FIELDING family in Tyrone

[sheila225]

Any male descendants of the Fielding family of Dungannon?  I know this is a long shot, but my ancestor William Fielding was described as "an immigrant farmer" to Canada in 1792 following a call for settlers known as the "Simcoe Proclamation" which offered land grants.

Y-DNA results (my brother) points to either Scottish or Irish heritage, and current technology can't be sure if that means Irish in Scotland or Scottish in Ireland,  The only other thing we know for sure that he was Church of England in Canada - suggesting that he may have been from Northern Ireland.

The search is made more challenging by not only the loss of Irish records in 1922, but also the loss of Colonial New York records - in a fire in 1911; thus leaving a huge time gap to try to breach.   We have a colonial militia roster from the 1760s  - showing a William Fielding in Ulster County NY from Ireland, but no specific location in Ireland.

One lone record prior to 1792 - describes a John Fielding living in the Hudson Valley of what is now New York State who was Irish and said to have been from County Tyrone.  Of the Irish records that I have found - there was a Fielding family living in Dungannon - in the early to mid 1800s. And I have found in TAB 1833 a William Fielding living in Townland - Drumgose in Civil Parish of Clonfeacle.

So long story short - hoping to locate a male descendant of the Dungannon Fielding family who would be willing to take a DNA test (I'd pay for it!)

Thanks for reading...Sheila, Hopewell, New Jersey, USA

p.s. I know that there are other areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland where COI was prevalent in the mid-late 18th century, but want to try to either confirm or refute the Dungannon connection before searching elsewhere - since we know there was a Fielding from Tyrone in Colonial New York who could be a relative.

Any and all suggestions are most welcome!

[Kiltaglassan]

Welcome to RootsChat 

And I have found in TAB 1833 a William Fielding living in Townland - Drumgose in Civil Parish of Clonfeacle.

Tithe Applotment Books
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx
PRONI has a William Fielding in Drumgose townland, Clonfeacle civil parish.

Drumgose townland north of the village of Benburb.
https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/dungannon-middle/clonfeacle-tyrone-portion/drumgose/

KG

[Kiltaglassan]

From PRONI Will Calendars - https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

Probate of the Will of Thomas Fielding late of Drumgose Moy County Tyrone Farmer who died 2 March 1903 at Omagh Lunatie Asylum in said County granted at Armagh to John Holmes Farmer.

The transcribed copy mentions his nephew, James McMullan of Moy.

KG

[ansimi]

I have researched the Drumgose Fielding family. I'll see if I can trace them forward a bit further.

I have male descendants unaccounted for that I might be able to trace.

Have you researched the close neighbours in Simcoe? It was extremely common to settle close to friends and relatives from back home. I've had major breakthroughs with that research strategy before.

[ansimi]

Thomas Fielding of Drumgose had his known children between around 1808 and 1828. The only son I'm aware of having issue was Simon who was married twice. He lived in Cavan, Killyman which was where his first wife was from but he died in Drumgose.

He had a son Thomas who had sons who died young but remarried in 1880 to Elizabeth Hamill and then went to New Jersey. I found birth records for two sons (1882 & 1885) but can't account for the family.

Simon also had a son William who married Rachel Davidson in 1870. He lived in Drumgose at the time of his marriage but they must have emigrated soon after because they had a daughter Emily in Chicago in 1871. They also lived in Ontario before settling in the Detroit area. He had 4 sons who all had issue but I can only find a record of one grandson among those and I don't know if he had any children. His name was Harry Walter Fielding (1913 - 1996).

[sheila225]

Thanks very much for that information - perhaps I can locate a male descendant of Harry Walter Fielding (1913 - 1996).

But a clarification on the "Simcoe Proclamation" - this was a Proclamation by the (then) Lt. Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) John Graves Simcoe; and was an offering of land in "Upper Canada", rather than an offering of land in Simcoe Co - which didn't exist at the time.  Most of the land being settled at this time (1790s) was along the shorelines of the Great Lakes, and did not extend into inland areas which were still being surveyed, and held a number of native populations and French fur trappers. 

So the land records are the most useful information that exists for that time along with (limited) 'Church' records that were kept by the so-called "Circuit riders" clergy who visited a group of settlements parodically. Regrettably I have not been able to locate any other settler(s) with that surname, and the only description we have of him from the land records are "an immigrant settler" - meaning he did not qualify for a land grant as a "Loyalist" to the Crown, but was asking for land under the Simcoe Proclamation. 

The scant records of that time are a major stumbling block in my research - so hoping DNA can find his origins.

[sheila225]

To ansimi:

Would you have any information about the birthplace of Harry Walter Fielding?  I have found a grave for a "Harry Fielding" near Hamilton Ontario (1913-1992), but need to check sources on a number of public family trees - who disagree on his origin.

Am also looking in the Detroit area  - but having found Emily(nee Fielding) Hamilton, none of those trees indicate siblings.

Thanks for any hints you can provide,
Sheila

[Kiltaglassan]

I have found a grave for a "Harry Fielding" near Hamilton Ontario (1913-1992)........

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/160614505/harry-fielding

KG

[ansimi]

Harry Walter Fielding was born 9 Apr 1913 in Rockford, Illinois but grew up in Detroit. He wasn't married for his 1942 military record. At some point he did marry a widow with children but they may also have had children together or he could have had some by a previous marriage. Obituary would be ideal. He died 11 Jan 1996 in Gray County, Texas.

I still can't trace the Family of Thomas Fielding and Elizabeth Jane Hamill. Son William born 11 Oct 1882 and son registered without a name born 12 Apr 1885.