Claiborne | Clayborne | Cleyborne

Claiborne Lineage
Thomas Claiborne 1525-1607, father of Thomas Claiborne 1557-1607, father of William Claiborne 1600-1677, father of Mary Elizabeth Claiborne 1630-1709.

Mary Elizabeth Claiborne is the mother of William Claiborne Harris 1669-1730, father of Temperance Overton Harris 1715-1807 (Cheryl's 6th Great-Grandmother) and of her brother Robert Overton Harris 1696-1765 (Bill's 7th Great-Grandfather).

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Cheryl's Lineage

Cheryl has 3 lines descending from William Claiborne to James Clifton Robertson:

1. Thomas Claiborne > Elizabeth Claiborne > Owen Thomas Sullivant II > Charles J Sullivant Sr > Stephen Sullivant > Claiborne Charlton Sullivant > Stephen Sullivant > Claiborne Holly Sullivant > Buelah Elizabeth Sullivant > James Clifton Robertson.
2. Mary Elizabeth Claiborne > Robert Harris > William Harris Sr > William Harris Jr > John Harris > Mary Ann Harris > Wayman C Whitney > Missouria L Whitney > Eddie Morris Robertson > James Clifton Robertson.
3. Mary Elizabeth Claiborne > William Claiborne Harris > Temperance Overton Harris > Henrietta Baker > John Harris > Mary Ann Harris > Wayman C Whitney >  Missouria L Whitney > Eddie Morris Robertson > James Clifton Robertson.

1. Thomas Claiborne 1647-1683, brother of both Cheryl & Bill's ancestor Mary Elizabeth Claiborne 1630-1709, is the father of Elizabeth Claiborne 1678-1768. 

Elizabeth Claiborne is the mother of Owen Thomas Sullivant II 1699-1790, father of Charles J Sullivant Sr, father of Stephen Sullivant 1768-1857, father of Claiborne Charlton Sullivant 1799-1865, and of Dorothy Sullivant 1794-1872.

Claiborne Charlton Sullivant is the father of Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882, father of Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931, father of Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977, mother of James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007.

Dorothy Sullivant 1799-1865 is the mother of Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885, mother of Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931, father of Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977, mother of James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007.

Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882 and Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885 are first cousins. 

2. Mary Elizabeth Claiborne is the mother of Robert Harris 1664-1722, father of William Harris Sr 1700-1760, father of  William Harris Jr 1724-1792, father of  John Harris, 1760-1816, father of Mary Ann Harris 1789-1843, mother of  Wayman C Whitney 1826-1864, father of Missouria L Whitney 1850-1923, mother of Eddie Morris Robertson 1872-1952, father of James Clifton Robertson.

3. Mary Elizabeth Claiborne is also the mother of William Claiborne Harris 1669-1730 (brother of  Robert Harris 1664-1722). William Claiborne Harris is the father of Temperance Overton Harris 1715-1807, mother of Henrietta Baker 1728-1804, mother of  John Harris 1760-1816 father of Mary Ann Harris 1789-1843, mother of  Wayman C Whitney 1826-1864, father of Missouria L Whitney 1850-1923, mother of Eddie Morris Robertson 1872-1952, father of James Clifton Robertson.

Bill's Lineage 
Mary Elizabeth Claiborne is the mother of William Claiborne Harris 1669-1730.

William Claiborne Harris is the father of Robert Overton Harris 1696-1765 (brother of William Claiborne Harris 1669-1730). Robert Overton Harris is father of Tyre Harris Sr 1728-1796, father of Lydia Harris. mother of Jeremiah Harris Brown 1799-1880, father of William Hiram Brown 1829-1905, father of James Henry Brown 1855-1939, father of Harris Brown Brown 1887-1954, father of Thelma Irene Brown 1912-1991, father of William Harris Lawson Sr 1931-2020.  

