Probably the second of seven children born to William Field (1698-1748) and Jane (possibly Benton) Field (d. after 1773), William and his brother John (d. 1788) were of age, ie. 21 or older, when their father wrote his will in Lancaster (then York, now Adams) Co., Pennsylvania in 1748. The younger siblings were Robert (d.1820), Jeremiah (c. circa 1821), Joseph (d. 1780), Mary (no information after 1758) and Ann (1730s-1830s, m. Ninian Beall Hamilton, died in St. Louis Co., Missouri).
In circa 1759, William married Lydia Elswick (1743-c.1829, a daughter of John Elswick, Jr. and Lydia Ratliff), and they had eight children: Mary Field (c.1760-1846, m. Pierce Noland, went to Mississippi), Lydia Field (1762-1852, m. Richard Lewis, went to Indiana), Jeremiah Field (c.1764-1830, m. Eleanor Sherwood, remained in NC), Robert Field (no information after 1790 census), Jane Field (1769-1859, m. Jesse Stroud, went to Indiana), William Field (m. Ann, no information after 1800 census), Rebecca Field (c.1772/3-1855, m. Hugh Sherwood, went to Indiana), Tabitha Field (c.1775-after 1860, m. Thomas Sherwood Kirkman, remained in NC).
William and his brothers, particularly Jeremiah, were leaders amongst the Regulators who rebelled against the corrupt administration of Governor Tryon in the 1760s. After the Battle of Alamance in 1771, Governor Tryon was replaced by Josiah Martin, who called for the outlawed Regulators to meet with him at the home of William Field. They were offered pardon if they would take an oath of allegiance to the King. Subsequently, William was elected to serve in the NC House of Commons as representative of newly formed Guilford County, in which position he served from 1771 to 1774. When the Revolution broke out in earnest in 1775, Gov. Martin demanded that the Regulators abide by their oath, and march to his assistance at New Bern. This must have been quite a crisis of conscience for William. He later wrote that he felt compelled by honor, because of the oath he'd taken, to remain loyal, and he became a Colonel in the NC loyalist militia. He appears, however, to have spent most of the war as a prisoner. After the war, he petitioned to the NC Legislature for pardon, and the return of his confsicated lands, which was granted. He apparently lived out his long life as a respected member of his community.
William appears to have grown up in the Church of England, though his mother may have had Presbyterian family ties. His father, William Field, Sr. (1698-1748), was buried at Christ Church Huntington (a.k.a. "The Old White Episcopal Church") near York Springs, Pa. (see Find A Grave entry), and William himself was a member of the St. Luke's Parish Vestry in 1770. However, after the war, he appears to have converted to Methodism. In his diaries, Bishop Francis Asbury (known as "The Father of the Methodist Church in America") mentions traveling 15 miles through the wilderness to visit "aged William Field" in 1800.
In circa 1759, William married Lydia Elswick (1743-c.1829, a daughter of John Elswick, Jr. and Lydia Ratliff), and they had eight children: Mary Field (c.1760-1846, m. Pierce Noland, went to Mississippi), Lydia Field (1762-1852, m. Richard Lewis, went to Indiana), Jeremiah Field (c.1764-1830, m. Eleanor Sherwood, remained in NC), Robert Field (no information after 1790 census), Jane Field (1769-1859, m. Jesse Stroud, went to Indiana), William Field (m. Ann, no information after 1800 census), Rebecca Field (c.1772/3-1855, m. Hugh Sherwood, went to Indiana), Tabitha Field (c.1775-after 1860, m. Thomas Sherwood Kirkman, remained in NC).
William and his brothers, particularly Jeremiah, were leaders amongst the Regulators who rebelled against the corrupt administration of Governor Tryon in the 1760s. After the Battle of Alamance in 1771, Governor Tryon was replaced by Josiah Martin, who called for the outlawed Regulators to meet with him at the home of William Field. They were offered pardon if they would take an oath of allegiance to the King. Subsequently, William was elected to serve in the NC House of Commons as representative of newly formed Guilford County, in which position he served from 1771 to 1774. When the Revolution broke out in earnest in 1775, Gov. Martin demanded that the Regulators abide by their oath, and march to his assistance at New Bern. This must have been quite a crisis of conscience for William. He later wrote that he felt compelled by honor, because of the oath he'd taken, to remain loyal, and he became a Colonel in the NC loyalist militia. He appears, however, to have spent most of the war as a prisoner. After the war, he petitioned to the NC Legislature for pardon, and the return of his confsicated lands, which was granted. He apparently lived out his long life as a respected member of his community.
William appears to have grown up in the Church of England, though his mother may have had Presbyterian family ties. His father, William Field, Sr. (1698-1748), was buried at Christ Church Huntington (a.k.a. "The Old White Episcopal Church") near York Springs, Pa. (see Find A Grave entry), and William himself was a member of the St. Luke's Parish Vestry in 1770. However, after the war, he appears to have converted to Methodism. In his diaries, Bishop Francis Asbury (known as "The Father of the Methodist Church in America") mentions traveling 15 miles through the wilderness to visit "aged William Field" in 1800.
