Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/138

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FLEMING, Aretas Brooks, governor of West Virginia, was born iu Faii'mont, Harrison county, Va., Oct. 15, 1«39 ; son of Benjamin F. and Rlioila (Brooks) Fleming; grandson of Capt. William Fleming, and of the Rev. Asa Brooks, a Presby- terian minister, who removed to Virginia from New England; great- grandson of Nathan Fleming, and of Asa and Polly (Sumner) Brooks, and great- grandson of William Fleming, who emi- grated from the north of Ireland to Delaware prior to the Revolution; and also of Jesse Sumner of New England, who died of wounds re- ceived while serving in the Revolutionary army. Aretas studied law in the University of Virginia, lS.")9-6, and was admitted to the bar in 18G3. He was prosecuting attorney of Slarion county, W.Va., 1863-66; a member of the liouse of delegates, 1871-7."); judge of the second judi- cial circuit court, 1878-88, and governor of West Virginia, 1889-93. He was married to Carrie M., daughter of James O. Watson of West Virginia. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from West Virginia university in 1891.

FLEMING, Francis Philip, governor of Flor- ida, was born at Panama, Duval coimt}', Fla., Sept. 28, 1841 ; son of Col. Lewis and Margaret (Seton) Fleming: grandson of George Fleming, a native of Ireland, who settled in Florida about 1783, and of Charles and Matilda (Sibbald) Seton; and great-grandson of Andrevi- and Margaret Seton of New York. He was educated by private tutors. At the beginning of the civil war he en- listed in Capt. John W. Starke's company of Florida volunteers, which was soon after incor- porated into the 3d Florida regiment, and in July, 1861, left for the battle-fields of Virginia. In August, 1863, he was promoted 1st lieutenant in the 1st Florida cavalry in the army of Tennes- see, and served until, the end of the war. He was admitted to the bar in 1868 and practised in Jacksonville. He was married May 23, 1871, to Floride Lydia Pearson. In 1888 he was elected governor of Florida, and one of his first acts was to establish a state board of health. He was suc- ceeded in 1893 by Henry L. Mitchell, and re- turned to the practice of his profession.

FLEMING, William, delegate, was born in Virginia in 1784. He was graduated at William and Mary college in 1763; represented his bor-

ough in the house of burgesses, and as a delegate to the Virginia conventions of 1775-76; was a member of the committee on independence, 1776; judge of the general court; presiding judge of the court of appeals, and a delegate to the Conti- nental congress, 1779-81. He died Feb. 3. 1834.

FLEMING, William Henry, representative, was born at Augusta, Ga., Oct. 18, 1856 ; son of Porter and Catharine B. (Moragne) Fleming. His mother's grandfather was Pierre Moragne, a French Huguenot, who emigrated to Charleston, S.C., before the Revolution, settled in New Bor- deaux, S. C., and with _ his three sons was a I^artisau soldier under General Pickens in the war of the Revo- lution. William was brought up on his father's plantation near Augusta where he worked on the place and attended the neighboring school. He was pre pared for collf_i ,it the Suinmer\ ilb iml Richmond acidcinu s in his native place and won a scliol- arship to the State college of agriculture and mechanical arts, Athens, Ga. He was college postmaster and was helped to complete his college course by a loan of money from Alexander H. Stephens. He \\as graduated C.E. from the University of Georgia, in 1875, and subsequently obtained the degree of A.M. He was an undergraduate tutor in the University, and was sujieriatendent of the public schools of Augusta and Richmond county, Ga., 1877-80. In 1880 he was admitted to the bar, establislied himself in practice in Augusta, Ga., and in 1894-95 served as jiresident of the bar association of Georgia. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1888-96, and speaker of the house, 1894 and 1895. He was a Democratic representative from the 10th district of Georgia, in the 55th-57th congresses, 1897-1903, and was a member of the postal service investigating committee.

FLEMING, Williamina Paton, astronomer, was born in Dundee, Scotland, Slay 15, 1857; daughter of Robert and Mary (Walker) .Stevens, and granddaughter of Richard and Mary (An- derson) Stevens, and of John and Mary (Smith) Walker. She was educated in private and public schools of Dundee. She was a pupil teacher in the i^viblic schools of Dundee and Broughty Ferry in preparation for entrance to the Normal school

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