Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming

Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming (c. 1494 – 10 September 1547), was Lord Chamberlain of Scotland to King James V, from 1524.

He was the son and heir of John Fleming, 2nd Lord Fleming, who was killed in a feud with the Tweedie of Drumelzier family in 1524.

In November 1542 he was taken prisoner by the English at the Battle of Solway Moss, but released at a ransom of 1,000 marks, paid on 1 July 1548. During the Regency of the Earl of Arran he took messages from Mary of Guise to the English ambassador Ralph Sadler.^[1] He was also happy to receive English messengers at his home at Cumbernauld Castle in 1544.^[2] He died on 10 September 1547, aged 53, being slain at the Battle of Pinkie.

Fleming's principal house was Boghall at Biggar where he founded the collegiate church in 1545. The Tweedie family had already endowed a chaplain there in 1531 as part of the resolution of the feud.^[3] His will included £50 owed to him by Mary of Guise. He wished to be buried in his new church and his father's remains to be taken there from Boghall. Cumbernauld Castle went to his eldest son, James Fleming. His wife was to have Boghall excepting its artillery. He also had illegitimate sons called John and William.^[4]

Family

Malcolm married Janet Stewart, illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland, after being granted a dispensation on 26 February 1524/5. Their children included:

• James Fleming, 4th Lord Fleming
• John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming
• Joanna Fleming, who married:
  • John Livingston, Master of Livingston, killed at the Battle of Pinkie, son of Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston
  • after 24 May 1560 John Sandilands of Calder (died May 1567)
  • before Nov 1567 David Craufurd of Kerse, and had issue by her second husband
• Janet Fleming, married Richard Brown, Younger of Hartree (died after 23 September 1536), son and heir apparent of Andrew Brown of Hartree
• Agnes Fleming (died before 18 October 1597), married before 1 October 1553, William, 6th Lord Livingston, and had issue
• Margaret Fleming (died before 15 Mar 1586/7), married:
  • Robert Graham, styled Lord Graham (died at the Battle of Pinkie 10 September 1547), 1st son and heir ap. of William [Graham], 2nd Earl of Montrose
  • after 30 Jan 1548/9 Hon Thomas Erskine, Master of Erskine, 2nd son and eventual heir ap. of John [Erskine], 5th Lord Erskine and de jure 17th Earl of Mar
  • 1 April 1557 John [Stewart], 4th Earl of Atholl, and had issue by her first and third husbands
• Mary Fleming, a Lady-in-Waiting to Mary Queen of Scots (died after 20 Jun 1573), married:
  • Sir William Maitland of Lethington, Secretary to Queen Mary I (died c. Jun 1573)
  • George Meldrum of Fyvie, and had issue by her first husband.
• Elizabeth Fleming (died after 1550), married before 24 March 1540/1 William [Crichton], 5th Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, and had issue^[5]

References

1. Strickland, Agnes, Lives, vol. 2 (1851), 39-41: Sadler State Papers, vol.1, (1809), 134-5, Sadler to Henry VIII, 9 April 1543.
2. Letters and Papers Henry VIII, vol. 19 part 1 (1903) no. 299 (3) & footnote.
3. Cameron, Jamie, James V, Tuckwell (1998), p.103.
4. Miscellany of the Spalding Club, vol. 2 (1852) 296-315, text of church foundation charter (Latin) and will.
5. http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/index1707.htm

• The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant; first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms