797. The Old Republicans, as they later came to be known, opposed Jefferson's and Madison's semi-nationalistic tendencies. They supported a frugal and streamlined government, a small and cost-efficient military and a strict construction of the United States Constitution. Clay was a close friend of James Monroe and supported him for President in 1808. Like his fellow Southside Congressman John Randolph of Roanoke, Matthew Clay adhered to the ideals of Old School Republicanism, but unlike the former, he refused to join Randolph in his schism with Jefferson and Madison. In the main, Matthew Clay modified his conservative beliefs only once during his Congressional career as he openly supported the United States' military preparedness in the wake of continued British depredations in 1811-1812. The Pittsylvanian was defeated for reelection in 1813 partly because he abstained from voting on the declaration of war in 1812 and partly because he had become embroiled in unsuccessful litigation with his political rival John Kerr. Matthew Clay was reelected in 1815, but he died suddenly before he could go to Washington to resume his seat. / Master of Arts