NameSir John Field Sr.
Birthabt 1530, East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England
Death3 May 1587, East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England
FatherRichard Felde (~1500-1542)
MotherElizabeth (~1510-)
Misc. Notes
DOB given as abt 1530
# 42
John (2) Field, son of Richard and Elizabeth Felde, was born about 1535, at East Ardsley, and married, in 1560, Jane, daughter of John Amyas. She died August 30, 1609, and he died May, 1587. He was an eminent astronomer, and introduced into England in 1557 the Copernican system,against the opposition of the scientist of his day, and in recognitionof this service to astronomy a sphere was later added to and surmounted the family coat-of-arms.

The proto-Copernican Astronomer of England, inasmuch as he was the first to make known in that country by his writings the discoveries of this remarkable man, who delayed for a long time the publication of hisfamous work. on accountof the opposition and persecution to be feared from persons who considered its teachings opposed to those of the Bible. Although completed in 1530, it was not printed till 1543, when its author was on his death-bed. Works based on the new system (which revolutionized the science of astronomy) by Rheticus and Reinhold had appeared in Germany a few years earlier, but the "Ephemeris" of John Field for 1557 which was published in that year, was the first opportunity afforded the people o England of becoming acquainted with the true motions of the heavenly bodies. In the following year he issued a similar work, calculated for1 558, 1559, 1560. Probably these were not his only publications, but no others have come down to us, and only two copies of these are known to exist, the British Museum and Bodleian Library, at Oxford, each possessing both works.

John Field, of East Ardsley. co-executor of his father's will, had thefamily arms confirmed, and a crest granted to him. By a patent, dated Sept. 4. 1558, the heralds formerly recognized his right to the family arms; Sable, a chevron between three garbs argent, and at the same time they granted to him the following crest: A dexter arm issuing outof clouds fesseways proper, habited gules, holding in the hand, also proper, a sphere or. This appropriate crest may be considered a recognition of his services to the cause of astronomy.
The Herald's visitation at Yorkshire in 1585 records the names and crest of himself, wife and 9 children. His will, dated Dec. 28, 1586, was proved May 3, 1587- Jane, daughter of John Amyas, of Kent, executrixof her husband's will. Her own is dated July 17. 1609. Buried at EastArdsley, Aug. 3. 1609.
John (3), son of John (2) and Jane Field, was born about 1568, in Ardsley, and moved away before attaining his majority. Record of his death has not been found.
Spouses
1Jane Amyas
Birthabt 1535, Kent, England
Death30 Aug 1609, East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England
FatherJohn Amyas Esq. (~1505-~1553)
MotherAnne Stace (~1510-~1553)
ChildrenRichard (~1562-1587)
 Matthew (1563-1631)
 Christopher (1565-1658)
 John (1568-~1636)
 William (~1570-1623)
 Thomas (~1572-~1574)
 James (~1574->1605)
 Theophilus (<1574-<1636)
 Martin (~1577-~1658)
 Anne (1580-1581)
Last Modified 18 Dec 2019Created 7 May 2020 using Reunion for Macintosh