Richard Fleming

Who was Richard Fleming?

Richard Fleming, Bishop of Lincoln and founder of Lincoln College, Oxford, was born at Crofton in Yorkshire.

Fleming was descended from a gentry family. His aunt, Cecily Fleming, married, in 1407, Robert Waterton, 'Henry IV's esquire and right-hand man'. His nephew, Robert Flemming, was likely an illegitimate son of Robert Flemming, esquire, of Wath, near Ripon.

He was educated at University College, Oxford. Having taken his degrees, he was made prebendary of York in 1406, and the next year was junior proctor of the university. In 1409 he was appointed to the committee of twelve censors who were commissioned to examine the writings of John Wyclif and determine the heretical ideas they contained. Later that year he was accused of supporting some of Wyclif's errors in a public disputation, for which he incurred the censure of Archbishop Arundel. Fleming must have either been exonerated or renounced his supposed heresy because he was still a member of the committee of censors when its list of Wycliffe's errors was published in 1411.

Before 1415 Fleming was instituted to the rectory of Boston in Lincolnshire.