4
« on: Wednesday 16 September 20 01:59 BST (UK) »
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!