Henry Fields^[1]

1810 - 1874  (64 years)

• Name	Henry Fields
  Born	1810	, England   [2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	story
  Public Service	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	constable
  Occupation	1861	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Laborer
  Residence	1861	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Methodist
  Occupation	1871	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Labourer
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-25243
  Died	31 Jan 1874	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Buried	New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I25243	Generations
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2025

  
  

  Family	Ellen Hunter McKersie,   b. CALC 1 Jul 1812, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland ,   d. 12 Feb 1892, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 79 years)
  Children	1. John Fields,   b. 23 Feb 1833, Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Aug 1901  (Age 68 years)   2. Catherine Fields,   b. 3 Feb 1836, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Mar 1873  (Age 37 years)   3. David Fields,   b. 1837, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Jan 1911, , Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)   4. Priscilla Fields,   b. 15 Aug 1840, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Nov 1926, Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 86 years)   5. Robert Henry Fields,   b. 23 Apr 1845, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 21 Feb 1918, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 72 years)   6. Douglas Fields,   b. 24 Apr 1849, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Janet Fields,   b. 1850, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Mary Ann Fields,   b. 15 Jun 1855, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Mar 1918, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 62 years)   9. James Henry Fields,   b. 12 Jul 1856, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 12 Feb 1939, Bay City, Bay Co., Michigan, USA  (Age 82 years)   10. Sarah Elizabeth Fields,   b. 31 Aug 1857, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Mar 1941, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 83 years)
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2025
  Family ID	F6478	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Our community did not have a Police Constable in its early days. The settlement of Bergeytown, and later the hamlet of New Hope, was basically unprotected and relied on the honesty and goodwill of its citizens to be law abiding. With the incorporation of the Village of Hespeler, on January 19, 1859 the first Council meeting passed a motion by David Rife, seconded by C. Nahrgang that Henry Fields be appointed constable and "receive such fees as the law provides and only when on actual duty". The motion was carried and Henry Fields became the first police officer in Hespeler. There was no lockup at the time, and the nearest goal was in Guelph, so anyone unfortunate enough to be incarcerated in the evening had to spend the night locked in a bedroom at the constable's house. There is a report of one such individual who woke Mr. Fields by making too much noise while trying to escape and was dragged back through the bedroom window by his ankles! The window was subsequently nailed shut. Mr. Fields continued as constable until 1873 and passed away one year later at age 63. Hespeler Happenings Summer 2008 - HESPELER POLICE by Lary Turner ___________________ In Hespeler, on the 31st ult., Henry Fields, aged 63 years and 5 months. Galt Reporter Feb 6 1874 pg 3

  
  

• Sources

  [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. David Fields, aged 28 res. Hespeler born Hespeler son of Henry and Ellen married 27 Nov 1866 to Elizabeth Rosenberger aged 18 res Hespeler born Long Point daughter of Jacob and Lucinda [S508] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1871, Page 23. [S237] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - New Hope CC#4498 Internet Link . In memory of/ Henry Fields/ died/ Jan.31,1874/ aged 63 yr's./ also his wife/ Ellen/ died/ Feb.12,1892/ aged/ 79 yr's.7 m's./ 11 d's./ They are at rest/ Fields [S1837] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1861, Div. 1 Page 3.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1810 - , England Public Service - constable - - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Laborer - 1861 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Methodist - 1861 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Labourer - 1871 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 31 Jan 1874 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth