Fleming of Louhisaari

Who is Fleming of Louhisaari?

The Louhisaari noble family, otherwise known as Fleming, is a Finnish family of medieval frälse.

Its first certainly known male ancestor, knight Peder Klasson, is documented living yet in 1406. He came from Denmark to Sweden during the early reign of king Eric XIII of Sweden and is buried in the Riddarholm Church, Stockholm. He was probably son of a Claus Fleming who between 1331 and 1354 is mentioned as bailiff of Barth in the Pomeranian principality of Rügen and had in principle the same Coat of Arms. The name of the family denotes some of its origin to Flanders. When having first settled in the eastern part of Sweden, they soon became assimilated with the country, having married from among natives and grown into local societal activities. They inherited the manor of Louhisaari in Finland Proper.

The family was one of the most prominent in Finland at the end of Middle Ages.

The then head of the house, sir Lars Fleming, governor of the Stockholm Palace, was among the first ones to ever be created friherre in Sweden, which took place in the coronation of Eric XIV of Sweden on 29 June 1561. Baron Lars got the title Baron of Nynes from one of his maternally inherited manors. His male line went extinct on 5 January 1569.