A great deal of the work on the main database was the work of Aileen and Ima Mewborn and many other people have added their information. Some will provide their own personal lines for additional and corrected information.

There is not a shred of documentation to prove the surname of Brittle's wife, Mary, or for any of their children; therefore, the early information must be treated as speculation. Furthermore, only two of Shadrack's children can be proven - Alexander because of a picture and William Council because of the Family Bible.

I found Brittle on the Insolvent Tax List of Sussex Co. Va, and it is assumed this was the Brittle found in Dobbs County. Although we think that his parents were John and Jane Barker Fields of Surry/Sussex Counties, it is not proven. John Fields, in his Will, mentioned no children and there are no Guardian Records that have been found. There was an older Bartholomew Fields in the area earlier and given that name comes down the Dobbs County lines, it has to be a clue; however, we can't find the connection. Trying to find a connection with the Brittle family where the name Bartholomew also appears also has not been successful. Bartholomew, Brittle, and maybe William must have been siblings or at the very least, cousins. The names found in the Barker family do not appear to come down any of the Dobbs lines so have we made an incorrect assumption?

There were two other Fields families in this area - Moses who had no male heirs, and John who indicated on a later Census that he was born in Rhode Island. Some of the names found in the John of RI family and that of Jeremiah of Greene County are identical. In later generations the two lines inter-married. The apparent Rhode Island connection does raise questions. In addition we know that William Fields of Culpepper County, Va bought land in this area as well as in Onslow County.

The Bartholomew line itself is a study in total confusion. It is thought that William of Darlington Co, SC may have been out of Dobbs but there is no question ONE of the two Bartholomews in Darlington Co, was out of Dobbs. Who was the other one and where did he come from?

In addition to the Fields family, Aileen and Ima also did work on the Mercer and Farmer families. The early Mercer family has been extensively researched by others and is well documented with the exception that Brittle's wife was a Mercer. The Farmer family appears to be well documented in Edgecombe County and the picture in the possession of Aileen Mewborn states Shadrack's wife was Mary (Polly) Farmer.

We hope in the future that documents will appear that prove or disprove some of this speculation. Additional lines and corrections are welcome.

John FIELDS Family

Bartholomew FIELDS Family

Hulda FIELDS & Jesse HOPEWELL Family
Lynn HOPEWELL website