code of statutes on the principle (he said) and in the spirit of Fleming's design. The ninth chapter of these statutes appointed an annual mass for the ‘first founder’ on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the day of his death.
So far as can be judged from his earlier Memorandum Register (that for his later years is unfortunately lost), Fleming appears to have been an active administrator of his immense diocese, and particularly diligent in the visitation of monasteries within its limits. The muniments of Lincoln Cathedral include a number of injunctions which he addressed to them. The best known act of his episcopate belongs almost exactly to the time when he was planning his foundation for the overthrow of heresy. The old man believed that the movement which he had seen strong at Oxford in his youth was still vigorous. It was in 1428, after an urgent reminder from the pope, 9 Dec. 1427 (Raynald. Ann. ix. 55 seq.), that he gave effect to the vindictive sentence of the council of Constance of 4 May 1415, by exhuming the bones of John Wycliffe from Lutterworth churchyard; he burned them and cast them into the river Swift (W. Lyndwode, Provinciale, v., f. cliv. b, ed. 1501). As a writer he is credited only with sermons preached at the council of Siena and with a work, apparently lost, ‘Super Angliæ Etymologia’ (Bale, Scriptt. Brit. Catal. vii. 90, p. 575).
Fleming died at his palace at Sleaford on 25 Jan. 1430–1, and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral. His altar-tomb, with effigy, still exists. The epitaph, which has been attributed to his own authorship (cf. Wood, Colleges and Halls, p. 236), may be found also in manuscript, with panegyric verses attached by one Stoon, a Cistercian monk of Shene (Bodleian MS. 496, f. 225). He bore, barry of six ar. and az., three lozenges in chief gules; on the fess point a mullet for difference sable (Wood, p. 244).
Fleming's name is spelt variously with one or two m's and with i or y in the second syllable.
[Letters patent for the foundation of Lincoln College and Fleming's preface to the Statutes, in Statutes of Lincoln College, Oxford, 1853; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. p. 286; Wood's Hist. and Antiq. of the Univ. of Oxford, i. 551, ed. Gutch; Lincoln Cathedral registers.]
FLEMING, ROBERT, the elder (1630–1694), Scottish ejected divine, was born in December 1630 at Yester, Haddingtonshire, of which parish, anciently known as St. Bathan's, his father, James Fleming (d. 8 April 1653), was minister. James Fleming's first wife was Martha, eldest daughter of John Knox, the Scottish reformer; Robert was the issue of a second marriage with Jean Livingston. His childhood was sickly, and he nearly lost his sight and life owing to a blow with a club. He speaks of an ‘extraordinary impression’ made upon him as a boy by a voice which he heard when he had climbed up into his father's pulpit at night; but he dates the beginning of his religious life from a communion day at Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, at the opening of 1648. At this time he was a student of Edinburgh University, where he graduated M.A. on 26 July 1649, distinguishing himself in philosophy. He pursued his theological studies at St. Andrews under Samuel Rutherford. At the battle of Dunbar (3 Sept. 1650) he was probably in the ranks of the Scottish army, for he speaks of his ‘signal preservation.’ After license he received a call to Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, and was ordained there in 1653. His health was then so bad that ‘it seemed hopeless,’ and on the day of his ordination there was an ‘extraordinary storm,’ which he deemed an assault of Satan.
Fleming's ministry was popular and successful. On the restoration of episcopacy the Scottish parliament passed an act (11 June 1662) vacating benefices that had been filled without respect to the rights of patrons, unless by 20 Sept. the incumbent should obtain presentation (this patrons were enjoined to grant) and episcopal collation, and renounce the covenant. Failing to comply with these conditions, Fleming was deprived by the privy council on 1 Oct. During the next ten years he remained in Scotland, preaching wherever he found opportunity. Indulgences were offered to the ejected ministers in 1669 by the king, and on 3 Sept. 1672 by the privy council. By the terms of this latter indulgence Fleming was assigned to the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, as a preacher. He disobeyed the order; when cited to the privy council on 4 Sept. he did not attend, and a warrant was issued for his apprehension. He fled to London, where his broad Scotch ‘idiotisms and accents’ somewhat ‘clouded’ his usefulness. In 1674 he was again in Scotland, at West Nisbet, Roxburghshire, where he had left his wife. She died in that year, and Fleming returned to London.
In 1677 he removed to Rotterdam, having been called to a collegiate charge in the Scots Church there. Next year he visited Scotland for the purpose of bringing over his children. While there he held conventicles in Edinburgh, and was thrown into the Tolbooth. Brought before the privy council in June 1679,
