Fleming: The Barons of Slane
1066 was a year of turmoil, bloodshed and momentous change for England. In late September, led by Duke William of Normandy, 7000 men landed on the Sussex coast. Just over two weeks later, on 14th October, as dawn rose over East Sussex, two great armies began a bloody battle for the throne of England.
By nightfall, the Normans finally broke the shield wall of the English and King Harold Godwinson was dead. On Christmas Day, William was crowned King. Within a generation, many traditions and customs had been transformed and for Anglo-Saxon England, life would never be the same again.
For the women of St Albans, things went rapidly downhill and stayed that way for over 800 years.
Origins:
The Flemings are believed to have originated in Flanders (modern-day Belgium) and came to Ireland with the Norman invasion under King Henry II in 1171.
Early Establishment:
Archembald le Fleming, a descendant of the original Fleming family, arrived in Ireland and participated in Hugh de Lacy’s plantation of the Kingdom of Mide. He is considered the ancestor of the Irish Flemings who became lords of Slane.
Simon Fleming, 1st Baron Slane:
Simon Fleming was the first Baron Slane whose title is definitively documented. He was a member of the Irish Parliament and held the title from 1335 until his death in 1370.
Later Barons:
The Flemings held the title and estates for several generations, with notable figures like Thomas Fleming, 2nd Baron Slane, who was involved in the kidnapping of a judge.
Conflict and Loss of Estates:
The Flemings were stripped of their lands and titles in 1690 due to their involvement in the Jacobite cause, a war between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange. The Flemings backed King James II, and the Battle of the Boyne was fought near their lands
FLEMING (20 individuals)
LE FLEMING (7 individuals)
FLANDRENSIS (0 individuals)
Genealogy (from Greek: γενεαλογία genealogia from γενεά genea, “generation” and λόγος logos, “knowledge”), also known as family history, is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history.