Claiborne Migration
Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England > Crayford, Kent, England > New Kent County, Virginia > King William County, Virginia > Doswell, Hanover, Virginia > New Kent, New Kent, Virginia

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Elizabeth Claiborne, Cheryl's 7th Great-Grandmother
September 1678 - 1727

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry | Geneanet

Parents:
Thomas Claiborne 1647-1683
Sarah Fenn 1660-1716

Maternal Lineage:
Sarah Fenn 1660-1716

Spouse: Owen Thomas Sullivant I 1673-1769
Married: 1693
Children: 2

1. Owen Thomas Sullivant II 1699-1790
2. Daniel Sullivan 1718-1778

Some sources have her death date as 1697 with John Lewis 1675-1751 as her second spouse and Littleberry Lewis as a child, but these seem to be two different people named Elizabeth Claiborne who were born the same year. 

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Mary Elizabeth Claiborne, Cheryl's 8th and Bill's 9th Great-Grandmother
10 August 1630 - 9 February 1709
b. King William County, Virginia
d. Doswell, Hanover, Virginia

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry

Parents:
William Claiborne 1600-1677
Jane Elizabeth Butler 1610-1688

Maternal Lineage:
Jane Elliott 1576-1667, mother of Jane Elizabeth Butler, mother of Mary Claiborne

Spouse: Robert Harris 1635-1701
Married: 1650
Children: 11

1. Mary Harris 1650-1753
2. Judith Harris 1655-1739
3. John Harris 1657-1733
4. Elizabeth Ann Harris 1661-1727
5. Matthew Harris 1661-1727
6. Matilda Harris 1663-1698
7. Robert Harris 1664-1722
8. Richard Harris 1669-1733
9. William Claiborne Harris 1669-1765
10. Thomas Harris 1670-1725
11. Claiborne Harris 1672-1715
12. Love Harris 1677-1732

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Thomas Claiborne, Cheryl's 8th Great-Grandfather
17 August 1647 - 7 October 1683

The Find a Grave memorial record for his burial site has 25 August for his birth date, but the grave marker has 17 August, as does the cenotaph. The cenotaph also uses the spelling Clayborne, but the cenotaph has Claiborne.

b. Romancoke, New Kent, Virginia
d. King William, King William, Virginia

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond, City of Richmond, Virginia

Find a Grave ( Cenotaph | Burial Site ) | Ancestry | Geneanet | JHBL

Parents:
William Claiborne 1600-1677
Jane Elizabeth Butler 1610-1676

Maternal Lineage:
Jane Elliott 1576-1667, mother of Jane Elizabeth Butler 1610-1676, mother of Thomas Claiborne.

Spouse: Sarah Fenn 1660-1716
Married: 22 August 1677

Sources vary as to the marriage date.

Children: 

1. Elizabeth Claiborne 1678-1727
2. Thomas Claiborne 1680-1732
3. William Claiborne 1681-1705
4. Rebecca Claiborne 1682-1699

Sources vary as to the number, names, and dates of the children.

Tags: Military

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 William Claiborne, Cheryl's 9th & Bill's 10th Great-Grandfather
10 August 1600 - 21 March 1677
b. Crayford, Kent, England
d. New Kent County, Virginia

Claiborne Family Cemetery
Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia

Find a Grave | Ancestry

Memorial dates 1587-1676, but the biography attached to the memorial says he was christened 10 August 1600, which would most likely have been hours or at the most days after his birth.

There is another Find a Grave memorial for the same William Claiborne, connecting him to his mother, Sarah Smyth, but without the connection to his father. The memorial for his mother names only her first husband, Roger James, as the father of William Claiborne, but that linkage is not made in the memorial for Roger James. This Wikipedia article affirms that William Claiborne is the son of Thomas Claiborne and Sara Smyth after the death of Roger James in 1596. 

The birth year on both Find a Grave memorials is 1587, but that is one year before the marriage of Sara Smith to Roger James, and contrary to what seems to be the generally accepted birth year of 1600. 

The spelling of Claiborne varies, sometimes within a source. 

