FLEMING, Sir Thomas II (c.1572-1624), of North Stoneham, nr. Southampton, Hants.

Although specially admitted to Lincoln’s Inn during his father’s readership, Fleming declined to take up a career in the legal profession, preferring the life of a country gentleman. He was returned for Southampton at a by-election ahead of the second session of the first Stuart Parliament as replacement for his father when the latter became a judge. On 10 Feb. 1606 he was added to the committee to examine the charter of the Spanish Company, of which his father was a member. CJ, i. 265b. Later the same day he was also among those ordered to consider the subsidy bill. Ibid. 266b. Although Southampton corporation noted on 13 July 1607 that, with his colleague Sir John Jeffery*, he had been to much trouble and expense during the third session over the bill to confirm the town’s charter, and had solicited his father’s help, his efforts left no trace on the parliamentary records. Soton Assembly Bks. 1602-8 ed. J.W. Horrocks (Soton Rec. Soc. xix), 42; Soton Mayor’s Bk. ed. W.J. Connor (Soton Rec. Ser. xxi), 74; Soton City Archives, SC5/2/2, f. 112v; Soton Charters ed. E. Welch (Soton Pprs, iv), 16; CJ, i. 364b, 365b, 379a, 390a. In the fourth session Fleming’s only appointments were to two committees for private bills. CJ, i. 415b, 421b. He was re-elected for Southampton in 1614, but does not appear in the records of the Addled Parliament.

Fleming accompanied his brother on a Continental tour in 1615, and during his absence Southampton corporation, hearing rumours of a forthcoming Parliament, decided to offer a seat to Sir Thomas Lake I*. Soton Assembly Bks. 1615-16 ed. J.W. Horrocks (Soton Rec. Soc. xxv), 33. However, by the time the third Stuart Parliament was actually summoned, in 1620, Lake had been disgraced, so Fleming was re-elected without contest. He again went unnoticed in the parliamentary records. He drew up his will on 12 Aug. 1622, leaving Stoneham to his heir, Thomas, portions of £2,000 each to his two daughters, and lands in the Isle of Wight to his younger son. PROB 11/143, f. 393. He had already donated the site for a grammar school to be built at Newport in 1614, and organized subscriptions towards the cost of the building, to which he added further contributions in 1617, although the project remained unfulfilled until after his death on 19 Feb. 1624. VCH Hants, ii. 391, v. 264; C142/404/137. He was buried beside his wife in North Stoneham chapel, which he had recently repaired. Among his executors were his brother-in-law Sir John Mill*, and his cousins Sir Daniel Norton* and Sir Edward Dennys*, whom he asked to purchase the wardship of his children. He also requested the king to favour this arrangement in memory of his father, who had ‘never begged anything’. He was clearly on affectionate terms with his five brothers, one of whom was to be maintained for life at North Stoneham. PROB 11/143, f. 393. His grandson Edward was elected for Southampton in 1689.