Matthias Evans Manly was a jurist who served as a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court

North Carolina Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...

 from 1860 to 1865. He was the brother of North Carolina Governor Charles Manly

Charles Manly

Charles Manly was the 31st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1849 to 1851, and the last member of his party to hold the office. After one two-year term, Manly was defeated in the 1850 election by David S. Reid, whom Manly had defeated in 1848.He was the brother of Matthias Evans...

.

Manly graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

 (where he would later serve as a Trustee) in 1824. He practiced law in New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...

, 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

Thomas Ruffin

Thomas Ruffin was an American jurist and Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1829 to 1852 and again from 1858 to 1859. He was Chief Justice of that Court from 1833 to 1852.-Biography:...

's second retirement.

Shortly after resigning from the Court, Manly was elected to the North Carolina Senate

North Carolina Senate

The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...

, where he served as Speaker. The state legislature elected Manly to the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

, but he was not allowed to take his seat.