| John Fielding (1759–1836) |
| Father of Joseph, Mary, and Mercy Fielding, grandfather of Joseph F. Smith. Methodist preacher in Yorkshire and Bedfordshire, England; also tried farming in a rocky area of Bedfordshire. Buried both wives and at least five of his first six children. Two of his sons (John and James), became ministers and one of his daughters (Ann) married a minister, Timothy Matthews. Three children (Joseph, Mary, and Mercy) played important roles in early Mormonism. Died disillusioned with his former faith. | ||
| Born | June 30, 1759 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England | |
| Died | March 3, 1836 in Colmworth, Bedfordshire, England | |
| Father | Marmaduke (Duke) Fielding (1738–1787) | |
| Mother | Elizabeth Dyson (b. 1735) | |
| Families | Sarah Kitson (ca. 1761–1789) md. ca. 1778 | |
| Sarah (b. ca. 1780) | ||
| John (1781–1781) | ||
| Mary (1782–1782) | ||
| Marmaduke (1785–1796) | ||
| Thomas (1786–1786) | ||
| William (1788–1789) | ||
| Rachel Ibbotson (1767–1828) md. 1790 | ||
| John (1791–1839) | ||
| James (1793–1877) | ||
| Thomas (1795–1882) | ||
| Joseph (1797–1863) > | ||
| Ann (1799–1884) | ||
| James (b. ca. 1799) | ||
| Mary (1801–1852) > | ||
| Martha (1803–1872) | ||
| Benjamin (1805–1807) | ||
| Mercy Rachel (1807–1893) | ||
| Josiah (1809–1809) | ||
| Joseph Fielding's Recollection | ||||
| Yorkshire
to Bedfordshire Methodist preacher Refused pay |
John and Rachael Fielding were natives of Yorkshire, but in the course of divide providence they removed to Bedfordshire, where, as farmers, they spent at least forty years of their lives. Most of this time my father was a local preacher among the Methodists, in which work he laboured with all diligence, frequently riding from ten to thirty miles on the Sunday, to teach the truth of God as far as he knew it. So much did he labour that the society judged it right that he should receive something from the church for his labours, but this he refused to take. |
Joseph Fielding, June 20, 1841, Millennial Star vol 2 no. 4 (August 1841), 49–53. | ||
| John
upright, exemplary Application of scripture |
At least fifty years he walked uprightly in the sight of all men, being an example of honesty and devotion to the world. Like Cornelius of old, he feared God with all his house, prayed to God always, and gave alms to the people to the utmost of his means; and God in his mercy, by particular applications of scriptures, gave him promises, not as in the day of Abraham, for as there was no priesthood, and consequently no visions or prophesyings, the prophets and the seers having long been covered, and the visions of all having long been as the words of a book that is sealed, he only obtained a particular impression on his mind on an application of some promise made to the Former-Day Saints <. |
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| Family like ancient Israel |
We often used to think that we must be in some way related to the children of Israel <, because we saw the dealings or God with us resembled his dealings with them, though of course, far inferior, for the Lord did not personally visit us, neither did angels minister to us as they used to do in those days. |
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| 9
children Abandons Methodism Died in peace |
We were in our family nine children, all of whom, I believe, and our parents, [50] were at the same time members of the same society; but for several years before the death of my father, although he had been so long and so firmly attached to the Methodist cause, while he evidently increased in the spirit, and drew nearer to God as he drew nearer his end, yet he appeared to be entirely weaned from that body; in fact, he long lamented its corrupt state. He died in peace in the 77th year of his age, on the 3rd of March, 1836. |
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