Born c1776 in Bath, the husband of Sarah Fifield and possibly the father of John Fifield (51C).
It is believed that William Fifield worked at the Water Lane Pottery for a number of years in the early 19th century (Pountney 1920, 112). It is suggested that he painted the panel of four tiles depicting the Bristol Pottery and dated 15 February 1820, while a plaque bears the name ‘W. Fifield’ and the date 1849 (Pountney 1920, 179-180). Pountney (1920, 181) thought that some of the wares were painted by William Fifield’s son, also called William, but there is no documentary evidence to support this.
Owen (1873, 289) states that ‘William Fifield, [was] a painter, who worked at Water Lane pottery as an enameller for fifty years, and died in 1857, aged eighty’.
| 1813 | 19 Sep. He married Mary Ann Moore at St Michael’s church (Ancestry website). |
| 1816 | 4 Aug. China enameller, Temple parish (JaPR). |
| 1820 | 21 May. His son John was baptised at St John’s church, Bedminster (Ancestry website). |
| 1839 | 24 Sep. Noted as a potter when his daughter Elizabeth of East Street, Bedminster, married William Hill, a mariner (JBPR). |
| 1845 | 30 Nov. Noted as a china printer when his daughter Mary of Cathay married James Perry, a smith (TPR). |
| 1847 | He re-married to Sarah (Ancestry website). |
| 1851 | Enameller of china, 7 Gough’s Court, Temple parish (75), living with his wife Sarah (76) a potter transferer, born in Bristol (51C). |
| 1857 | 19 Aug. Buried at Holy Trinity, Stapleton, aged 80 years (Ancestry website). |
| Children: Wife Mary Elizabeth, bapt 4 Aug 1816 (JaPR), John, born c1820, said to have been the son of William Fifield (Owen 1873, 355), Mary, married 30 Nov 1845 (TPR) |