| Both George Fielder and
John
Fielder were born in Fritham, a small village in Hampshire, between
Fordingbridge and Cadnam, and it is likely that they were either brothers
or cousins. John Fielder, the elder of the two Fielder
photographers, was born in Fritham around 1836. John Fielder was a
builder by trade and in 1866 he is listed as a "builder & undertaker" in
North Street, Chichester. The first Fielder to have a business in
Chichester appears to have been Thomas Fielder, who in 1851 was a
plumber based in Orchard Terrace, Chichester. In Melville & Co.'s Sussex
Directory of 1858, Thomas Fielder is listed as a plumber, glazier
and painter working from Orchard Terrace in Chichester. George
Fielder, who was born in Fritham around 1847, was living in
Chichester at No.13 Orchard Terrace at the time of the 1871 census,
which seems to suggest a family connection with Thomas Fielder, the
Chichester plumber. A firm of
photographers called Fielder & Co. are listed with business
premises in North Street, Chichester in Kelly's Post Office
Directory of 1866. The backs of the cartes-de-visite produced by Fielder
& Co. carry the words "FIELDER & Co, Photographers & Picture Frame
Makers, North Street, Chichester". The trade directory of 1866 also
details Fielder & Co. as a firm of stationers with a "Fancy Repository"
in North Street. George Fielder must have been a junior member of
the family firm in 1866, but there is evidence that he was primarily
involved with the photography side of the business. The 1871 census,
records George Fielder as a "Photographer's Shopman", aged 24, boarding
at No.13 Orchard Terrace, Chichester. Photographs produced by Fielder
& Co. in the 1870s carry the studio address of 14 North Street,
Chichester. In the mid 1870s, the studio at 14 North Street,
Chichester carried the name of The Chichester Photographic Co.,
but presumably the studio was still owned by Fielder & Co.
In the December Quarter of 1872,
George Fielder married Sarah Wilkins (born 1841, Ashling, Sussex),
the daughter of William and Lucy Wilkins of Funtington. The marriage was
registered in the Westbourne District, which covered Sarah's home parish
of Funtington, which was situated 5 miles north-west of Chichester. In
1875, a son, named Ernest, was born to George and Sarah Fielder in
Chichester. Around 1877, Fielder & Co. decided to set up a branch studio
in Worthing. The firm acquired the photographic studio at 16
High Street, Worthing, previously occupied by
Josiah Russell
(born 1839, Chichester) one of the sons of the well known Chichester
photographer James Russell (1809-1899). George Fielder, together
with his wife Sarah and two year old son Ernest, moved to Worthing to
manage the Fielder & Co branch studio.
John Fielder
The transfer of Josiah Russell's Worthing
studio to George Fielder may have been arranged by John Fielder,
who had married Ruth Russell (born 1837, Chichester), Josiah's
sister. John Fielder is known to have worked as a photographer
for Russell & Sons in
the latter part of his working career, but in the census returns for 1871 and 1881,
he gives his main occupation as "builder", rather than
"photographer". Initially, John Fielder must have been successful in the
building trade, because in 1881, at the age of 45, he is described as a
"Master Builder.. Employing 55 Men". At some point, John Fielder took
over the running of his father-in-law's studio in Chichester. When the
1891 census was taken, John Fielder is shown residing with his wife Ruth at 65 East Street,
Chichester, the photographic studio of
Russell & Sons. The
enumerator has entered John Fielder on the 1891 census return as both
"Photographer" and "Employer". ( James Russell, the founder of
the firm, would have been eighty-one years of age at the time of the
1891 census). No children are recorded in this or any other census, but,
in the 1891 census, the 65 East Street address is shared by John
Fielder's sister-in-law Mrs Esther RusselI, the wife of
John Lemmon Russell who
controlled Russell & Sons' London studios. In the 1901 Census, John
Fielder, now aged 65, is still working as a photographer at the
East Street studio.
George Fielder
George Fielder managed Fielder &
Co.'s Worthing studio for about four years until around 1881. A son and
daughter were born in Worthing during this period - Nora Kate Fielder
was born in 1877 and William Fielder arrived in 1879.
When the 1881 census was taken, George
Fielder and his family were living in Oving, three miles east from
Chichester. George Fielder is described in the census return as a
"Photographer", aged 34.
It appears that George Fielder
moved from Sussex to Wimbledon some time in the 1880s. The Chichester firm of
James Russell
& Sons had a branch studio at 28 Wimbledon Hill, 2 Hill Road,
Wimbledon, Surrey and it is thought that George Fielder was for a time employed as
the manager of the Wimbledon branch. However, when the 1891 Census was
taken, George Fielder is shown living at 15 Alexander Road, Wimbledon
and he gives his occupation as Photographer (Employer) which suggests he
had either become the proprietor of Russell & Sons' studio in
Wimbledon or was running his own photography business in the
town. Other sources indicate
that George Fielder was operating a studio in Wimbledon under his own
name in 1895. At the time
of the 1901 Census, George Fielder, who is described as a
"Photographer", aged 54, is shown living in North Wimbledon with his
wife Sarah, aged 60, his twenty-four year old daughter Nora, and his two
sons, Ernest, aged 25, and twenty-one year old William. Both Ernest
Fielder and William Fielder worked as photographers in their
father's Wimbledon studio.
George Fielder died in 1914. His two
sons, Ernest Fielder and William Fielder carried on the photography
business. In 1928 the two brothers bought a booksellers and stationery
business at 54 Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon. Over seventy years later
Fielders was still operating in Wimbledon, selling books, stationery,
office supplies and art materials.
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[ABOVE] The reverse of an early carte-de-visite portrait
by Fielder & Co. of North Street, Chichester (c1866) . |
[ABOVE] An early carte-de-visite portrait of a seated woman by
Fielder & Co. of North Street, Chichester (c1866). |
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a seated man by Fielder &
Co. of North Street, Chichester (c1870). |
[ABOVE] The reverse of an carte-de-visite portrait by
Fielder & Co. of 14 North Street, Chichester (c1883) . |
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