Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/270

This page needs to be proofread.

^36


VIRGINIA BlOCiRAPliV


there. An active friend of the revolution, he was a member of the Maryland conven- tion of August, 1776, and was afterwards of the council of state. During the revolu- tion his house. "Rousby Hall." was burnt by the British, lie married (first) March 2H, 1744. Martha, daughter of Richard Lee, widow of George Turberville. He married (second) .\nne. daughter of Peregrin Fris- fv. of Cecil county, Maryland.

Fleming, John, Jr., son of Colonel John Fleming, w^as a lawyer, and represented Cumberland county in the house of bur- gesses in the assemblies of 1755, 1 756-1758. 1759-1761. 1 761 -1765 and 1 765- 1 768. The "Virginia Gazette" recorded the death of this "eminent practitioner of the law." Jan- uary 21. 1767. He left a son John.

Fleming, John, was son of Charles h'lem- iiig and .Susannah Tarleton, his wife. He was colonel commanding the militia of Goochland, and burgess for Goochland in 1732. He married Mary Boiling, and his vvill recorded in Cumberland, December 27, 1756, names sons John, Charles, Thomas. Richard and William, and daughters Mary, married William Bernard, and Caroline. His sons Charles and Thomas were promi- nent officers in the American revolution and his son William was judge of the superior court of Virginia.

Fleming, Robert, was a burgess from Caroline county in the session of August 5, 1736. In the session of November i. 1738, John Martin represented Caroline county in place of Robert Fleming, deceased.

Fletcher, George, brother of James Flet- cher, gentleman, of Eltham, Kent, England. In 1647, George Fletcher is called of Lon-


don, merchant. He %vas burgess in 1652 for Northumberland county, Virginia, and lieutenant-colonel of the militia.

Fleet, Henry, was son of W'illiam Fleet, gentleman, of Chartham in Kent, England, b}- his wife Deborah Scott, daughter of C harles Scott, of Egerton, Kent, and Jane Wyatt, his wife. He had three brothers Edward, Reynold and John, who were mem- bers of the Maryland legislature. Henry I'leet, born probably 1 595-1600 came to Vir- ginia about 1623, and was one of the expedi- tion of twenty-six men, who under Henry Spelman went to trade with the Anacostan Ir.dians and other Indian bands between I'otomac Creek and the falls of the Poto- mac. Spelman was killed; I-'lcet was taken l)risoner, and remained with the Indians about four years, during which time he acquired a familiar knowledge of the Indian language. He was ransomed in 1627, and went to England and became a j^artner and agent for several London merchants in the Indian trade. He was an interpreter, trader and legislator in Maryland. He acted as guide to Leonard Calvert and his settlers to St. Mary's in 1634. After the civil war began in England, Fleet identified himself with the \'irginia colon}, and settled at Fleet's Bay, Northumberland county. He traded wnth the Indians, and in 1646 w^as authorized to build a fort on the Rappahan- nock river. In December, 1652, he was bur- gess for Lancaster county. About this time he and William Claiborne were authorized to hunt out new places for Indian trade. In 1654 he was made interpreter of the expedi- tion then planned against the Indians. He was a justice of Lancaster county in 1656 and lieutenant-colonel of the inilitia. He