Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/273

 CLAYCOMB

CLAYTON

Claiborne was married to Elizabeth Boteler, or Butler, about 164.5, by whom he had one daugh- ter, Jane, and three sons Leonard, of Jamaica, W.I., William of Romancoke, Va., and Thomas of Pamunky Rock, Va., from which junior branches the Claibornes in the United States are de- scended. He was known by his friends as " The Champion of Virginia," and by Chief Justice Marshall was styled "The evil genius of Mary- land."' He died in Virginia in 1676.

"Clayborne, the Rebel." The name ap- plied by Mr. William H. Carpenter of Maryland (in his novel entitled "Clayborne. the Rebel," 1846) to Mr. Secretary William Clayborne of Virginia, to indicate his disaffection to the king, and sudden adhesion to the parliamentary party in 1650. That Clayborne did so for the best in- terests of the struggling colony rather than for " the recovery of his ancient rights " was after- ward proven, but at the time his resources were at a low ebb, his family in England had been ruined by the civil war, the influence of the Cliffords and his other kinsmen, Percy, Berkeley and Bellingham (three of whom had been royal governors of colonies) had considerably waned, yet Claj-borne, bj* his tact and good management in this crisis, managed to hold on to the govern- ment of the colony, and he was sustained up to the time of his death against all his enemies by James I., Charles I., Cromwell, and Charles II., imder each of whom lie had held high political positions in Virginia.

CLAYCOMB, Stephen Hugh, lawyer, was born in Lafayette count}-, Mo., Aug. 11, 1847; .son of George W. and Elizabeth J. (Winning) Clay- comb. The first fifteen years of his life were spent on a farm, after which his parents removed to Cambridge, Mo. , to give him better educational advantages. He attended one term at the Uni- versitj' of Illinois and part of one session at the L'niversity of Michigan. In 1866 he entered the law school of the University of Virginia from which he was graduated in 1868. He located at Nevada, Vernon county, Mo., where he began the practice of law but soon migrated to the lead and zinc fields of Jasper count}*, Mo., where his mining ventui-es were successful. In 1874 he formed a copartnership witJi Judge W. B. Mc- Antire and returned to the practice of the law. In 1884 he was elected to the legislature by the Democratic party and two j-ears later to the state senate for a term of four years, but he re- signed in 1888 to accept the Democratic nomina- tion for lieutenant-governor, to which office he was elected. His term expired in January, 1893.

CLAYPOLE, Edward Waller, educator, was born in Ross, Herefordshire, England, June 1, 1835; son of Edward Angell and Elizabeth Mary

Claypole. He was graduated at the University of London, taking his first degree in 1862 and his second degree in 1864. In 1872 he removed to the United States and in 1873 accepted the chair of natural sciences in Antioch college, Ohio. He resigned in 1881 to become paleontologist to the Pennsylvania geological survey. In 1883 he was called to the chair of natural sciences in Buchtel college, and remained there fifteen years. He was made a fellow of the geological .societies of London, Edinburgh and America, of the Ameri- can philosophical society, of the American asso- ciation for the advancement of science, and of several other learned bodies, and in 1898 was elected professor of natural science in the Throop polytechnic institute, Pasadena, Cal.

CLAYTON, Alexander Mosby, jurist, was born in Campbell county, Va., Jan. 15, 1801; son of William and Clarissa (Mosby) Clayton, and a descendant of Dr. John Clayton (born in Eng- land, 1690, died in Virginia, 1773). He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1823 and practised for a time at Louisa Court House, after which he re- moved to Clarkesville, Tenn. He was appointed U.S. judge for Arkansas Territory, Dec. 12, 1832, and remained in the office for two years. He removed to Mississippi in 1837 and was there judge of the high court of errors and appeals, 1842-51. In 1853 he was appointed U.S. consul at Havana, but resigned that post and removed to Memphis, Tenn. He remained in Memphis but a .short time, returning to his old home " Wood- cote ' ' in Mississippi. He was a delegate to the Mississippi secession convention in 1861, and wrote the ordinance of secession reported by the committee and adopted. He was a member of the Confederate provisional congress; district judge of the Mississippi district during the war, and afterward circuit judge until removed by Governor Ames. He was a member and presi- dent of the board of trustees of the University of Mississippi, 1844-53, 1857, and 1878-89. He died at his .seat, ' ' Woodcote, ' ' in Benton count}', Miss., Sept. 30, 1889.

CLAYTON, Augustin Smith, representative, was born in Fredericksburg, Va., Nov. 27, 1783; son of Major Philip and Mildred (Dixon) Clay- ton; grandson of Samuel and Ann (Coleman) Clayton; and great-grandson of Maj. Philip and Ann (Coleman) Clayton. His fatlier was a Rev- olutionary ofiicer and his great-grandfather was an early settler of Virginia. In 1784 Augustin was taken by his parents to Riclimojid county, Ga., where liis education was accjuifed under the instruction of William Harris Crawford (1772-1834) and at the Richmond academy. While a student there in February, 1790, on the occa- sion of the visit of President Washington to Au-