Person Page 476

Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher

Birth

Parents

Titles

Working life

• On 9 March 1629 Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher, was occupied as student at University of Glasgow in Glasgow.¹
• He served in the military as was sent to King Charles I by the Scottish Army with a proposal of conditions for a pacification, which led to the treaty of Ripon in September 1640. Lanarkshire - Sir William Fleming, was, in 1640, sent by the General and Committee of the Scots' army, then lying at Newcastle, to the King at York, with the particulars of their demands ^2,3
• In August 1648 Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher, was occupied as Emissary for the Queen and the Prince of Wales to Mr Webster of Amsterdam to take delivery of 10,000 pistols and ammunition and transport them to Scotland in Amsterdam. You fhall forthwith repaire to Amfterdain, and there fliall demand and receive of Mr Webfter the armes and amunition provided for you by our order, amounting to the valew of ten thoufand piftols returned to him by us for that purpofe, and the fame you fliall with all fpeed caufe to be fliipped into fuch a velTel of warre, as fliall bee appointed by tbe Prince of Orange to convoy you and it to the frith of Leith, and there you fliall deliver the faid amies and amunition to fuch officers as Duke Hamilton, Generall of the Scotifli army, fliall appoint to take the charge thereof.⁴
• Circa 1649 Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher, was occupied as Gentleman Usher to King Charles I. Lanarkshire - He was Gentleman Usher to Charles L, and Chamberlain in the Household of his successor (Douglds Peerage)^2,3
• After 1649 Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher, was occupied as Chamberlain of the Household to King Charles II in Scotland.^2,5
• ⁶
• On 28 February 1661 Sir William Fleming, His Majesty's Gentleman Usher, was occupied as was appointed as one of the Commissioners of the Exchequer in Whitehall. •
  Scope of the commission: Oversight of Crown revenues (customs, excise, feudal casualties, compositions), auditing collectors’ accounts, judicial sitting in Exchequer causes, and authority (under warrant) to set tacks/leases and pass signatures within Exchequer competence.Why this matters for the Flemings
  •
  Direct influence over revenue law: William’s seat positioned the family close to decisions on wards, reliefs, marriages, and compositions that frequently touched Fleming vassals and neighbors.
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  Operational leverage for later charters: Access to Exchequer processes helps explain the smooth passage of 1660s confirmations and novodamus affecting the Fleming estate.
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  Political footprint: While John sat on other bodies (e.g., Privy Council in no. 41), Charter 42 shows the family’s reach extending into the fiscal arm of Restoration government via William.⁷

Property^{2,882,92,10,11}

Death

Citations

1. [S124] Cosmo Innes, Records of the University of Glasgow, vol iii, p 81
2. [S28] Sir James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage, vol viii, Fleming Earl of Wigtown pages 519 - 558
3. [S83] George Vere Irving, The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated, vol i, p 327
4. [S121] A McDonald and others, Miscellany of the Maitland Club, vol ii, p 460
5. [S21] George Crawford, The Peerage of Scotland, p 491-499, Fleming, Earl of Wigtown
6. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol xi, 1660-1668, ch 41, p 14
7. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol xi, 1660-1668, ch 42, p 14-15
8. [S58] Edinburgh, National Records of Scotland, "Online Catalogue," National Records of Scotland (https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue: accessed ), ., GD45/16/3068, 13 Apr 1661, Extract bond of corroboration by John, Earl of Wigtoun, and John, Lord Fleming, to Sir William Fleming
9. [S5] William Hunter, Biggar and the House of Fleming, p 558
10. [S104] John Stuart, Registrum de Panmure, vol i, p xlvii
11. [S58] Edinburgh, National Records of Scotland, "Online Catalogue," National Records of Scotland (https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue: accessed ), ., viewed; 15 September 2025; GD3/2/47/491, 1679, Copy of discharge by Lady Jean Fleming, Countess of Panmure