Individual Details

Chosen by the Virginia Company, 13 Jun 1621, to be the Royal Surveyor of the Virginia Colony. He came to Virginia in the ship "George" with Sir Vrance Wyatt, in that same year. He served as Secretary of State of the Colony of Virginia 1625-1638. Appointed Treasurer for life of Virginia by Charles I in 1642 and was Commander in General of the Colonial forces in the campaign against the Indians 1644-1645. Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Virginia 1652-1658.


It is said William Claiborne's first wife was Jane Buller of London who was the mother of some if not all of his children. I have seen that Jane was the mother of all of the children, but if Thomas was born in August of 1647, he may have been Elizabeth's child. He then married Elizabeth Boteler [Butler]. There is a grant of 700 acres to Elizabeth Claiborne, wife of Capt Wm. Claiborne, his Majerty's Treasurer of the Colony of Virginia in November of 1647.
http://pegstersfamilytree.com/b6995.htm
It has been several times stated in print that William Claiborne married in London (in 1638 some are even particular enough to state) Jane Buller, but this may also be considered doubtful. In November 1647, a grant of 700 acres in the corporation of Elizabeth City, was made to "Elizabeth Claiborne, the wife of Captain William Claiborne, Esqr., his Majesties Treasurer of this Colony of Virginia," for the transportation of fourteen persons, whose rights had been assigned to her by her husband in nature of a dower, according to an order of court June 11, 1644.
It is, of course, possible that Col. William Claiborne married twice. If he married Elizabeth about the time that the dower was given, in 1644, she could hardly have been the mother of the eldest son, who as "Captain William Claiborne" received a grant in 1657. Contrary to what has been frequently stated, infants could, and frequently did receive grants, but they were not captains of militia in boyhood.
The tradition that Col. Claiborne married a Buller can perhaps be accounted for by a statement in a letter from Governor Leonard Calvert to his brother, Lord Baltimore, written in 1638 (to W.H. Browne's "George and Cecilius Calvert," p. 68, &c.) in which he says that on Kent Island John Boteler, or Butler (he writes the name in each way), William Claiborne's brother-in-law, was at first disposed to resist the Maryland authorities, but afterwards submitted. Mr. Browne says that Boteler was appointed by Calvert commander of the militia of Kent Island, and held various offices of trust in the colony until his death in 1642.

Birth	1587	County Kent, England
Marriage	Bef 1638	London, England - Jane Buller
Death	1667	Virginia
Marriage		Virginia - Elizabeth Boteler\Butler

Spouse

Elizabeth Boteler\Butler ( - )

Spouse	Jane Buller ( - )
Child	William CLAIBORNE II (1636 - 1682)
Child	Thomas CLAIBORNE (1647 - 1683)