John Fleming (abt. 1776 - abt. 1840)

Born about 1776 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Son of James Fleming and Alice Unknown [uncertain]

Husband of Mary Polly (Flynn) Fleming — married 1810 in Georgia [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1840 at about age 64 in Monroe, Alabama, United States

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Biography

John Fleming 1776-1840 NC has been often called Col. John Fleming and most internet files indicate that his first wife was at least partially a native American and he was born in SC. However, no documentation of the native American or SC connection can be found. It appears most of this information is derived from the book, "John Fleming: Carolina to California, some descendants and in-laws,1734-1972" written in 1972 by Lee Fleming Reese. She connected John Fleming 1776 NC to the John Fleming SC family in her book. However, extensive research has not revealed any documented connection. There were a number of errors found in the book. Considering it was written prior to the internet age added to the paucity of early Georgia federal census records, it is easy to see how this mistake was made. Also, researchers for the John Fleming SC family did not include John Fleming 1776 NC as part of their tree. The only documentation of birth state for John Fleming 1776 NC is found in the 1880 census record of his son, Littleberry Fleming, which clearly shows his father, John Fleming 1776, was born in North Carolina and his mother in Georgia.

James and John were brothers confirmed with historical data and yDNA

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 requiring subscription and login to Ancestry.com

Subsequent research, performed after the 43/43 yDNA match finding of John Calvin Fleming, Jr. to Phillip Leroy Fleming, determined that John Fleming 1776 NC appeared to be a close male relative of James Fleming 1760 MD. In the land tax records of Columbia County GA of 1806, John Fleming 1776 NC bought 1000 acres known as Sweetwater Creek. John Fleming 1776 NC paid half of the taxes and James Fleming 1760 MD paid the other half on behalf of himself and a minor, Robert Alexander Fleming 1785 NC.

Fleming

This Fleming line goes back to Maryland in the mid 1700s by historical record. However, there is strong yDNA evidence that he is a direct male Fleming descendant of John Fleming 1671, an immigrant to next door Delaware from SCT/IRE. See this extensive historical research on the immigrant family: https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/7/7c/Fleming-6514.pdf. By 1799 (and perhaps before) this Fleming's historically known Fleming male ancestors moved to the Columbia/Jones/Twiggs county, Georgia area, perhaps stopping off some place in North Carolina on the way.

Sources

• See image of 1805 Columbia Georgia tax roll including John Fleming 1776.
• See image of 1806 Columbia Georgia tax roll for John Fleming 1776 and his brother James Fleming 1760.
• 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
• 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1830; Census Place: Henry, Alabama; Series: M19; Roll: 2; Page: 319; Family History Library Film: 0002329
  Ancestry Sharing Link (free access)
  Ancestry Record 8058 #1826293 (subscription required, accessed 13 July 2023)
  John Fleming in Henry, Alabama.

Detailed information along with historical documents can be found at Ancestry records for John Fleming 1776.

The majority of current online records on John Fleming 1776 NC and his family are repeated copies of erroneous information based on the book: "John Fleming: Carolina to California, some descendants and in-laws, 1734-1972" by Lee Fleming Reese what was printed in 1972, long before the internet era and genealogical DNA era. Genealogical records at that time were not easily available without extensive time, travel and expense. Furthermore there are obvious and glaring errors even with historical records that were available to the author. She appeared to make a leap of faith by linking similar but common names found in Georgia to those in South Carolina. The book is poorly resourced and is simply unreliable as to the origins of this Fleming line. With the advent of the internet and online records as well as DNA testing in the early twenty-first century, less guessing and more accurate data is available. The South Carolina Fleming line to which Lee Reese Fleming connects to in her book is actually very well researched by their descendants. However, those records make NO CONNECTION to John Fleming 1776 NC. John Fleming, Jr. has done extensive research online, professional, and with yDNA uncovering several notable mistakes in the book. His research clearly shows both the historical and yDNA research that documents the correct origins of this Fleming line.

Important 1880 federal census record for Littleberry Fleming proving the the birth state of John Fleming 1776 NC

DNA

• Value of 13 at DYS 439 and 19 at DYS 458

yDNA

Known descendant of John Fleming 1776 NC. Philip Leroy Fleming tested in the (now discontinued) Relative Genetics study and matched 43/43 with John Calvin Fleming, Jr.. Later Anonymous15 Fleming, son of Ray Fleming tested FTDNA Kit# 942100 and also matched John Calvin Fleming, Jr. 67/67 and 109/111 markers. He is also a direct descendant of John Fleming 1776 NC. All three were haplogroup R1b (now R-M269). Supporting historical records show this: 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

DNA Statement

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. John Calvin Fleming, Jr, Relative Genetics kit #35236, and his 5th cousin once removed, Philip Leroy Fleming, Relative Genetics kit #9334, son of Leroy Fleming, match at a Genetic Distance of 0 on 43 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA James Fleming. TMRCA calculation indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor approximately 95% within less than the last 11.7 generations.
• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. John Calvin Fleming, Jr, Relative Genetics kit #35236 and FTDNA kit #B3354 and his 6th cousin, Anonymous15 Fleming, FTDNA kit #942100, son of Ray Fleming, match at a Genetic Distance of 0 on 67 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA James Fleming. TMRCA calculation indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor approximately 95% within less than the last 11.7 generations.
• Note that Philip Leroy Fleming and Anonymous15 Fleming, son of Ray Fleming, are 6th cousins.