Baron Clas Eriksson Fleming (1535, Parainen, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 – April 13, 1597, Pohja

Pohja

Pohja is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with Ekenäs and Karis to form the new town of Raseborg in 2009.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 4,936 and covered a land area of...

, Finland) was a Finnish-born member of the Swedish nobility

Swedish nobility

The Swedish nobility were historically a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, part of the so-called frälse . Today, the nobility is still very much a part of Swedish society but they do not maintain many of their former privileges...

 and admiral

Admiral (Sweden)

Admiral is a naval rank in Sweden. According to current practice only royalties and the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, if he were to come from the Swedish Navy, has the rank of full, four star, Admiral in Sweden...

, who played an important role in Finnish

History of Finland

The land area that now makes up Finland was settled immediately after the Ice Age, beginning from around 8500 BCE. Most of the region was part of the Kingdom of Sweden from the 13th century to 1809, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire, becoming the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The...

 and Swedish history

History of Sweden

Modern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century...

 during the rise of Sweden as a Great Power

Rise of Sweden as a Great Power

During the 17th century, despite having scarcely more than 1 million inhabitants, Sweden emerged to have greater foreign influence, after winning wars against Denmark–Norway, The Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and The Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania...

. He was a trustee of Swedish kings John III

John III of Sweden

-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...

 and Sigismund Vasa

Sigismund III Vasa

Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...

.

In 1569 Fleming became a member of the Privy Council

Privy Council of Sweden

The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...

, in 1571 he was made Lord High Admiral

Lord High Admiral of Sweden

The Lord High Admiral or Admiral of the Realm was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from c. 1571 until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Council and the head of the navy and Admiralty of Sweden...

 and in 1590 Lord High Constable

Lord High Constable of Sweden

The Lord High Constable was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from the 13th century until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Council and, from 1630 and on, the head of the Swedish Council of War...

. As the Governor of Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 and Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 he carried the duties of the highest authority of Finland and Estonia for the Swedish realm, next only to the king of Sweden. He was a strong supporter of the legitimate king of Sweden Sigismund Vasa

Sigismund III Vasa

Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...

 and for that an enemy of the duke Charles of Sudermania

Charles IX of Sweden

Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...

.

Fleming's father - a grandson of Björn Ragvaldsson - was the Councilor of State Erik Fleming (1487-1548), also a remarkable man and King Gustav Vasa's favourite

Favourite

A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...

. Fleming's sons were executed in the Åbo Bloodbath

Åbo bloodbath

The Åbo Bloodbath of 10 November 1599 was a public execution in the Finnish town of Åbo , then part of the Kingdom of Sweden, in the context of the War against Sigismund and the Club War...

 of 1599.

When studying Swedish history of the time it is noteworthy to know there were many persons in similar position with the name Clas Fleming at the time. Clas Eriksson Flemming should not be mixed with Claes Larsson Fleming (1592-1644), admiral and advisor to the king, or Claes Fleming (1649-1685), nobleman and politician.