FlemingClans.com - Person Page 412

John Fleming, of Carwood

b. circa 1555, d. before 26 December 1642

Birth

John Fleming, of Carwood, was born circa 1555.

Parents

Father	John Fleming, of Persellands and Carwood (b. circa 1520, d. 22 August 1592)
Mother	Janet Carwood, co-heiress of Carwood with Margaret her sister, Queen Mary's favourite

Working life

In July 1629 John Fleming, of Carwood, was occupied as was appointed by the Privy Council as a Commissioner to ascertain the value of the stock and teinds in Orkney and Shetland in Orkney and Shetland.¹
On 26 March 1630 John Fleming, of Carwood, was occupied as succeeded James Stratoun in administering the functions of the clerk of the royal seal in Holyrood House. Did Fleming succeed Stratoun in the office of clerk of the royal seal?
Excellent question, Jim—and one that touches on the subtle mechanics of office succession in early 17th-century Scottish administration.
From the charter you cited, we know that James Stratoun, a scribe of the royal signet, appreciated lands in 1622 and assigned his rights to John Fleming of Carwood. This legal assignment suggests Fleming was actively acquiring or consolidating rights tied to the signet office, but it does not confirm that he formally succeeded Stratoun in the office of clerk of the royal seal.
Here's what we can infer:🧾 Evidence from the Charter
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Stratoun’s Role: He acted as scribe signeto regio—a clerk of the royal signet—not necessarily the clerk of the Great Seal.
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Fleming’s Role: He appears as assignee of Stratoun’s appreciated rights, and elsewhere as a scribe of the signet himself (e.g., in the Crugiltoun charter of 1632).🧩 Interpretation
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Succession by Assignment: Fleming may have succeeded Stratoun in function, especially if Stratoun retired or transferred his duties. But this was likely not a formal succession in the sense of inheriting a titled office.
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Clerk of the Royal Seal vs. Signet Scribe: These were distinct roles. The Clerk of the Royal Seal was a higher-ranking official tied to the chancery and the Great Seal, while signet scribes operated under the Privy Seal and dealt with more routine legal instruments.🧭 Conclusion
Fleming likely did not formally succeed Stratoun as Clerk of the Royal Seal, but he may have taken over Stratoun’s operational duties or legal assignments within the signet office. The transfer of appreciated rights and Fleming’s recurring presence in signet-related charters suggest a practical succession, if not a titular one.

Fleming may have acquired a lot of land but then struggled to meet the annual payments and gone broke???²

Property

John Fleming, of Carwood, possessed in 1605 in Spittal.³ He possessed acquired for 1945 merks 4s 5d plus 97 merks 3s 4d Sheriff's fee an interest in Naristoun formerly and later owned by William Hamilton of Dalserf in 1622 in Naristoun.⁴ He possessed purchased the Isle of Athey in Orkney from John Dalgleish and had a royal charter for them on 22 February 1627 in Isle of Athey, Orkney.^5,6 He possessed was in dispute before the Privy Council with John Dalgleish of Edinburgh in relation to the ownership of several houses in Edinburgh in January 1630.⁵ He possessed assigned his rights to Naristoun back to William Hamilton of Dalserf on 8 March 1630 in Naristoun.⁴ He possessed had a royal chater in the lands and barony of Mochrum on 13 March 1630 in Mochrum.⁷ He possessed resigned the Isle of Athey for regrant to John Earl of Carrick before 14 January 1632 in Isle of Athey, Orkney.⁸ He possessed was pursued by creditors who also pursued his several cautioners (guarantors) in April 1632.^9,10,11 He possessed resigned ownership of Mochrum in favour of Francis Hay, scribe of the royal signet on 2 April 1632 in Mochrum.^12,13 He possessed resigned ownership of Crugilton Castell in favour of Francis Hay of Balhoussie scribe signet on 10 November 1632 in Crugilton Castell.¹⁴¹⁵ He possessed his former lands of Crugilton Castel was granted to Patrick Agnew of Barvennan on 26 December 1642 in Crugilton Castell.¹⁶ He possessed his former lands of Mochrum was granted to John Dunbar of Mochrum on 26 December 1642 in Mochrum.¹⁷¹⁸

Death

John Fleming, of Carwood, died before 26 December 1642.^16,17

Citations

[S148] editor P Hume Brown, "Commission into teinds on Orkney and Shetland: Jul 1629," The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, second series, vol iii, 1629-1630 (1877), online image (https://archive.org/details/registerprivyco05coungoog/page/n42/mode/2up : viewed 11 Aug 2025), p 70-74.
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 1549, p 518
[S83] George Vere Irving, The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated, vol i, p 331
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol ix, 1634-1651, ch 425, p 163
[S148] editor P Hume Brown, "Complaint by John Dalgleish: Jan 1630," The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, second series, vol iii, 1629-1630 (1877), online image (https://archive.org/details/registerprivyco05coungoog/page/n42/mode/2up : viewed 11 Aug 2025), p 289.
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 1035, p 366
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 1162, p 405
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 1894, p 643
[S148] editor P Hume Brown, "Supplication for protection by Patrick Fleming in Carbraine and others: Apr 1632," The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, second series, vol iv, 1630-1632 (1877), online image (https://archive.org/details/registerprivyco06coungoog/page/474/mode/2up : viewed 11 Aug 2025), p 474.
[S148] editor P Hume Brown, "Supplication for the protection of Patrick Fleming of Carbrain: 25 Jul 1631," The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, second series, vol v, 1633-35 (1877), online image (https://archive.org/details/registerprivyco07coungoog/page/58/mode/2up : viewed 11 Aug 2025), p 265-266 and 403.
[S148] editor P Hume Brown, "Supplication for the protection of Patrick Fleming of Carbrain: 25 Jul 1631," The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, second series, vol v, 1633-35 (1877), online image (https://archive.org/details/registerprivyco07coungoog/page/58/mode/2up : viewed 11 Aug 2025), p 378.
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 1958, p 667
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 2156, p 730-731
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol viii, 1620-1633, ch 2088, p 709
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol ix, 1634-1651, ch 22, p 9-10
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol ix, 1634-1651, ch 1276, p 480
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol ix, 1634-1651, ch 1277, p 480-481
[S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol ix, 1634-1651, ch 1713, p 644-647

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Last Edited

9 September 2025