Robert Alexander Fleming (1785 - 1867)

Born 30 Jan 1785 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Polly (Watson) Fleming — married 22 Dec 1808 in Warren County Georgia

Descendants

Died 1867 at about age 81 in Harris, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Robert Alexander Fleming 1785-1867 NC functioned in every way as a member of the Fleming family according to historical records. However, yDNA studies of living descendants through two different sons tell a different story. Instead, his male descendants matched to some Waggener surname descendants. Therefore it must be assumed that he was adopted into the Fleming family, though fathered by a non-Fleming male.

Robert Alexander Fleming, (a minor) is found in the 1805 Columbia, GA property tax list having his property taxes paid by his guardian, James Fleming 1760-1840 MD, on land owned by John Fleming 1776-1840 NC, Sweetwater Creek 1000 acres. yDNA genetic studies show that descendants of James and John are a 100% match to each other and matches to a group of Fleming families of MD/DE who came to America in the 1600-1700s. Robert Alexander Fleming's male descendants did not match those of James and John, or any other Fleming line. His descendants, two men who descended through two different sons of Robert Alexander Fleming, matched each other but no known Fleming lines. They did match to some degree several Waggener lines. We must conclude that Robert Alexander Fleming was adopted into the Fleming family. James Fleming functioned as his guardian until later years when he lived as an older man in the household of Robert Alexander Fleming in Warren, GA 1818-1820. At that time Robert paid James's property taxes. James is found in his biological son's, John Fleming, household in 1830 AL and 1840 MS.Robert Alexander Fleming stayed behind in GA after marrying into the wealthy Watson family.

The following are quotes from a Georgia genealogist, Amanda Cook, on this important fact pattern: "In 1805 John Fleming split the cost of the taxes on the land with James Fleming, each man paying the tax on 500 acres. On 22 November 1805 John Fleming sold 20 acres of this tract to Josiah Magee, leaving him with 9, 980 acres. Again in 1806 John Fleming split the tax burden for his Sweetwater Creek land with James Fleming, but this time James Fleming paid the tax on the land as the guardian for Robert Alexander Fleming. Robert Alexander Fleming did not appear on the 1806 tax digest under his own name, nor did James Fleming pay an extra poll tax, which indicates that at the time of the 1806 tax digest Robert Alexander Fleming was under 21. This places the birth of Robert Alexander Fleming after 1785. There is no way to know the intent of a person 200 years after the fact, but the records seem to show an intent by John Fleming to sell half of his land to Robert Alexander Fleming as soon as Robert was of age. James Fleming paid the tax on the land while Robert was underage, but on 23 January 1807 John Fleming officially sold 559 acres of land on Sweetwater Creek to Robert Alexander Fleming for $762. James Fleming witnessed the transaction along with neighbor Alexander Campbell. In May of 1807 John Fleming’s 500 acres of land on Sweetwater Creek was advertised for sale for taxes due. However, the sale must not have been finalized because the 1808 tax digest showed John Fleming and Robert Alexander Fleming on the tax digest with all of their land intact. That year James Fleming appeared paying only a poll tax." Early GA land tax records

Robert was born on 30 January 1785 in North Carolina, USA. He was the son of James Fleming and Virlinder (Unknown) Fleming.^[1] In 1818 Robert (age about 32) was living in Williams District, Warren County, NC.^[2] In the 1820 census Robert (age 35) was living in Capt Williams District, Warren, Georgia, United States.^[3] In the 1830 census Robert (age 45) was living in District 9, Columbia, Georgia, USA.^[4] In the 1840 census Robert (age 55) was living in Hueys District, Harris, Georgia, USA.^[5] In the 1850 census Robert (age 65) was living in Goodmans, Harris, Georgia, USA.^[6] In the 1860 census Robert (age 75) was living in Georgia Militia District 703, Harris, Georgia, USA. Residence Post Office: Goodmans.^[7]

