William Fielding, M.D.
William Fielding, M.D. was the son of Daniel Fielding and Elizabeth Henderson Fielding, and was born in Canonsburg, Washington County, Pa., on May 1, 1796, Mrs. Fielding was the daughter of Daniel Henderson. Daniel Fielding removed with his family to Cynthiana, Harrison County, Ky. There his son William received his scientific educationj, which qualified him to commence the study of medicine under Dr. Burnet at Falmouth, twenty miles from Cynthiana. After a full medical course he commenced the practice of medicine in 1816 in Madison County, Ohio. He was in the war of 1812, and served six months under Col. Johnston.
In 1818 Dr. Fielding married Miss Elizabeth Vail, and they have bron to them five sons and seven daughters, eleven of whom reached maturity. IN the sam eyear he settled in Franklin, and remained there, engaged in his profession, until 1824, when great inducements were proffered him, and he settled in Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio.
In 1825, the date of the organization of the Presbyterian Church, he was elected one of the ruling elders, the church being under the pastorate of the Rev. Joseph Stephenson.
Dr. Fielding was one of the original petitioners of Temperance Lodge No. 73, in 1825, whose history is given at length in this work. Had the honr of naming the Temperance Lodge, because he not only practised but taught that cardinal virtue, and was honored with being its first Worshipful Master, which position he held during his life at different times for twenty-seven years. The brethren of the lodge to this day annually on his brithday assemble in the lodge room, and pay their fraternal visit to his beloved and aged widow, now in the eighty-second year of her age.
Dr. Fielding had the honor of representing this county in the Legislature for seven years.
In order to educate his children he removed to Clinton County, and after those duties had been performed he returned to Sidney, and again resumed a laborious practice. But age was telling upon his constitution, and he and his friends deemed it prudent for him to settle on his farm one mile from the court-house, which he named Evergreen. But even this removal did not free him entirely from the labors of the medical profession, and to his death he administered relief to a few families, especially thos of his early associates when he first settled in Sidney.
We may truthfully state that to his death, which occurred on the 17th day of Feb. 1873, he enjoyed the confidence of the whole community. His moral deportment and his high intellectual attainments, combined with his Christian character, not only made him a welcome visitor at every fireside, but a dear and cherished friend among his fellow-citizens. Truthfully we may say with the poet—
Mature for Heaven—the fatal mandate came,
With it a chariot of ethereal flame;
In which, Elijah like, he passed the spheres,
Bright joy to Heaven, but left the world in tears.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883