CHAPTER VII

1. MATTHEW FLEMING, SON OF MARY AND

MATTHEW FLEMING

MATTHEW FLEMING was born on the 6th of September, 1781, in Kent County, Delaware. He married Lydia Fleming, who was born on the 9th of April, 1782. She was a daughter of Nathan Fleming. They were married on the 29th of January, 1801, and lived in Monongalia County till about 1820. While they remained here he was prominent in the affairs of the Virginia Militia. On the 11th of November, 1811, he was recommended by the County Court to the executive of the state as second lieutenant in a troop of cavalry of the 118th regiment and took the oath as such on the 15th of August, 1812. He resigned this office on the 10th of June, 1816.

After he went to Ohio his home was near Frazeysburg in Muskingum County. On the 16th of October, 1820, he bought of Edward Rogers^(*) 140 acres of land for $1,000.00, 80 acres of it being military land. It was described as a part of the First Quarter of the Second Township of the Ninth Range. He died on the 20th of December, 1835; his wife, on the 22nd of October, 1866. Children: (1) Daniel; (2) Phoebe; (3) Elias Louder; (4) Beniah, born October 26, 1808, died single on the 13th of February, 1830; (5) Franklin R., born September 14, 1810, died single on the 28th of May, 1837; (6) Elihu; (7) Susannah; (8) Roannah; (9) Archibald; (10) Jane; (11) Mary Ellen; (12) Martha McClintock, born June 29, 1825, died single on the 22nd of February, 1907; and (13) Andrew, died in infancy.

1 DANIEL FLEMING was born in Monongalia County, Virginia, May 15, 1803. He was about 17 years old when he went with the family to Muskingum County, Ohio. On the 23rd of August, 1849, he married Mary Bonham, daughter of Rev. Zachariah Bonham, who was born in New Jersey and was of Scotch descent. His father was Rev. Hezekiah Bonham, a pioneer Methodist minister. Some of his children were: Robert, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Zedekiah, Mary, and Rachel. Rev. Zachariah Bonham married Sophia Johnson in Virginia. They had seven children: Amos, Robert, Johnson, Hezekiah, Isaac, Elizabeth, and Jacob. His first wife died and he married Susannah Hooper, daughter of John Hooper. They had three children: Mary, Rebecca, and Sarah Ann.

Daniel Fleming was a Republican in politics and was a stanch supporter of the Union cause during the Civil War. He was a member of

the M. E. church and was a class leader and trustee for years. He died on the 22nd day of July, 1867; his wife, on the 1st of March, 1913. Children: (1) Elizabeth; (2) Finley Matthew; and (3) Jacob Daniel.

1. Elizabeth Fleming (1-1), born August 31, 1851, died single in 1911.

Finley Matthew Fleming (1-2), born April 13, 1855, married Nellie Frazey, daughter of Guy S. Frazey, December 29, 1887, and lives at Frazeysburg, Ohio. Children: (1) Paul Daniel; (2) Kathryn; (3) Finley Jacob, died at 4; and (4) Chester Matthew.

Paul Daniel Fleming (1-2-1), born January 15, 1889, married Nina Cartnal, daughter of Jesse Cartnal, September 28, 1912, and lives at 574 Mead St., Zanesville, Ohio. In 1931 he was Auditor for Muskingum County. His only child is Paul Daniel, Jr.

Kathryn Fleming (1-2-2), born December 14, 1892, married W. H. H. Francis, son of Orlon D. Francis, March 2, 1918, lives at Zanesville, and has no children.

Chester Matthew Fleming (1-2-4), born August 20, 1904, married Bernadine Conner, daughter of Louis Conner, June 26, 1926, and lives at Zanesville.

Jacob Daniel Fleming (1-3), born July 6, 1857, married Alice E. Shipley, daughter of Gilford Shipley, November 25, 1885, and is a practicing physician at Frazeysburg. His wife died on the 7th of December, 1895. Their only child is Charles Ernest.

Charles Ernest Fleming (1-3-1), born October 2, 1887, married Catharine Winters, daughter of Cyrus Winters, December 25, 1915, lives at 409 Jackson St., Sandusky, Ohio, and has one child, Mary Catharine.

2 PHOEBE FLEMING was born on the 13th of January, 1805. She married Jacob Jones, January 3, 1828, and went to Missouri. She died on the 14th of February, 1837. Nothing is known as to her family.

3 ELIAS LOUDER FLEMING was born on the 28th of February, 1807. He married Evelyn Wells, August 6, 1831, and lived in Taylor County, Iowa. He died on the 31st of August, 1882; his wife, on the 20th of March, 1886. Children: (1) Sarah Elizabeth; (2) William Franklin; and (3) Virginia Martha.