Probably the second of seven children born to William Field (1698-1748) and Jane (possibly Benton) Field (d. after 1773), William and his brother John (d. 1788) were of age, ie. 21 or older, when their father wrote his will in Lancaster (then York, now Adams) Co., Pennsylvania in 1748. The younger siblings were Robert (d.1820), Jeremiah (c. circa 1821), Joseph (d. 1780), Mary (no information after 1758) and Ann (1730s-1830s, m. Ninian Beall Hamilton, died in St. Louis Co., Missouri).
In circa 1759, William married Lydia Elswick (1743-c.1829, a daughter of John Elswick, Jr. and Lydia Ratliff), and they had eight children: Mary Field (c.1760-1846, m. Pierce Noland, went to Mississippi), Lydia Field (1762-1852, m. Richard Lewis, went to Indiana), Jeremiah Field (c.1764-1830, m. Eleanor Sherwood, remained in NC), Robert Field (no information after 1790 census), Jane Field (1769-1859, m. Jesse Stroud, went to Indiana), William Field (m. Ann, no information after 1800 census), Rebecca Field (c.1772/3-1855, m. Hugh Sherwood, went to Indiana), Tabitha Field (c.1775-after 1860, m. Thomas Sherwood Kirkman, remained in NC).
William and his brothers, particularly Jeremiah, were leaders amongst the Regulators who rebelled against the corrupt administration of Governor Tryon in the 1760s. After the Battle of Alamance in 1771, Governor Tryon was replaced by Josiah Martin, who called for the outlawed Regulators to meet with him at the home of William Field. They were offered pardon if they would take an oath of allegiance to the King. Subsequently, William was elected to serve in the NC House of Commons as representative of newly formed Guilford County, in which position he served from 1771 to 1774. When the Revolution broke out in earnest in 1775, Gov. Martin demanded that the Regulators abide by their oath, and march to his assistance at New Bern. This must have been quite a crisis of conscience for William. He later wrote that he felt compelled by honor, because of the oath he'd taken, to remain loyal, and he became a Colonel in the NC loyalist militia. He appears, however, to have spent most of the war as a prisoner. After the war, he petitioned to the NC Legislature for pardon, and the return of his confsicated lands, which was granted. He apparently lived out his long life as a respected member of his community.
William appears to have grown up in the Church of England, though his mother may have had Presbyterian family ties. His father, William Field, Sr. (1698-1748), was buried at Christ Church Huntington (a.k.a. "The Old White Episcopal Church") near York Springs, Pa. (see Find A Grave entry), and William himself was a member of the St. Luke's Parish Vestry in 1770. However, after the war, he appears to have converted to Methodism. In his diaries, Bishop Francis Asbury (known as "The Father of the Methodist Church in America") mentions traveling 15 miles through the wilderness to visit "aged William Field" in 1800.
In circa 1759, William married Lydia Elswick (1743-c.1829, a daughter of John Elswick, Jr. and Lydia Ratliff), and they had eight children: Mary Field (c.1760-1846, m. Pierce Noland, went to Mississippi), Lydia Field (1762-1852, m. Richard Lewis, went to Indiana), Jeremiah Field (c.1764-1830, m. Eleanor Sherwood, remained in NC), Robert Field (no information after 1790 census), Jane Field (1769-1859, m. Jesse Stroud, went to Indiana), William Field (m. Ann, no information after 1800 census), Rebecca Field (c.1772/3-1855, m. Hugh Sherwood, went to Indiana), Tabitha Field (c.1775-after 1860, m. Thomas Sherwood Kirkman, remained in NC).
William and his brothers, particularly Jeremiah, were leaders amongst the Regulators who rebelled against the corrupt administration of Governor Tryon in the 1760s. After the Battle of Alamance in 1771, Governor Tryon was replaced by Josiah Martin, who called for the outlawed Regulators to meet with him at the home of William Field. They were offered pardon if they would take an oath of allegiance to the King. Subsequently, William was elected to serve in the NC House of Commons as representative of newly formed Guilford County, in which position he served from 1771 to 1774. When the Revolution broke out in earnest in 1775, Gov. Martin demanded that the Regulators abide by their oath, and march to his assistance at New Bern. This must have been quite a crisis of conscience for William. He later wrote that he felt compelled by honor, because of the oath he'd taken, to remain loyal, and he became a Colonel in the NC loyalist militia. He appears, however, to have spent most of the war as a prisoner. After the war, he petitioned to the NC Legislature for pardon, and the return of his confsicated lands, which was granted. He apparently lived out his long life as a respected member of his community.
William appears to have grown up in the Church of England, though his mother may have had Presbyterian family ties. His father, William Field, Sr. (1698-1748), was buried at Christ Church Huntington (a.k.a. "The Old White Episcopal Church") near York Springs, Pa. (see Find A Grave entry), and William himself was a member of the St. Luke's Parish Vestry in 1770. However, after the war, he appears to have converted to Methodism. In his diaries, Bishop Francis Asbury (known as "The Father of the Methodist Church in America") mentions traveling 15 miles through the wilderness to visit "aged William Field" in 1800.
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
