Chronology of Richard Fleming, Bishop of Lincoln

[Jwc...@aol.com]

Dear John Ravilious,
I`ve been looking over a few documents and
a book recently and reviewing my Waterton / Fleming thread of 29-31 December
2007 and have the following :
1 Richard is probably the son of Thomas II le Fleming of
Wath-on-Dearne, York, Croston, Lincoln,and Clifton by an unknown wife. He died
after 22 October 1410 at which date he was being sued by Robert Waterton Esq and
Richard Fleming, clerk. the Thomas II le Fleming who was of Coniston and
Rydal was a grandson of a Richard Fleming and Katherine Kirby, this line
separated from the Wath line in the twelveth century.
In 1403 Richard Fleming was made rector of the church at
Staithbourne, York. (Edward Trollope "Sleaford and the wapentakes of Flaxwell
and Aswardhum" p 116
Robert Waterton Esq of Methley , York made Thomas Toneton,
recently named in conjunction with Thomas II le Fleming of Wath and his sons John
and Reyner in a suit by Thomas Chaundos, parson of the church of Wath on 30
June 1401 ( C 241/171/1) continued on 24 September 1401 and 6 August 1402
was made rector by Robert Waterton Esq at his church of Saints Peter and Paul
of Gosberton, Lincoln on 20 November 1402 ( A Breif History of the Church and
Parish of Gosberton in the County of Lincoln by Walter Jenkinson Kaye
(1897) p 35
Thomas Toneton was Master of the Hospital of the monks of
Saint Nicholas at Pontefract who held the manor of Wodhall in Methley which was
sold to Waterton. He was succeeded as Rector of the church of Gosberton by
Richard Fleming on 29 July 1404. he continued until 1408.
In about 1405 Thomas Chaundos took his suit againest Sir
Thomas Fleming of Wath and Thomas Toneton before the King and council (SC 8 /
102)
Sometime in the early 1400s Sir Robert Fleming of Wodhall-in-
Stanley married his " heiress" Cecily Fleming to Robert Waterton Esq and
retired to a monastary who died 20 April 1458.
In 1406 Richard Fleming was presented to the prebendary of
Newbold, York, (Trollope ibid p116) ( C 421/ 202/46) On 12 April 1407 Richard
Fleming and Robert Waterton Esq brought suit againest Sir Thomas Fleming of
Wath for 500 pounds, continued to 12 December 1407 and then to 22 October 1410.
Richard Fleming was a canon of the cathedral church of York by December
1407 and late in the month Sir Thomas le Fleming of Wath made an agreement by
which the advowson of the church at Wath-on-Dearne passed to his creditor
Robert Waterton Esq who in the next year proposed Thomas Toneton, Fleming`s former
conspirator againest Thomas Chaundos as parson of the vacant parsonage and
Richard Fleming removed to the University of Oxford, a certain Thomas
Barnesley holding the vacant rectory of Gosberton from 1408- September 14, 1410
(Kaye ibid p 35) and was succeeded by Thomas Toneton, now a priest who died
there on May 24, 1428. Richard Fleming became rector on Boston, Lincoln in 1412
and was also a Canon of the Lincoln cathedral church. in 1419 He was elected
Bishop of Lincoln and concecrated by the Pope April 28, 1420. In 1421 Pope
Martin V selected him to be Archbishop of York, though the York clergy elected
Philip Morgan in the same position. In 1427 Richard asked the pope for a
dispensation to make his nephew, Robert, son of Robert Fleming, armiger, a canon
though less than twelve years of age.
Several queries come to mind. It seems obvious that Robert Fleming, the
brother of Bishop Richard was forced to present his manor to Robert Waterton who
luckily for his daughter Cecily needed a bride. Reyner Flemyng appears to
have disappeared in 1402. Did persons entering monasteries for non-religious
reasons change their names ? Robert, Dean of Lincoln appears to have been
legitimate, the same Fleming of Wath shield that adorns his uncle Richard`s tomb
adorns his own.
Sincerely,
James W Cummings
Dixmont, Maine USA
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