William Franklin Fleming (3-2), born October 5, 1835, married Lydia Ann Warren, daughter of Wheeler Warren, March 27, 1860, and lived at Conway, Iowa. He died on the 10th of March, 1911; his wife, on the 19th of April, 1923. Children: (1) Herschel Ellsworth; and (2) Mary Ellen.

1. Herschel Ellsworth Fleming (3-2-1), born October 30, 1861, married Jennie H. Snyder, daughter of Joseph C. Snyder, May 16, 1883, and lives at 4017 Binney St., Omaha, Nebraska. Children: (1) Clara Belle; (2) Charles William, deceased; and (3) Mildred Lois.

6 ELIHU FLEMING was born on the 12th of June, 1812. He first married Clarissa Southard and next Emily Cordray, November 30, 1848. They lived at Mattoon, Illinois. There was one daughter of the first marriage and perhaps children of the second marriage. But nothing is known of the second set. The daughter's name was Lydia Jane.

1.

CHAPTER IX

1. NATHAN FLEMING, SON OF WILLIAM FLEMING

NATHAN FLEMING was born in Kent County, Delaware, on the 23rd of February, 1750. He married Lydia Russum, daughter of Thomas Russum, January 20, 1773. She was born on the 4th of May, 1752. The will of Thomas Russum, dated February 6, 1799, is probated in Kent County. In it he mentions his daughter Lydia Fleming, "the wife of Nathan Fleming, living in Monongahela County in the state of Virginia." A son, William Russum, is also mentioned. The father of Thomas Russum was probably Peter Russum, whose will is also recorded in Kent County.

About 1788 or 1789 Nathan Fleming came with the other Flemings to Monongalia County. The record shows that he had eight children at that time. On the 11th of October, 1790, he got a deed from Thomas Davis for 400 acres of land along the West Fork River. His deed recites that he paid two hundred pounds in cash for this farm. Later, October 15, 1798, he bought of John Rose 100 acres between the West Fork and Tygart's Valley for $100.00. On the 13th of April, 1809, he secured from Thomas Veach 21 acres adjoining his 400-acre tract, which was called his home place.

On the 11th of September, 1797, the County Court chose Nathaniel Cochran, Nathan Fleming, Spencer Martin, and Joshua Jones to view and lay out a road from opposite the mouth of Booth's Creek to the mouth of Bingamon Creek. They did so and their report was filed on the 13th of the following November. He was likewise chosen as one of the men to lay out a road from Davis's Ford on Buffalo Creek to the mouth of Bingamon Creek, September 9, 1799. The other men named to serve with him were John Straight and Thomas Barns.

On the 15th of September, 1815, he gave his son William a farm of 128 acres and his son-in-law Andrew another of 57 acres. He conveyed to Matthew Fleming 111 acres on the 9th of September, 1820, for a consideration of $600.00. The balance of his land was mentioned in his will. But, after the will was made, he executed deeds for the land to the sons to whom he had devised it by the will. Joseph and Archibald got the remainder of the home farm and Thomas the place across the West Fork River, called the Rose land.

COPY OF THE WILL OF NATHAN FLEMING

Be it remembered that I, Nathan Fleming, being weak in body but of perfect and sound mind and memory, calling to mind the uncertainty of human life, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say:

1st. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Lydia Fleming the one-third of the place which I now live on together with all my household and kitchen furniture, four milk cows and all my

sheep and hogs, four negroes named Sabra, Jesse, Alsa, and Betsy, and one mulatto named Amos, to have and to hold and dispose of as she shall deem it necessary so long as she shall live and after her death to be disposed of in the following manner, that is to say: Archibald Fleming, my son, to get her thirds of the lands and the balance distributed in the following manner, that is to say: To my daughter Rachel Hart fifty dollars in property at the appraisement; to my daughter Elizabeth Hays fifty dollars over and above all her claims that the estate holds against her at appraisement; to my daughter Lydia Fleming one dollar at appraisement; to Nathan Fleming one hundred dollars at appraisement; to Thomas Fleming, my son, fifty dollars over and above what he is indebted to the estate to be paid as above.

1. 2nd. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Fleming above what she has had one negro girl named Irneah.

3rd. I give and bequeath to my son William Fleming one dollar.

4th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Hays one dollar.

5th. I give to my daughter Jane Fleming one negro girl Harriet.

6th. I give to my daughter Lydia Fleming one dollar.

7th. I give and bequeath to my son Nathan Fleming one dollar.

8th. I give to my son Leven Fleming one negro girl named Casander.

9th. I give to my son Thomas Fleming one hundred acres of land lying in the forks of the river, the place he now lives on.

10th. I give to my son Joseph Fleming as much of my land adjoining his home place as shall make it equal in value to my home place, also one negro boy named Caleb, together with one half of my horse creatures, also one-half of my farming utensils, also one half of my wagon and smith tools, together with onehalf of my sugar camp with fuel.

