Fleming, Francis P. (Francis Philip), 1841-1908

Francis Philip Fleming (1841-1908), native of Florida, was a Confederate Army lieutenant, lawyer, and governor of Florida, 1889-1893.

From the guide to the Francis P. Fleming Letter, ., 13 May 1904, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)

Businessman, Colonel.

From the description of Papers, 1871-1949, bulk 1871-1895. (University of Florida). WorldCat record id: 49963153

Governor, lawyer.

Francis Philip Fleming was born in 1841 in Panama Park, Florida. In 1861, he joined the Second Florida infantry and served in the Civil War armies of Generals Magruder, Johnston, Hood, and Lee. After the war, he studied law, was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1868, and became a partner in the Jacksonville law firm, Fleming & Daniel. In 1871, Francis Fleming married Floridae Lydia Pearson. They had two sons, Francis P. Jr. and Charles Seton Fleming, and one daughter, Elizabeth.

He served as Governor of Florida from 1889-1893. After retiring from politics in 1893, Fleming continued to practice law in Jacksonville and developed a strong interest in Floridiana and local history. He worked on the Memoirs of Florida, helped to incorporate the Florida Historical Society in 1905, contributed several articles to the Society's Quarterly, and became the Society's President in 1907. Francis Philip Fleming died on December 20, 1908.

From the description of Francis P. Fleming Papers, 1863-1901. (University of Florida). WorldCat record id: 49806502

Francis Phillip Fleming was born September 28, 1861 in Panama Park, Florida to Lewis Fleming and Margaret Seton Fleming. The Flemings were a prominent Florida family in the 19th century and early 20th century, starting when George Fleming immigrated from Ireland in 1785. George Fleming established the plantation Hibernia on an island in the St. John's River. The island was later named Fleming Island. George Fleming's son, Lewis Fleming, was father to Francis P. Fleming and Charles Seton Fleming.

In 1861, Francis P. Fleming and his brother, Charles Seton, left Hibernia to join the Second Florida Infantry of the Confederate Army. Charles was killed on June 3, 1864 near Gaines Farm. After the Confederate defeat, Francis returned to Hibernia. He was admitted to the bar in 1868, and he started a law practice in Jacksonville, Florida, with his half-brother Louis I. Fleming and Col. J. J. Daniel, a former captain of the Second Florida Infantry.

Francis Fleming married Florida Lydia Pearson on May 23, 1871. They had five children: Francis P. Fleming, Jr., Charles Seton Fleming (named for Francis Fleming's brother killed during the war), Margaret, Florida L., and Elizabeth. Around 1877, Fleming began work on a memoir for his brother Charles Seton, which was published in 1884.

In 1889 Fleming was elected as the fifteenth governor of Florida. One of his first acts was to establish a State Board of Health in response to a serious outbreak of yellow fever that had spread in Jacksonville and around the state, particularly in 1888. Fleming served as governor until 1893. He spent the last years of his life practicing law and helped to reestablish the Florida Historical Society, becoming its president in 1906. He died in Jacksonville on December 20, 1908.

From the guide to the Francis P. Fleming Papers, 1863-1901, (Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida)

The Fleming family were early Northeast Florida settlers. George Fleming came to Florida, via Charleston, South Carolina, from Ireland ca. 1785 and became a large landowner after receiving a number of grants of land from the Spanish government. In 1791, he married Sophia Fatio, daughter of a St. Johns River planter, Francis Fatio. The Fleming family grew to one daughter, Mary, and two sons, Lewis and George, Jr. They resided in St. Augustine and at their St. Johns River plantation, Hibernia, on Fleming Island.

Francis Philip Fleming, son of Lewis and his second wife Margaret Seton, was born in 1841 in Panama Park, Duval County. In 1861, he joined the Second Florida infantry and served in the Civil War armies of Gens. Magruder, Johnston, Hood, and Lee. After the war, he studied law, was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1868, and became a partner in the Jacksonville law firm, Fleming & Daniel (later Fleming & Fleming)

In 1871, Francis Fleming married Florida Lydia Pearson, daughter of Bird M. Pearson, justice of the Florida Supreme Court. They had two sons, Francis P. Jr. and Charles Seton Fleming, and one daughter, Elizabeth.

With law and politics as his primary interests, Fleming became a noted civic leader in Jacksonville, with increasing activities in state politics as a member of the Democratic executive committee. In 1888, after an arduous gubernatorial campaign during the Yellow Fever epidemic, he defeated the Republican candidate V. J. Shipman. Fleming served as Governor of Florida from 1889 until 1893, the single term then allowed by law. Notable issues and developments during his gubernatorial tenure included the creation of a State Board of Health in 1889, the repeal of the Florida Railroad Commission, attempts at higher education reorganization, adjustment of state revenues, the Farmers' Alliance movement, and the 1891 re-election controversy regarding U.S. Senator Wilkinson Call.

After retiring from politics in 1893, Fleming continued to practice law in Jacksonville and developed a strong interest in Floridiana and local history. He edited a two volume work by Rowland Rerick, Memoirs of Florida, helped to incorporate the Florida Historical Society in 1905, contributed several articles to the Society's Quarterly, and became the Society's President in 1907.

After a long illness, Francis Philip Fleming died on December 20, 1908.

After their father's death, his sons, Francis P. Jr. and Charles Seton, continued the family's law practice. Charles and Elizabeth Fleming also became active in the Florida Historical Society. Charles Fleming contributed articles and served as the Society's Director and Vice-President in 1924-25.

From the guide to the Fleming Family Letters, 1879-1930, (Thomas G. Carpenter Library, University of North Florida)