Parents:
Thomas Claiborne 1557-1607
Sarah Smyth 1560-1607

Maternal Lineage:
Sarah Smyth 1560-1607

Spouse: Jane Elizabeth Butler
Married: 1629
Children: 5

1. William Claiborne 1630-1685
2. Mary Claiborne 1630-1709
   Ancestor of Bill & Cheryl
3. Thomas Claiborne 1647-1683
   Ancestor of Cheryl
4. Leonard Claiborne 1649-1694
5. Jane Claiborne 1635-1671

Cheryl's Descendancy from William Claiborne through the Thomas Claiborne line:
Thomas Claiborne > Elizabeth Claiborne > Owen Sullivant Jr > Charles Sullivant > Stephen Sullivant > Claiborne C Sullivant > Stephen Sullivant > Claiborne H Sullivant > Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant > Clifton Robertson > Cheryl Robertson

Bill's Descendancy from William Claiborne through the Mary Claiborne line:
Mary Elizabeth Claiborne > William Claiborne Harris > Robert Overton Harris > Temperance Overton  > Robert Overton Harris > Tyre Harris Sr 1728-1796 > Lydia Harris > Jeremiah Harris Brown > William Hiram Brown > James Henry Brown > Harris Brown Brown > Thelma Irene Brown 1912-1991 > William Harris Lawson Sr 1931-2020.  

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Thomas Claiborne, Cheryl's 10th & Bill's 11th Great-Grandfather
1557 - September 1607
b. St Margaret, Borough of Kings, Lynn, Norfolk
d. Creyford, Kent, England

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry

Parents:
Thomas Claiborne 1525-1581
Katherine Reveley 1525-1649

Maternal Lineage:
Katherine Reveley 1525-1649

Spouse: Sara Smyth 1560-1607
Married: 20 November 1598
Children: 

1. William Claiborne 1600-1677
2. Others TBD

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Thomas James Clayborne, Cheryl's 11th & Bill's 12th Great-Grandfather
1525 - 1581
b. St Margaret's Parish, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England
d. St Margaret's Parish, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England

See this page on JHBL Family Genealogy

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Spouse: Katherine Reveley 1525-1649
Marriage: TBD
Children: 

1. Thomas Claiborne 1557-1607
   
2. Others TBD

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Bibliography 

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2025 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/ Lawson-Robertson Family Tree. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/10075800/family  User profile for William Harris Lawson, Jr., user Livingweb. Accessed 8 November  2025.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139615699/william-claiborne: accessed November 1, 2025), memorial page for Col William Claiborne (1587–1676), Find a Grave Memorial ID 139615699, citing Claiborne Family Cemetery, Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Miss BeeHaven (contributor 48748561).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67231267/sarah-james: accessed November 6, 2025), memorial page for Sarah Smythe James (1570–21 Jun 1626), Find a Grave Memorial ID 67231267, citing St Dunstan and All Saints Churchyard, Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Greater London, England; Maintained by E. East Brown (contributor 47078471).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67228012/roger-james: accessed November 6, 2025), memorial page for Roger James II (1564–10 Dec 1596), Find a Grave Memorial ID 67228012, citing St Bride Churchyard, Fleet Street, City of London, Greater London, England; Maintained by E. East Brown (contributor 47078471).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73092883/william-claiborne: accessed November 6, 2025), memorial page for William Claiborne (1587–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 73092883, citing Jamestown Fort James Cemetery, Jamestown, James City County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by janine mcquiston (contributor 46941674).

Geneanet. "Public Member Database." © 1996. Geneanet. en.geneanet.org Accessed 1 November  2025.

JHBL Family Genealogy. "Thomas Claiborne." JHBL Family Genealogy. www.latrobefamily.com Accessed 3 November 2025.

Marriages of Lunenburg County VA

MyHeritage. "Public Member Database." © 2005 MyHeritage Ltd. My Heritage. myheritage.com Accessed 1 November 2025.

Robertson, Marielle. "Robertson," "Whitney." Family Research Book. ca. 2010, Marielle Robertson. 

Wikipedia Contributors. "William Claiborne," 6 November 2025. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Claiborne  Accessed 6 November 2025.

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Miscellanea

Talking Kin™: Claiborne 
https://www.talkingkin.com/2025/10/claiborne-clayborne-cleyborne.html
© 2025 William H Lawson Jr

Most recently updated:

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