11th. I give to my son Archibald Fleming the balance of my home place, also one negro boy named Phill and one-half of my horse creatures, half of my wagon, half of my smith tools, and half of my farming utensils, the balance of my cattle to be equally divided between Joseph and Archibald.

12th. I give to my grandson Beniah Fleming one negro boy named Ambrose, also one horse, saddle, and bridle, worth seventy-five dollars, if he lives until he becomes twenty-one, and if not to remain the executors' property.

13th. Be it remembered that if any of my heirs shall hereafter employ an attorney to cancel or law with what is herein written as my last will and testament (he) shall (not) be considered as an heir and shall totally loose his dowery.

Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint my sons Joseph and Archibald Fleming executor of my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills formerly made by me.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.

NATHAN FLEMING (SEAL)

Witness: Peter Miller, Ferrell Dunn, Samuel Fleming, and John
W. Lilly.

Nathan Fleming died on the 9th day of March, 1825; his wife, on the 15th of September, 1834. Both are buried in the cemetery at the Fleming

Memorial Chapel. The inscriptions state that Nathan was aged 75 years and 11 days and Lydia 82 years, 4 months, and 11 days. If this is correct as to Nathan, the date of his birth as given above is incorrect by a few days.

1. They had twelve children:

MARY, born December 20, 1773;

WILLIAM, born April 4, 1775;

ELIZABETH, born November 8, 1776;

JANE, born September 24, 1778;

RACHEL, born September 17, 1780;

LYDIA, born April 9, 1782;

NATHAN, born January 23, 1784;

LEVEN, born May 28, 1786;

THOMAS, born March 13, 1789;

BENAIAH, born March 23, 1791;

JOSEPH, born November 4, 1792;

ARCHIBALD, born January 3, 1795.

Three of these, Mary, Jane, and Lydia, have been mentioned in the chapters dealing with the family of Mary and Matthew Fleming. One other, Benaiah, will have to be noticed here briefly. He broke through the ice on the West Fork River in the year 1813 and was drowned. The others will appear in the following chapters.

CHAPTER X

1. WILLIAM FLEMING, SON OF NATHAN FLEMING

WILLIAM FLEMING was born in Kent County, Delaware, on the 4th of April, 1775. He married Ann Fleming, sometimes called Nancy, a daughter of Matthew and Mary Fleming, January 4, 1798. She was born on the 23rd of October, 1775. Their home was on a farm along the West Fork River between Fairmont and Clarksburg. He owned several tracts of land in that region. On the 15th on September, 1815, his father conveyed to him 128 acres of the home farm. Three years later he bought of John Bates and others 465 acres on Buffalo Creek. In 1825 he got the 111 acres that Nathan Fleming conveyed to Matthew Fleming in 1820.

On September 12, 1835, he gave to his sons, Isaac and Josiah, each a farm of 103 acres. He conveyed 87 acres to his brother-in-law, Henry Hayes, in 1826. His son Benjamin got 83 acres in 1835 and another son, Solomon, got 48 acres in the same year.

William Fleming died on the 1st of March, 1855; his wife, on the 25th of March, 1835. Children: (1) Andrew; (2) Lydia; (3) Isaac; (4) Amelia; (5) Josiah William; (6) Benjamin Franklin; (7) Solomon Stevenson; and (8) Mary Ann.

1 ANDREW FLEMING was born on the 22nd of October, 1798. He probably died young. The members of the family now living can give no account of him.

8 ELIZABETH BAILEY HART was born in the year 1823. She married Henry Hays, a son of William Hays, and lived in Pittsburgh. He died in 1890. She lived till 1905. Her will was dated on the 20th of December, 1905, and was probated on the 15th of June, 1906. Besides making liberal provisions for many of her relatives she made charitable bequests as follows: To the South Side Hospital $2,000.00; to the Western Pennsylvania Hospital Medical and Surgical Department $1,000.00; to the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church $2,000.00; to the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church $2,000.00; to the Presbyterian Board of Relief for disabled ministers and the widows and orphans of deceased ministers $2,000.00; to the Home for Aged Colored Women on Kirkpatrick Street $3,000.00; to the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Fairmont $2,000.00 in trust, the income to be applied toward maintaining the Fleming Memorial Chapel; to the Relief Fund for disabled firemen $500.00; to the Boys' Industrial Home of Western Pennsylvania $1,000.00; and to the Home of the Friendless on Washington Street $200.00.

1. This is the Elizabeth Hays that built the Fleming Memorial Chapel at Fairmont on land that was originally owned by Nathan Fleming. The land surrounding it is yet owned by his descendants. Here in a little cemetery by the side of this church lie the remains of many members of the Fleming family.