John Clopton was a United States Representative from Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. Born in St. Peter's Parish (near Tunstall, Virginia

Tunstall, Virginia

Tunstall is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

), his father was William Clopton (1721–1796) and his mother was Elizabeth Dorrell Ford (1727–1785), he graduated from the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

) in 1776. He studied law, was admitted to the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

 and practiced. He served as first lieutenant and as captain in the Virginia militia

Virginia Militia

The Virginia militia is an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was established in 1607 as part of the British militia system. Militia service in Virginia was compulsory for all free males...

 during the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, and was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine

Battle of Brandywine

The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...

.

He married Sarah Bacon on May 15, 1784, daughter of Edmund Bacon and Elizabeth Edloe. They had several children. Izard (1785-), Maria L. Adelaide (1788-), John Bacon (1789–1860), William Edmund (1791–1848), and Sarah Elizabeth (1804–1843).

Clopton was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

 from 1789 to 1791, and was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Fourth and Fifth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1799. He was a member of the Virginia privy council from 1799 to 1801, and was elected to the Seventh and to the seven succeeding Congresses; during the Tenth Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business. He served from March 4, 1801 until his death near Tunstall; interment was in the family burying ground on his plantation. Future President John Tyler

John Tyler

John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...

was elected to fill the vacancy caused by Clopton's death.