Matthias Evans Manly

Who was Matthias Evans Manly?

Matthias Evans Manly was a jurist who served as a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1860 to 1865. He was the brother of North Carolina Governor Charles Manly.

Manly graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1824. He practiced law in New Bern, North Carolina, was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons for a term, and served as a Superior Court judge for approximately twenty years, before being named to the Supreme Court. He filled the seat left vacant by Justice Thomas Ruffin's second retirement.

Shortly after resigning from the Court, Manly was elected to the North Carolina Senate, where he served as Speaker. The state legislature elected Manly to the United States Senate, but he was not allowed to take his seat.