Thomas Fleming (judge)

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Sir Thomas Fleming (April, 1544 - August 7, 1613), English judge, was born at Newport, Isle of Wight, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1574.

He represented Winchester in parliament from 1584 to 1601, when he was returned for Southampton. In 1594 he was appointed recorder of London, and in 1595 was chosen solicitor-general in preference to Francis Bacon. This office he retained under James I and was knighted in 1603. In 1604 he was created chief baron of the exchequer and presided over many important state trials.

In 1607 he was promoted to the chief justiceship of the king's bench, and was one of the judges at the trial of the post nati in 1608, siding with the majority of the judges in declaring that persons born in Scotland after the accession of James I were entitled to the privileges of natural-born subjects in England.

He purchased the North Stoneham estate from Henry Wriothesley, a young Earl of Southampton who inherited the title and estate at the age of eight.^[1]

He was praised by his contemporaries, more particularly Coke, for his great judgments, integrity and discretion. He died on 7 August 1613 at his seat, Stoneham Park, Hampshire. His descendants were still in possession of the estate in 1908.^[1] The Fleming Arms public house, and Fleming Road, both in Swaythling, are named after the family.

See Edward Foss, Lives of the Judges.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

[edit] External links

• The Willis Fleming Historical Trust

Legal offices
Preceded by Sir William Peryam	Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1604–1607	Succeeded by Sir Lawrence Tanfield
Preceded by Sir John Popham|	Lord Chief Justice 1607–1613	Succeeded by Sir Edward Coke