Edward Fields1

b. circa 1814, d. between 1851 and 1853
FatherWilliam Fields1 b. 1781, d. 21 Jan 1829
MotherElizabeth Lynch1 b. abt 1795, d. 14 May 1851
The following narrative was written and shared by Patricia (Craig) Johnson who has extensively researched the Fields family (contact information at end of report) :
Very little is known about Edward Fields. Census records are inconclusive and his gravesite has not been found. For the purposes of this narrative he is being placed as the second of the eight children, for whom we have records, of William (1) Fields and Elizabeth (Lynch) Fields. We believe that William, born 1811, was the first child and Edward, perhaps named for grandfather, Edward Lynch, was the second. He appears to have been born in Abingdon, Washington Co VA about 1814. His siblings were William, Sarah Ann, Elizabeth, James, Daniel, Jacob, and David.

The livelihood of the Fields family depended on the brick mason's trade. Since all five of his brothers were trained in those skills, Edward was probably a brick mason also, at least in his early years.

Deed records provide the only proof that Edward even lived. Shadowy as the details of his life are, in death he left a solid legacy. The following documents identify the children of William (1) and Elizabeth (Lynch) Fields:

On the 3rd day of February 1840, Thomas I. Walles (Wallis -Wallace) conveyed two lots, each one quarter of an acre, on the west side of Abingdon at the corner of Valley Street and N. Church Street to William Fields and Edward Fields. (1)

A document recorded in Washington County on 7 April 1843 reveals that William and Edward were the sons of Elizabeth Fields, and they leased the lots bought from Thomas Wallis, to her, their mother, with all improvements, for "one dollar to them in hand paid", for the rest of her natural life. (2)

On 15 September 1847, Edward Fields, a resident of the Independent City of St Louis MO, sold to William Fields, of Washington Co VA, some of his Abingdon property. The language of the deed indicates that Edward was present at this time in the office of the Washington County Clerk of Court to record this transaction. (3)
1850 census schedules were searched nationwide for Edward, with no results. He could have been indexed incorrectly.

Elizabeth Fields, widow of William (1), died 14 May 1851.

On 26 December 1853, William Fields and Eleanor, his wife, sold their half of the property on which Elizabeth had been living, to his younger brother, Jacob Fields. Also included in this deed was William's one/seventh undivided interest of the other half, derived from his brother, Edward, deceased. (4)

This document provides new facts. Edward was dead without a will. His half of the property on which Elizabeth was living is divided into seven parts - one-seventh to each of his siblings. Jacob appears to be trying to reunite the pieces, probably in order to sell it. Jacob now owns 9/14. A clue is also given as to when Edward died. While the rules of succession, called Descent and Distribution, vary from state to state, usually when a person dies without a will, without a surviving spouse and with no children, the property is divided among surviving parents and siblings. Since Edward's property is divided into seven parts - one for each of his siblings, this would suggest that Edward died after Elizabeth's death.

On 21 February 1859, David A. Fields of Washington Co VA sold to Jacob Fields his one/seventh undivided interest of one/half of the lots "which descended to him from his brother, Edward, who died intestate and without issue" (5)

On 14 December 1859, a Daniel L. Fields and wife Eliza, of Jefferson Co TN, sold to Jacob Fields his interest in the one undivided seventh of one undivided half of the lots where Elizabeth lived. This interest "descended to him by the death of his brother, Edward, who died intestate and without issue." (6) This deed was recorded in Jefferson Co TN and in Washington Co VA. Until this deed was discovered, our knowledge of the children of William (1) and Elizabeth Fields did not include a Daniel L. - but there he was!!!

On 28 January 1860, James Fields with wife, Susan E, and Sarah Ann Fields of Washington Co VA sold to Jacob L. Fields the two undivided sevenths of one undivided half of the lots which "descended to James and Sarah Ann by the death of their brother, Edward, who died intestate and without issue" (7)

The remaining sister, Elizabeth (Fields) Musser died in 1855 before she could sell her interest to Jacob, so her three children inherited. Jacob was able to acquire their shares which gave him 14/14 ownership, allowing him to perfect the title, and finally sell the property.

By dying without a will Edward made it possible for us to reconstruct the William (1) Fields family from legally recorded documents.
Washington Co Deed Records - Abingdon, Virginia:
     
(1)     __________________
(2)     Vol. 16 - pages 165-166
(3)     Vol. 18 - pages 279-280
(4)     Vol. 22 - page 9
(5)     Vol. 24 - pages 302-303
(6)     Vol. 24 - page 501
(7)     Vol. 24 - pages 558-559
                                   
Patricia Craig Johnson
8600 Skyline Dr. Box 1132, Dallas TX 75243
(email link in endnotes)

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Last Edited11 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S2439] Patricia Craig Johnson, "William Fields-Elizabeth Lynch" family group sheet, (e-mail address).