Private Edward Feild (1769.....1826)

Back To . . .The New South Wales Corps. ( Rum Corps. ) "Renamed 102nd Regiment

73rd Regiment .......1st Battalion Highland

Descendants

Tom Wynn wynne@mpx.com.au

Area Settled :

 

 

Children :

 

Children of Private Edward and Elizabeth Field (nee Mitchell):

1) Sarah (Wilson) Field b: 19 May 1792, the father being one JAMES WILSON. Married to James Morris 24.6.1807.

2) Mary Ann Field b: 14.3.1795 Parramatta d: 12.11.1865 Forbes. Married 1^st) Thomas Perry 3.8.1812. Thomas d: 1844. No issue. Married 2^nd) Joseph Collits 13.7.1845. Joseph b: 1808 d: 1888.No issue.

3) Edward Field b: 16.9.1798 Parramatta d: 7.12.1846 aged 49 years at Castlereagh. The Parish Register states: Edward Field, Innkeeper of Castlereagh, buried 9^th December 1846; footstone “E.F. 1846”.

Edward Field married 1^st) Maria Strickland (nee Collits) 6.10.1817 at Castlereagh. Maria b: 1796 d: 21^st September 1829 aged 33 years. Maria was originally married to Phillip Strickland who died 6^th November 1816 aged 26 years – Phillip died of wounds received when natives on the Great Western Road near South Creek speared him. Edward and Maria had 7 children.Married 2^nd) Esther Lees 18.10.1830. Esther b: 1812. They had 6 children.

4) Maria Field b: 1^st September 1801. Christened 24^th January 1802 St. John’s Church Parramatta, C of E. Minister: Samuel Marsden. (Reg. No. 1801/303V148).She died: 28.8.1842.Married 17.2.1817 John Rope at Castlereagh.

5) George Field b: ca.1803 Parramatta married Mary Mahon.

6) William Field b: 15^th April 1806. Christened 17^th August 1806, St. John’s Church, Parramatta, C of E. Minister: Samuel Marsden. (Reg. No. 1806/522V148).

7) Sophia Field b: 21.6.1807 d: 2.7.1871. She married 1^st) Thomas Higgins 7.7.1824. She married 2^nd) James Collits 32.8.1840.

8) Thomas Field b: 23.2.1811 d: 28.6.1860 m: Rachel Howard 1835.

9) John Field b: 24.8.1815 d: 25.8.1815 Castlereagh (infant)

History & Achievements :

Elizabeth Mitchell (nee) Dixon known as Betty Mitchell, known as Elizabeth Dixon, was convicted on 6 March 1790 at the Assizes. Her crime was aiding and abetting in breaking into a dwelling in Studley, North Wiltshire, and the stealing of 5 cheeses and sundry other articles. Though recorded details differ on this question, her trial was most likely at Salisbury. She was sentenced to 7 years transportation. ELIZABETH was transported on the "Mary Ann", arriving Sydney 9 July 1791. She had other “husbands”, Mr. Mitchell in England prior to transportation, James Wilson with whom she had her first child Sarah. ELIZABETH (SARAH) MITCHELL'S first child, a daughter named SARAH, was born 19 May 1792, the father being one JAMES WILSON. It seems likely that about that time ELIZABETH (SARAH / BETTY) was assigned to EDWARD FIELD. The first four children of ELIZABETH and EDWARD were born out of wedlock, a not uncommon occurrence in the very early days of the Colony of New South Wales. Elizabeth Mitchell married Edward Field 20^th February 1805, St. John’s C of E Church, Parramatta

 

Edward Field enlisted as a private in the NSW Corps on 27 July 1789 and embarked on the Scarborough on 22 October 1789. The Scarborough sailed from Yarmouth on 19 January 1790 as part of the Second Fleet and arrived in Sydney on 28 June. He appears to have been stationed at Parramatta in January 1792, when he appeared as a witness at the trial of Samuel Gates for robbing the Governor's garden. In December 1794, he was granted 25 acres on the west side of Iron Cove Creek although this was later cancelled. Field was discharged from the Corps on 8 May 1801.  On 30 June, 1803 Field was granted 100 acres at Evan. The 1806 Muster records him as holding 80 acres by grant with just over 31 acres being cultivated in wheat, maize, barley, potatoes, orchards and gardens. The farm supported Field, his wife, 6 children and an assigned convict. He also owned a horse, 25 sheep, 10 pigs and held 2 bushels of wheat and 10 of maize in store. Although he suffered losses in the 1806 flood, the Muster indicates that he recovered quickly from this. Field was granted an additional 100 acres in May 1809 believed to be around the same area as his first grant. In February 1810, he petitioned Governor Macquarie for confirmation of the grant, which was confirmed. Field sold 57 acres of this grant to Charles Pickering for £80 and a house at the Rocks, Sydney. In October 1816 Field suffered financial difficulty and part of the land was sold to cover his debts. He was living on the remaining portion in 1820, when he petitioned for more land to compensate for losses sustained after flooding. In 1822, he was recorded as a landowner in the Castlereagh area with 40 acres, about 28 acres sown in wheat, maize, peas, beans, potatoes, orchard and garden with 40 bushels of maize held in store. Livestock included 2 horses, 2 cattle and 25 pigs, reflecting a modest level of prosperity. His fortunes continued to improve when in August 1824, he petitioned the Governor for additional land to keep his two horses and an increasing herd of cattle. Edward Field died at Castlereagh on 21 January, 1826. Field married Elizabeth Mitchell (transported on the Mary Ann in 1791) sometime after the birth of their first child, Mary Ann. There were 6 other children from this union.  Mary Ann died on 24 June 1837 at Castlereagh.

References