He was the fifth generation of his family in America, descended from William Claiborne who had settled in Virginia in 1621.

[1] Claiborne was a member of the State house of delegates (1783–1788), served as colonel in command of the Brunswick County Militia in 1789, sheriff of Brunswick County (1789–1792), and a member of the state senate (1790–1792).

His bid for reelection in 1798 was unsuccessful, but he was again elected as a Republican to the Seventh and Eighth Congresses.

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

This article about a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia is a stub.