Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/228

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

Christian, Thomas, ancestor of the well known Christian family of East Virginia, is believed to have come from the Isle of Man to Virginia. He patented land in Charles City county in 1687.

Christian, William, son of Israel Chris- tian, was born in Augusta county in 1743. He was a burgess for Fincastle county at its creation in 1773, and until 1775-1776. which saw the end of the house of bur- gesses ; member for Fincastle in the conven- tion of 1775; lieutenant-colonel of the First Virginia Regiment, raised by the state ; commanded in 1776 and 1780 expeditions against the Cherokees ; in 1785 removed to Kentucky and was killed, April 9, 1786, by Indians. He married a sister of Patrick Henry.

Christmas, Doctoris, of Elizabeth City, planter, leased from the governor fifty acres of the company's land in 1627. His will, dated December 20, 1754, is recorded in York county. He leaves all his estate to his wife and his friend, Peter Starkey.

Church, Richard, was a burgess from Lower Norfolk in the assembly of 1676 and from Norfolk in the sessions of May 13 and June 18, 1702.

Clack, Rev. James, son of William and Mary Clack, of Marsden, in Wiltshire, came to Virginia in 1678, and was minister of Ware parish from 1679 to December 20, 1723. when he died. James Clack, believed tc be his son, resided in Brunswick county.

Clack, John, was a burgess from Bruns- wick county in the place of Edmund Good- rich, who had accepted the oflfice of sheriff, in the sessions of November i, 1759, and of 1760 and 1761. Married Mary Kennon, and

left issue. He was brother of Sterling Clack (q. v.).

Clack, Sterling, was a burgess from Brunswick county in the assembly of 1748- 1749. He was son of James Clack, of Bruns- wick county, who was son of Rev. James Clack ((J. v.), of Ware parish, Gloucester county. He was clerk of Brunswick county from 1740 to 1 75 1. He married Anne Eld- ridge, daughter of Thomas Eldridge, and died in 1757.

Claiborne, Colonel Augustine, of 'Wind- sor," son of Captain Thomas Claiborne, of "Sweet Hall," was born in 1721 ; removed from King William county to Surry and was burgess for that county in 1748- 1749 and 1752-1757, but resigned in 1754 to become clerk of Sussex. In 1780 he was a state sena- tor. He married Mary Herbert, daughter of Buller Herbert, and died May 3, 1789. He was an eminent lawyer.

Claiborne, Major Buller, born October 27, 1755, second lieutenant of Second Virginia Regiment, October 2, 1775; captain from March 8, 1776, to July 27, 1777; brigade major and aide-de-camp to General Lincoln, 1 779- 1 780; commanded a squadron of cavalry at the battle of the Cowpens ; appointed jus- tice of Dinwiddie in 1789; sheriff in 1802-04. He married Patsy, daughter of Edward Ruf- fin, of Sussex county.

Claiborne, Herbert, of "Chestnut Grove," New^ Kent county, son of Colonel Augustine Claiborne, born August 7, 1746; married (first) Mary Ruf^n, daughter of Robert Ruf- fm, (second) Mary, daughter of William Burnett Browne, of Elsing Green, King Wil- liam county, great-grandson of Gilbert Bur- nett, bishop of Salisbury, England.