Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey. This volume was published in 1907 under the editorial supervision of Francis Bazley Lee. Pages 393. 394, 395 &396 One of the earliest ancestors of whom we have any record was Sir John Le Fleming, a famous crusader. The name owes its origin to a native of Flanders who, during the reign of King David the First, 1124, migrated to Scotland and settled there, taking the name of Le Fleming or Flanderensis, in honor of his native country. Sir Robert Le Fleming, 1272 to 1309, was one of the few trusty friends who assisted in crowning Robert Bruce. His son, Sir Malcolm Fleming, Lord of Fulwood, received a large grant of land and was in high favor with the king. He was also made governor of Dunbarton Castle and sheriff of the county. His son, also Sir Malcolm,succeeded him as governor, and was a supporter of the right and title of David the Second, of the line of Bruce. Dunbarton Castle was entrusted to the custody of the Flemings for many generations. During the time of Queen Mary, Lord James Fleming, at that time the governor, was married to the daughter of Lord Ross, at Holyrood palace, Edinburgh, and the queen was present on that occasion. Sir Thomas Fleming, his son, emigrated to Virginia, as did several other members of the family. One of them was the father of James Fleming, born in Iredell county, North Carolina, in 1762, who served in the Revolutionary war, later removing to Ohio, where he died in 1832. He was the great-grandfather of Hon. Josiah Mitchell Fleming, of Denver, Colorado. Another descendant was Colonel John Fleming, who migrated from Virginia to Kentucky in 1790; he was grandfather of Hon. John Donaldson Fleming, late United States District Attorney of Colorado. Archbishop Richard Fleming was the founder of Lincoln College, Oxford. Major General James Fleming, 1633-1751, spent forty years of his life in the British army and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Archibald Fleming, who went from England to Ireland in 1173 with the Earl of Pembroke, was the ancestor of the Flemings, who became lords of the barony of Slane, county of Meath, Ireland. Sir Thomas Fleming, lord chief justice of England, commenced the profession of law at the same time as Francis Bacon, but was preferred to him by the attorneys and prime ministers of that time and merited and earned the highest professional honors. Margaret Fleming has been immortalized by Sir Walter Scott as "Pet Marjorie." Rev. John Fleming, a Scotch clergyman and naturalist, occupied the chair of natural philosophy at Kings College, Aberdeen, from 1832 to 1843, and was the author of several important works. Bishop Michael Fleming, 1785-1850, was a Roman Catholic Canadian. He founded and erected St. John's Cathedral, became its first bishop, and erected a number of other churches and schools. Among those who were notable in the American history of the family may be mentioned: Captain Fleming, who was killed between Trenton and Princeton, January 2, 1777, during the midnight retreat of Washington from Trenton; Colonel Thomas Fleming, died in August, 1777, of exposure and hardships endured during the Revolution; William Fleming, was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and judge delegate to the Continental Congress, 1779-81. The family to be more particularly mentioned hereinafter may very properly be called the "Bethlehem Flemings," as its first members in America settled near the old meeting house in Hunterdon county, New Jersey. (I) Malcolm Fleming, the first of this branch of the Fleming family of whom we have any record, seems to have been a thrifty and industrious man. He was known as a "Yeoman," or man of small estate in lands, and he was also a weaver by trade, which is attested by various articles used in this trade which were left as the portion of his orphans. His farm was well stocked and his village for trading was Cookstown, in the center of Ulster province. He died about 1730, his wife's death having preceded his, and willed his property to James Bigger, as trustee for his children. This trust was later transferred to Rev. John Strong to enable Mr. Bigger to emigrate to America. It is to be presumed that Malcolm Fleming was a godly man and a church member, as his sons brought to America letters from the Presbyterian church. Among his children were: 1. William, see forward. 2. Andrew, of whom little is known. 3. Thomas, of Cookstown, was in Bethlehem township as early as 1755, and removed to Vienna in 1783. 4. Samuel, born April 2, 1707, died February 10, 1790, was the pioneer settler of Flemington, the county seat of Hunterdon county, New Jersey. Recently there was talk of a tablet to be placed on the oldest house in Flemington. This house was built by Samuel Fleming in 1756, and ten years prior to this he was licensed to keep a hotel at Amwell, and again in 1763. He seems to have been unfortunate in his land speculations, and finally became so embarrassed that he was sold out to meet his obligations. His third son, William, was also granted a hotel license in 1756. As Samuel Fleming kept a tavern, the place was called Flemings, and as other houses were erected this became changed to Flemington. He married Esther Mounier, born January 6, 1714, member of a French Huguenot family who left France to escape religious persecution. They had five sons and two daughters, the first child born April 10, 1737, the second, Esther, married Colonel Thomas Lowrey; she was born April 15, 1739, and died October 13, 1814. (II) William Fleming, eldest son of Malcolm Fleming, the weaver, was born near Cookstown, county Tyrone, Ireland, prior to 1730. He probably assisted his father in the labors of the farm, harvested the flax, drove the cows from pasture, etc. He also gathered fagots for fires for cooking purposes in the big stone fireplace in the kitchen, fires being rarely needed for heating purposes in that climate. He attended such school as was kept by the Presbyterian congregation, near the church or possibly in the church manse. He could read and write, and was a deacon in the old Presbyterian church in Cookstown. He and his brothers mentioned above took out church letters and emigrated to America about 1751. Soon after we find them located on their own lands in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, where William spent the remainder of his life and is buried in the old churchyard of the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church. Following is a copy of a receipt given by William Fleming: "April ye 17th 1767. Received of Thomas Fleming the sum of one pound five shillings and four pence, I say for Mr. Haner sallery being in full I say vullued by me. WILLIAM FLEMING.