Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/127

 COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE

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council of Virginia, to whom Claiborne re- ferred the request considered the claim and declared that the colony had as much right to Kent Island "as any other part of the country given by his Majesty's patent in 1609." This l^articular phase of the question came before the King like the more general phase and was referred by him as in the former case to the commissioners of foreign plantations. It pended before them for several years, and in the interim feeling grew warm. A miniature war developed and several persons were killed on both sides. Sir John Harvey interferred in behalf of Lord Baltimore, and this so in- censed Claiborne's friends in \'irginia that he was seized and sent back to England. At length, however, the commissioners in 1638 decided for Lord Baltimore and Kent Island, having been seized in Claiborne's absence in England by Capt. George Evelyn in behalf of Lord Baltimore, has remained ever since a part of Maryland.

While Claiborne never admitted the justice of the decision, it does not appear that he ever tried again to set up Kent Island as independ- ent of Maryland. During the disturbances of Richard Ingle (1645-1647) he visited Kent Island, but appears to have come over to look after his property rights, which had been con- fi.^cated. Instead of posing as a friend of parliament, he showed a commission and letter from King Charles I., by whom he appears to have stood till the King's death in 1649.

After that time Claiborne went to England and espoused the parliament side, and Gov. Berkeley in 1650 declared the office of treas- urer vacant on account of Claiborne's "de- linquency."

In Sept., 165 1. Claiborne was appointed with Capt. Robert Dennis, Mr. Richard I5en- nett and Mr. Thomas Stegg on a commis-ion

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to reduce Virginia to obedience to the parlia- URiit of England, an office which they suc- ceeded in performing in Mar., 1652. They then repaii ed to Maryland and reduced that piovince also. The ascendency of Claiborne in Maryland was complete, but beyond renew- ing this ])roperty claim to Kent Island he did not treat it politically different from the rest of Maryland. In Virginia the two surviving commissioners Bennett and Claiborne shared tlie chief offices between them. Bennett be- came governor and Claiborne secretary of state. Maryland was only temporarily paci- fied. Lord Baltimore encouraged his adher- ents to resist and a civil war ensued and much blood was shed. The design of the commis- sioners appears to have been to have brought about the union of \'irginia and Maryland again, but Baltimore won such favor with Cromwell in England that the contest was given up and his authority finally recognized.

When the restoration of Charles II. took p'ace, Claiborne was deprived of his office as secretary and removed from Elizabeth City, where he had formerly lived, to Romancoke, near West Point, the scene of one of his for- mer victories over the Indians. Romancoke was then situated in the county of New Kent, which had been cut from York in 1654, when Claiborne was at the heighth of his power.

The county was evidently named by him after his beloved Kent Island. Here he lived many years, siding with the government in the disturbances of Bacon's rebellion, and dying about 1677, ^vhen he was upwards of ninety years of age. To the last he remained urconquered in spirit, and as late as 1675, he sent to parliament a long recital of his in- juries suffered at the hands of the Baltimores. asking satisfaction and urging the union of Maryland with \'irginia.