The Flemings of
Slane descend from
Erchenbald, otherwise referred to as "Archembald le Fleming", of
Bratton Fleming,
Devon, who was alive in 1087. Archembald derived his surname due to his birth in
Flanders, and came to England during the reign of
William I. He was succeeded by his son, Stephen (fl. 1145), whose son, Archembald, arrived in Ireland with
Henry II in 1171 and participated in
Hugh de Lacy's plantation of the
Kingdom of Mide. On the west side of the hill of
Slane, there are the remains of a 12th-century
motte and bailey which was the settlement, destroyed by the Irish in 1176. Succeeding Flemings were Stephen, (died –1214) and Baldwin (died 1260). Baldwin's son, Richard, is the first of whom some substantial information exists. He married Mary/Maria Martin, daughter of Sir Nicholas
FitzMartin the Younger (died 1260). Richard died in 1301, but it is unknown when his wife died. Their son, Baldwin (died 1335), married Matilda/Maude de Genville, daughter of Sir Simon de Genville of
Trim. They were the parents of
Simon Fleming, 1st Baron Slane, who died on 13 September 1370. An unusual feature of the title was the ability of the holder to petition the Crown to transfer it: after the death of the 12th Baron in 1625, the 13th Baron successfully petitioned the Crown to transfer the title to his younger brother, since as a
Roman Catholic priest he did not expect to live on or manage the family estate. He later became
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. The 17th Baron, Christopher, was attainted in 1691 for fighting against
William III. The title became dormant after the death of the 19th Baron in 1771. ==Later claims==