View source for Robert Fleming (financier)



The Grandfather of [[Ian Fleming]] who felt he was in the shadow of his brother, father and grandfather:

:Robert Fleming was Ian's grandfather, whose life story was a classic rags-to-riches tale of hard work and shrewd business sense. Born into lowly circumstances in Dundee in 1845, he went on to found the merchant bank [[Robert Fleming & Co.]] and died leaving a vast fortune. His son, Ian's father Valentine, was a conservative MP who died a hero in the first world war. Peter was Ian's older brother, a fine sportsman, a clever student, and a very good travel writer, celebrated in his day but now, sadly, out of print. Fleming was very much the duffer of the family, floundering about and getting into trouble. The only thing at which he excelled at Eton was athletics. In the blurb for Casino Royale he wrote that winning the Eton athletics prize two years running had only once been equalled "presumably by another second son trying to compensate for a brilliant older brother".<ref>The Guardian (London) - Final Edition May 10, 2008 Saturday, Review: Lives & letters: The man behind 007: Ian Fleming's time in the secret service during the war gave him the background for James Bond, but his style came from journalism and marriage gave him the impetus to write BYLINE: Charlie Higson SECTION: GUARDIAN REVIEW PAGES; Pg. 21</ref>

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