Robert died at the age of about 81 in 1867 in Hamilton, Harris, Georgia, USA.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc,
   Source number: 2220.024; Source type: Family group sheet, FGSE, listed as parents; Number of Pages: 1.
2. ↑ Residence: North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890.
3. ↑ 1820 Census: 1820 United States Federal Census,
   1820 U S Census; Census Place: Capt Williams District, Warren, Georgia; Page: 292; NARA Roll: M33_7; Image: 274.
4. ↑ 1830 Census: 1830 United States Federal Census,
   1830; Census Place: District 9, Columbia, Georgia; Series: M19; Roll: 16; Family History Library Film: 0007036.
5. ↑ 1840 Census: 1840 United States Federal Census,
   Year: 1840; Census Place: Hueys District, Harris, Georgia; Roll: 43; Page: 242; Family History Library Film: 0007044.
6. ↑ 1850 Census: 1850 United States Federal Census,
   Year: 1850; Census Place: Goodmans, Harris, Georgia; Roll: M432_73; Page: 85B; Image: 73.
7. ↑ 1860 Census: 1860 United States Federal Census,
   Year: 1860; Census Place: Georgia Militia District 703, Harris, Georgia; Roll: M653_126; Page: 653; Family History Library Film: 803126.
8. ↑ Death: Alabama, Surname Files Expanded, 1702–1981,
   Alabama Department of Archives and History; Montgomery, AL; Alabama Surname Files; Box or Film Number: M84-4558.

See also:

• Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree Ancestry Profile
• 1818 Twiggs County, Georgia tax list: Captain Robert Belcher's District Number 25 and Nos. 24 and 28 is found James Fleming 1760, John Fleming 1776, and Robert Fleming 1801 or Robert A Fleming 1785. Captain Bullocks' District portions of Nos. 27 and 28 we find Thomas Willis 1786 and Andrew Seal 1786 https://georgiagenealogy.org/twiggs2/1818tax.html
• Ancestry records for Robert Alexander Fleming
• Also go to "gallery" section of James Fleming 1760-1840 MD Ancestry.com to read research on the Sweetwater Creek land connection of James Fleming 1760-1840 MD, John Fleming 1776-1840 NC and Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC. And see the 1818-1820 Warren, GA connection between Robert Alexander Fleming and James Fleming 1760-1840 MD
• A researcher descendant has posted a lot of work on the internet on Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC and collateral lines. Follow these links: http://www.flemingmultimedia.com/Genealogy/flemingdesc.html and
• http://www.flemingmultimedia.com/Genealogy/FlemingNotes.html
• Child Marriage: Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978 Ancesrty.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
• Unclassified: Georgia, Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892, Militia District Number: 703.
• Unclassified: Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944 Hunting For Bears, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc.
• Unclassified: Georgia, Compiled Marriages, 1754-1850.

DNA Confirmation Statement

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. Norwood Fleming, Relative Genetics kit #108779, and his 3rd cousin once removed, Mercer Fleming, Relative Genetics kit #105853, match at a Genetic Distance of 1 on 43 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC. TMRCA calculation indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor approximately 95% within the last 11.4 generations

DNA

• Mercer Fleming was recruited into the (now closed) Relative Genetics yDNA patrilineal study by me, John Calvin Fleming, Jr., because of his oldest known patrilineal ancestor's, Robert Alexander Fleming's 1785 NC close historical connection to my oldest patrilineal ancestor, James Fleming 1760 MD, who served as his guardian in Columbia County GA in 1806 for Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC and paid his taxes on half of Sweetwater Creek land, owned then by John Fleming 1776 NC. Note that descendants of James Fleming 1760 MD and John Fleming 1776 NC are yDNA 43/43 marker matches. However, Mercer Fleming did not match to descendants of James Fleming 1760 MD and John Fleming 1776 NC
• yDNA for Mercer Fleming showed the haplogroup of R1b (now R-M269). He matched to another recruited descendant (through a different son) of Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC 42/43, Norwood Fleming. However, there was no match for any known Fleming line. There was a 41/43 match to a Waggener man and a 39/43 match to a Waggoner man tested as well. It is believed that Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC was fathered by a Waggener male and adopted into the same Fleming family as James Fleming 1760 MD and John Fleming 1776 NC