| Notes |
- Thomas is the son of Elizabeth and David Fielding, both from Ireland.
David Fielding, born 1793, landed in Quebec with his wife & family on July 18, 1819, later came in Guelph where he was the first baker in the City. He kept a store in Eden Mills, died 1866, age 73. His wife Elizabeth died 1878, age 81. They had nine children.
Ref: 10-7, Wellington County Atlas.
The Fieldings operated an Inn in Ospringe, Wellington County (which is about 6 miles from Erin) called the "Fielding Hotel".
When Thomas died, Margaret sold this hotel to Hiram Swackhammer when it then became the "British North American Hotel".
Thomas Fieldings married twice: He first married his cousin, Margaret Little in 1880.
Married2 to Sarah Catherine McINNES (1877) on the 22nd December 1908 in Vancouver, BC. & they had one known child. Ronald James Fielding (1910).
Fielding's Hotel / British North American Hotel
British North American Hotel, on the lot (1968) now occupied by Stewart's Service Station, was more commonly known as Fielding's Hotel, as it was first owned by Thomas Fielding.
The first gospel service was held here in Ospringe by Rev. Barker, a Congregational minister, used to pass through the village on horse back going from Speedside to the White Church in Caledon. Mr. Fielding invited him to hold a service in the upstairs ballroom of his hotel. He consented & Mr. Fielding advertised the meeting & proved seats. The first sermon was on a week day, January 7, 1858. Rev. Barker continued to preach there until 1861. Then a church was built. The ballroom chanced to be situated just above the barroom & a citizen who was partronizining the bar, hearing the singing above, asked what it was. Being told that it was a church service, he raised his glass inspired probably, by the scotch he had already taken, he said:
There are spirits above and spirits below,
the spirits above are the Spirits Devine,
But the spirits below are the spirits of wine.
Mr. Fielding is remembered because he seem to realized the danger of his business & would only give a traveller one drink & neighbors not any.
At one time Smith McCutcheon & Robert Russell ran a store i the back part of the upstairs. The left in the '90s. Hiram Swackhammer was the next owner & he sold the hotel to Robert Young in 1908.
Mr. Young tore the building down & used some of the material in his house that he was building on lot II east, on the 2nd line, now owned by Mr. Hughes. This house was built in 1910. Some of the material also was used to build the house & barn on L14W, C2, where Alex Stewart now lives. This barn was later burned. In 1915 Josiah Stewart removed the hotel stables and used the lumber to build his bart on the south side of the corner.
Ref: Written by Doris Fines, 1968.
Knox Presbyterian Church, services were held at Ospring before there was a church building. ... Mr. Fielding was interested in the building of church. Land was given by a pioneer, Mr W 'Dad' Webb, on the NW corn of his farm, 2nd line. The church was built in 1862 by community labour. Mr. Fielding boarded the men at the hotel free of cost & also made cash contributions. It was always considered a Union church, but the deed was taken out & held by the Congregationalist. The first seats were logs of wood, redly hewn. About 1873 Wm. Webb collected money to put in seats & paint the church.
Transcripts by P J Ahlberg. Thank you. - - - [1]
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1829 - Aft 1893 (> 65 years)