William A. Feilds

American politician

William A. Feilds


Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
In office 1885–1886

Personal details
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican

William A. Fields^{[N 1]} (between c. 1846 and 1852 – September 9, 1898) was an American schoolteacher and principal who served one term as a Republican legislator in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1885 to 1886. He was also elected a member of the Shelby County county court, a legislative body, and a justice of the peace.^[1] He was born an enslaved person.

The American documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? (2011) revealed that he is the paternal great-great-grandfather of actress, singer and Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams and of actor Chris Williams and the maternal great-great-great-grandfather of Jillian Hervey.^[2]^[1]

Notes

^ Historical records do not agree on the spelling of his surname; it has been alternatively spelled Field, Fields and Feild. According to the state of Tennessee, Feilds himself preferred this spelling.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "African American Legislators in 19th Century Tennessee: WILLIAM ALEXANDER FEILDS". State of Tennessee. Archived from the original on 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2015-09-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ "Who Do You Think You Are?: Season 2, Episode 1, Vanessa Williams (February, 2011)". Who Do You Think You Are?. 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2015-12-05.