Thomas Claiborne (1749–1812)

Thomas Claiborne
A portrait of Thomas Claiborne by Saint-Mémin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 17th district
In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805
Preceded by	Richard Brent
Succeeded by	John Claiborne
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th district
In office March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803
Preceded by	Samuel Goode
Succeeded by	Walter Jones
In office March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1799
Preceded by	Josiah Parker
Succeeded by	Samuel Goode
Member of the Virginia Senate from Brunswick, Lunenberg, Mecklenburg and Greensville Counties
In office 1790–1792
Preceded by	John Jones
Succeeded by	Jesse Browne
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Brunswick County
In office 1784–1787 Alongside Thomas Edmunds, Binns Jones and Andrew Meade
Personal details
Born	(1749-02-01)February 1, 1749 Brunswick County, Virginia Colony, British America
Died	1812 (aged 62–63) Brunswick County, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Other political affiliations	Anti-Administration
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Virginia Militia
Years of service	1789
Rank	Colonel

Thomas Claiborne (February 1, 1749 – 1812) was a planter and politician from Brunswick County, Virginia, who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly as well as in the United States House of Representatives (from 1793 to 1799 and from 1801 to 1805), and fathered two sons who also became Congressman.

Early life and education

Claiborne was born in 1749 in Brunswick County in the Colony of Virginia, the son of Colonel Augustine and Mary (Herbert) Claiborne. His father had moved his family southward to then-developing Brunswick County, as family members had previously operated plantations and stores in Tidewater Virginia and Maryland. He was the fifth generation of his family in America, descended from merchant William Claiborne who had settled in Virginia in 1621 and became the colony's secretary of state, and William's son, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Claiborne, who had died was killed by an arrow in 1683. He is the father of John Claiborne and Thomas Claiborne (1780–1856), uncle of Nathaniel Herbert Claiborne and William Charles Cole Claiborne, granduncle of John Francis Hamtramck Claiborne, and great-great-great-great-granduncle of Corinne Claiborne Boggs. He received a private education appropriate to this class, but it is unclear whether he attended the College of WIlliam and Mary, as did many members of the family after William's wife Sarah established a scholarship there.

Military officer

In an era when all white males were required to serve in the local militia, Claiborne was an officer, and by 1789 rose to the rank of colonel and commanded the Brunswick County Militia. He was also responsible for collecting military supplies for patriot forces in the Revolutionary War.

Planter

Like many of his ancestors, Claiborne was a merchant and also operated plantations using enslaved labor. In the 1789 Virginia tax census, he had a license to operate an ordinary (tavern) in Brunswick County, and owned 19 adult slaves as well as 17 enslaved children, 13 horses and 27 cattle.

Brunswick County voters elected and re-elected Claiborne to represent them in the Virginia House of Delegates (1783–1788). He resigned that position in order to become sheriff of Brunswick County (1789–1792). Beginning in 1790, he served (part-time) in the state senate (1790–1792).

He was elected to the Third Congress and reelected as a Republican to the Fourth and Fifth Congresses. He was defeated for reelection in 1798 by Samuel Goode, but he was again elected as a Republican to the Seventh and Eighth Congresses.

Death and legacy

He died on his estate in Brunswick County in 1812.

He was the father of United States Congressman Thomas Claiborne (1780–1856).

External links

• United States Congress. "Thomas Claiborne (id: C000406)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress