Joseph Fielding

Who was Joseph Fielding?

Joseph Fielding was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. He served as the second president of the British Mission, coordinating the activities of missionaries in sections of the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. He was the brother of Mary Fielding, the second wife of Hyrum Smith, and an uncle of Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Fielding was born in Honeydon, Bedfordshire, England, to John Fielding and Rachel Ibbotson, who braved the scorn and persecution of the established church to become members of the Square Chapel Independent congregation, led by the famous Reverend Titus Knight, in their home town of Halifax, Yorkshire. James was christened there on 5 May 1793. The family then moved to Honidon, Bedfordshire, where the Fielding family were active in the growing Methodist movement in the area. For many years they regularly walked the four miles to attend the Methodist chapel at St Neots. It is significant that of the ten children, at least eight were to spend their lives closely involved with the evangelism of the gospel, albeit within differing religions.

James preached in first the Methodist Church, but became disaffected and, at the instigation of his brother-in-law the Reverend Timothy Matthews, went to Preston, accompanied by two of his sisters, Martha and Mary, to preach in the Semi-Episcopalian and Primitive Episcopalian churches. Martha Ibbotson Fielding married the Reverend Watson in Preston in 1836. Thomas Fielding served the ministry in the Church of England, initially at Papworth under Mr Spurling, a priest.