He attended St. John's College in Annapolis and he studied medicine with Dr. Reverdy Ghiselin.
He later served as medical attendant and assistant surgeon at Fort Severn from 1819 to 1829.
[2] Claude served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Annapolis, from 1811 to 1819 and from 1829 to 1830.
Until the fall of 1861, Claude and Abram Lingan Jarrett had competing claims to the office since Resolution No.
6 passed by the House of Delegates voided the election of Purnell as comptroller and Jarrett as victor.
He owned stock in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Annapolis Gaslight Company.