Simon Fleming, 1st Baron Slane
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Simon Fleming (died 1370) is the first
Baron Slane Baron Slane was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1370 for the Fleming family but forfeited in 1691. Origins The Flemings of Slane descend from Erchenbald, otherwise referred to as "Archembald le Fleming", of Bratton Fle ...
whose holding of the title can be conclusively established. Fleming was a descendant of Archembald le Fleming of
Bratton Fleming Bratton Fleming is a large village, civil parish and former manor in Devon, England, about north-east of Barnstaple and near the western edge of Exmoor. The parish includes the hamlets of Knightacott and Stowford. The population of the parish ...
,
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
, who was alive in 1087. Archembald's grandson, Archembald fitz Stephen le Fleming, came to Ireland with King
Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...
in 1171 and participated in
Hugh de Lacy Hugh de Lacy or Hugh Lacy may refer to: *Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Lassy (c. 1020–1085), first recorded member of the Norman noble family de Lacy *Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath (died 1186), 4th Baron Lacy *Hugh de Lacy, Abbot of Shrewsbury (died c. 121 ...
's plantation of the
Kingdom of Mide Meath ( ; ; ) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island. At its greatest extent, it included all of County Meath (which takes its name from the k ...
. He was a great-great-grandfather of Simon. Simon was the son of Sir Baldwin Fleming, and Maud de Geneville, daughter of Simon de Geneville of Culmullin and Joan Fitz Leones. Simon de Geneville was a younger son of
Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville (c. 1226 – 21 October 1314) also known as Geoffrey de Joinville and Geoffroi de Joinville, was an Anglo-French noble, supporter of Henry III, who appointed him Baron of Trim, County Meath, and, subse ...
,
Justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monar ...
. Simon was a member of the Irish Parliament of 1370. He became the lord of Slane in 1335 on the death of his father. In 1346 he served as Commissioner of the Peace in
County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
. In 1352 Slane was declared
forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...
to the Crown, but Simon recovered it three years later. He had been
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
ed before 1365. He was in close attendance on
Lionel of Antwerp Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, (; 29 November 133817 October 1368), was an English prince, Earl of Ulster ''jure uxoris'' from 1347, Duke of Clarence from 1362, Guardian of England in 1345–46, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1361–66, Kn ...
, younger son of King
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
, the
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...
, during his years in Ireland. He spent much of his time in England, and acquired extensive lands in Devon and
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
(he was related by marriage to a number of prominent families in those counties, notably the Bassets and Champernownes). In 1363–64 he was a prominent member of the "reform party", which campaigned against the widespread
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
and maladministration of the Irish Government: he was part of a powerful delegation sent by the
Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...
to England to outline their grievances, and King Edward III appointed him to a royal commission to consider what reforms to government were necessary. The reform party had some success: in particular, they secured the removal from office, for a time, of Thomas de Burley, the notoriously corrupt
Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...
. Simon married Cecily Champernowne, daughter of Sir Thomas Champernowne, of
Modbury Modbury is a large village, ecclesiastical parish, civil parish and former manor in the South Hams district of the county of Devon in England. Today due to its large size it is generally referred to as a "town" although the parish council has ...
, Devon and his wife Eleanor de Rohart. The Champernownes were a distinguished and long-established Devonshire family: notable later members included
Kat Ashley Katherine Ashley (née Champernowne; – 18 July 1565), also known as Kat Ashley or Astley, was the first close friend, governess, and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Sh ...
, née Champernowne, the much-loved governess of Queen
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
, and Sir
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
, whose mother was a Champernowne. Simon was succeeded by his son,
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
( 1358 – c. 1434/1435), who with his own son Christopher cut a rather villainous path in the 1390s. He also had at least two daughters, Matilda, who married Luke Cusack, and Margaret, who married Sir William Basset of
Tehidy Tehidy Country Park is a country park in Illogan in Cornwall, England which incorporates of the parkland and estate around Tehidy House, a former manor house of the Tehidy manor. The park's facilities include an events field, barbecue hire ...
, Cornwall.


External links

*
The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 102, Part 1
'


Sources

* G. E. C., ed. Geoffrey F. White. ''The Complete Peerage''. (London: St. Catherine Press, 1953) Vol. XII, Part 1, p. 3–4. *Smith, Brendan ''Crisis and Survival in Late Medieval Ireland- the English of Louth and their Neighbours 1330-1450'' (
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2013) *Fleming, F. Lawrence,
A Genealogical History of the Barons Slane
' (Rothersthorpe: Paragon Press, 2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Slane, Simon Fleming, 1st Baron 1370 deaths Nobility from County Meath 14th-century Irish nobility Year of birth unknown Barons in the Peerage of Ireland