Wayne County, NC GenWeb

It is believed William B., Lemuel and Josiah Fields were sons of Jeremiah and Mary Fields of Greene County and are named in the family bible. These same three names appear in Wayne County deeds as early as 1841. James Addison Fields and family first appeared in Wayne County deeds in 1852 and all these families appeared in the same area.

William Coffield Fields Bible states:
William Brickle Fields, son of Jeremiah Fields and his wife Mary, was born the fourth day of July, 1813
Wm. B. Fields and Mary Frances King were married 5th June 1855
Wm. B. Fields departed this life, Saturday, May 11th 1878 at ll o'clock PM
Mary F. Fields, wife of Wm. B. Fields, daughter of Coffield and Louisa King, departed this life Wednesday, Jan. 3rd 1900 at 2 1/2 o'clock, PM aged 74 years

Fayetteville Observer, January 5, 1900
Death of Mr. W. C. Fields' Mother
Mrs. Mary F. Fields, widow of W. B. Fields, of Edgecombe county, and mother of our esteemed countyman, Mr. W. C. Fields, died in Tarboro Wednesday afternoon, after more than a year's illness. The deceased, who was in her 74th year, leaves only two children, Mr. Fields above mentioned and Mrs. J. K. Gannis, of Goldsboro. The funeral took place yesrterday afternoon from the Presbyterian Church, Tarboro. Mr. Fields, who was with his mother at the time of her death, returned to Fayetteville today.

Familysearch

William B. Fields Estate - Probate 1882, Wayne County, NC

Widow Mary F. Fields - Children Catharine T. Fields, William C. Fields and Mary L. Hancock wife of Franklin W. Hancock.

----- No date - Superior Court for Sale of land for Partition

Mary F. Fields and Catharine T. Fields, an infant, by her next friend Mary F. Fields Plaintiffs
VS
Wm. C. Fields, Mary L. Hancock and her husband Franklin W. Hancock and John R. Smith Defendants.

Plaintiffs amending this complaint complain and allege:

That Mary F. Fields is the widow of the late Wm. B. Fields who has been dead for some years, and the other plaintiff Catharine T. Fields is the infant daughter of said Wm. B. Fields and defendants Wm. C. Fields and Mary L. Hancock are the only other children of Wm. B. Fields and Mary F. Fields and heirs at law of said Wm. B. Fields deceased.

That Wm. B. Fields at the time of his death owned land in Wayne containing two acres. That plaintiff Mary F. Fields is entitled to dower in the said land as the widow, that the other children are tenants in common to the land subject to the said dower to be equally divided into three equal parts but the quantity and quality of the land, it can not be divided without injury to the interest of the respective interests of the parties except by sale.

That said Mary F. Fields supposing that the said two acres formed a part of the adjoining tract of ninety six acres which she had purchased from Coffield King included it in her sale of the said adjoining land to the defendant John R. Smith.

Wherefore the plaintiffs demand judgment:

1. For the appointment of a suitable person to sell the interest of the said Catharine T., Wm. C. Fields and Mary L. Hancock at pubic auction and for such others and further relief as shall see proper.

Allen and Isler Attorneys for the Plaintiffs

----- December 1, 1882 - Decree of Sale

Mary F. Fields and Catharine T. Fields by her next friend Mary F. Fields
VS
Wm. C. Fields, Mary L. Hancock and Franklin W. Hancock and John R. Smith

Mary F. Fields is entitled to dower in the said lands and had the right to sell her life estate in the one third part of said lands, and that the said Catharine T. Fields, Wm. C. Fields and Mary L. Hancock are tenants in common of said lands as heirs at law of Wm. B. Fields and each entitled to one third part of said land.

The court doth declare that actual partition can not be made thereof without injury to the interest of the parties. It is therefore ordered and decreed that Wm. A. Allen, after 30 days advertisement at the Court House door in Goldsboro and three other public places and proceed to sell the land at the court house to the highest bidder at public auction for cash and report his proceedings within ten days from his sale.

----- January 15, 1883 - Report of Sale to the Clerk of Superior Court

The undersigned respectfully reports that he, on the 1st day of January AD 1883 at the Court House in Goldsboro, offered the land described in the pleadings when John R. Smith became the purchaser of the interest and title of the heirs at law at the price of $10 per acre and $20 for the two acres, and he is ready to pay the cash whenever the court will confirm the sale and order a title. Wm. A. Allen.