William Caliborne was a real problem to the colonists. It all started when he got a charter from the London Company, soon to be called the Virginia Company, in 1606. The King of England at the time was not happy with the way the Virginia Company was operating. So he took the charter away in 1624. He changed the government and appointed a council to make sure the land stayed in order. Now all the land granted in the charter belonged to the king and now he was free to do anything he wanted with it. One of the new grants was the Maryland one that was Lord Baltimore's. Before the people got there, Claiborne had been given permission to trade with the Indians on the Chesapeake. This permission was granted by The Virginia Company.
Claiborne took the money given to him by the Virginia Company. He built a trading post on Kent Island in 1628. Claiborne made a profit of trading with the Indians and dreamed of being a man of great power and of great money. He wanted to expand his business to make more money then he had. He thought that with a grant like that he would own most of Maryland but he thought wrong.
Claiborne had gotten to Kent Island first so the English king told Lord Baltimore to let Caliborne continue trading under the Baltimore government. With support from Virgina interests, Claiborne did not acknowledge the offer under Baltimore government.
A samll battle took place, if that is what you want to call it. One colonist was killed on one side and on the other the commander and three crew men. Claiborne was sent back to England. He also had to now obey Lord Calvert. When he requested for his land (To King Charles I) he got a "NO." When he asked Virigina for his island back he got a "NO". Claiborne returned to his estate and there moped because he wanted that land badly. He hated Maryland and Virginia for messing up his hopes for power and money. That is how he caused the Colonists great trouble.
Amanda
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 01:11:54 -0500
From: "Nathaniel B. VanKirk" (jack.vankirk@mcione.com)
Subject: William Claiborne
Hello,
I am a William Claiborne descendant, and personally believe that the story told on your site about William Claiborne is only one side of it. I did not care for the way he was attacked and portrayed as causing troubles in the colonies. Your opinion is fine, but please state that it is your opinion and not factual that he actually was a troublemaker. In fact, he helped the colonies in many ways. Please consider that he was not rebelling against Lord Baltimore to be a bother, but at the time that he settled, discovered, and brought colonists to Kent Island, it was part of Virginia. When the Baltimore family took over, they claimed that Kent Island was part of Maryland, and wanted to rule over it. In fact, the Calvert(Baltimore) family were the power and wealth seekers, not William Claiborne. He simply traded fur as an occupation, and just because he made money from it, doesn't mean he was out to cheat people and get rich quick. You did not even mention at all on your site how William Claiborne later went on to serve Virginia in Congress, and was a very prominent and well-liked man in the Virginia Colony. Just thought you might like to know this,
J. Van Kirk
jack.vankirk@mcione.com
William Claiborne's descendants also served in the House of Burgesses, and most of his descendants intermarried with the descendants of the Lord De La Ware(Governor of Delaware and Virginia), as well as the Randolph, Spotswood(Governor of VA), Beverley(Governor of VA), Dandridge(family of George Washington's wife), Bolling(descendants of Pocahontas), and many other prominent Tidewater Virginian families. My family personally came from the William Claiborne's grandson, William Claiborne III's marriage to Catherine Dandridge, 1st cousins of George Washington's wife. William Claiborne had been on Kent Island since 1631, and the Calvert family took control in 1632. That is why I believe that Kent Island rightfully belonged to the Claiborne's. Please mention on your site that Claiborne helped Puritan settlers who had no where else to go, get settled on Kent Island, and when he was finally forced out in 1657, he moved to Virginia where he played a prominent role in the affairs of the Virginia colony until his death in 1677.
Thanks so much for responding, and please don't think that you greatly offended me, I have just seen so many sites that only tell the half-truth of William Claiborne, and don't even mention his positive traits. I think it's about time that people knew the whole truth.
Thanks so much,
God Bless,
The Van Kirk family
