The Family of Richard H. Field

This is one of the recollections written by Wallace A. McKay and published in The Pioneer-News. Follow the "Recollections" link above to find others of his writings.

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The Pioneer-News, January 27, 1933, pages 1, 4

Members of the Shepherdsville Bar from 1879 to 1889:
Hon. Richard H. Field and Sister, Mary Jane, the wife of Col. Henry Trunnell.

A Sketch of His Career

When the writer was a small boy, just starting to attend school at Shepherdsville, the leading and most prominent lawyer in Bullitt County was Richard H. Field. who lived in a beautiful home fronting the railroad, with a long porch, surrounded by a yard containing a wealth of shrubbery and flowers and many beautiful shade trees. The yard of the home extended more than a half block from the street leading to the elevated foot bridge, near the end of the yard, which was used by pedestrians going from the town to the depot. In the rear of the house was a very large back yard containing flowers and fruit trees, a great arbor and a very large garden. The dwelling house and surroundings were large, airy, commodious and comfortable and were always kept in the pink of condition, indeed it was by common consent, one of the most attractive homes in the town.

Richard H. Field was born in Shepherdsville on August 5, 1823 and lived in Bullitt County all his life. He was a tall, stalwart Kentuckian, nearly six feet in height, always cleanly shaven, with a head of iron gray hair, was usually attired in black broadcloth, wearing a silk stove-pipe hat and carried a monogram ivory headed cane. He was a man of distinguished bearing, who would have attracted attention in the most elite circles by his personality and distinctiveness He was of fine education and culture and such dignity and poise of manner as to command the respect of all his fellow men Both he and his wife descended from the finest pioneer families of Kentucky and their home was the center of many social events and noted for its hospitality.

He frequently was called upon to sit as Special Judge, both of the County and the Circuit. Court, and thereby was called "Judge" by many of the people of Bullitt County. He began the practice of law at Shepherdsville in 1847, just before the War with Mexico, after studying law in the law office of the celebrated Ben Hardin at Bardstown, Kentucky for two years. Ben Hardin, at that time, was in the prime of life and was one of the ablest lawyers and advocates Kentucky ever produced. To have such an eminent tutor was of inestimable advantage to the young law student of Bullitt County and was fully appreciated by him. The fact that he was drilled and trained in the law office of Ben Hardin gave no little prestige to Mr. Field, and he soon attained quite a reputation as a careful, studious, painstaking and skilled practitioner, and was known to be especially proficient and successful in land and equity cases.

He was not only the first lawyer of the Bullitt County Bar for a score of years just after the Civil War but was frequently called to other counties and to the city of Louisville as consulting Counsel in important cases. In view of the fact that Richard H. Field was one of the first citizens of the county for such a long period of time, a sketch of his life and family connections will, no doubt, be of much interest to the readers of the Pioneer-News:

Richard H. Field was the eldest son of Abraham and Elizabeth Simmons Field. His mother, Elizabeth Simmons was a member of one of the pioneer families of Bullitt County, related to all the family of that name who have lived in Bullitt County during the last three generations. Mrs. Field's youngest sister, Josephine Swearingen, a very attractive young woman of many accomplishments, became the wife of another young lawyer recently arrived in Bullitt County, R. J. Meyler.

Abraham Field emigrated from Virginia to Bullitt County in 1809, the year of the birth of Kentucky's notable son, Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Field became a large land owner and was an extensive farmer, raising stock and owning many slaves. He died at Shepherdsville on August 1st 1852, and is buried in the old cemetery just west of the town, his grave being marked with a tablet giving the date of his birth and death.

Richard H. Field, the subject of this sketch, was only 29 years old at the time of his father's death, his mother, Elizabeth Simmons Field having died in 1840, when Richard was only 17 years of age. Richard H. Field had two brothers and two sisters. His brothers were A. Hamilton Field who was also a lawyer of note, and Alfred Field. For a number of years the two brothers practiced law together at Shepherdsville under the firm name of R. H. and A. H. Field. A number of records in the old suits filed in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office are signed by the name of the firm.

Continued until next week

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The Pioneer-News, February 3, 1933, pages 1-2

Continued from last issue

A. Hamilton Field moved to Dallas, Texas in 1879, where he lived to a ripe old age and acquired considerable prestige as a land lawyer. Alfred Field, the other brother, moved to Louisville, where he died in the year 1890.

Richard Field married Katherine Swearingen, daughter of W. W. Swearingen, one of the pioneer citizens of Bullitt County, about the year of 1858, and there was born unto them the following children: Julia Franklin Field, who became the wife of Hon. Edward Briscoe of Jefferson County, Kentucky, and who died in early womanhood, leaving one son, Harry F. Briscoe, long prominent in the business life of Louisville and Jefferson County; Abraham Field, Richard H. "Dixie" Field Jr., Katherine Elizabeth Field, the wife of Mr. Lucien Graham of Bowling Green who has four sons, three of whom are living, all highly esteemed and prominent business men, viz. Kelley Graham, president of the First National Bank of Jersey City, New Jersey, Hamilton Field Graham, connected with the Cities Service Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Lucien Graham Jr. with the Mid-Continent Petroleum Co. of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

One of Richard H. Field's sister's, Elizabeth, married S. Brook; the sister, Mary Jane, was married twice; her first husband was Captain Jacob Bowman a leading farmer of Bardstown Junction who died early in life leaving one son, Abraham Bowman, who built on the old home place the substantial brick residence which is yet a well preserved, substantial structure. The farm and home was purchased by the late Richard Wathen and is now owned and occupied by his son, Richard Wathen Jr. connected with the L. & N. railroad.

Abraham Bowman married Miss Callahan of Louisville, who is yet living and has two sons, one of whom, Abraham H. Bowman is a prominent and active Business Man of Louisville. Mary Jane Field's second husband was Mr. Henry Trunnell of Bardstown Junction, a very prominent and popular citizen who raised a large family and was well known and greatly respected and esteemed all over Bullitt County. He was the father of William, Neil, Morgan, and Tom Trunnell and two daughters Ella and Elizabeth, and the grandfather of Neil and Henry Trunnell who now live near Shepherdsville. There was no finer citizen or more enterprising, generous, public spirited man ever lived in Bullitt County, within the recollection of the writer than Col. Henry Trunnell of Bardstown Junction.

His second son, William who was a very talented and popular young business man died in early life on the eve of a career of great promise.

Mrs Katherine Swearingen Field, the wife of R. H. Field, was the sister of Hon. George Swearingen of Louisville, who attained great distinction as a successful business man and financer. He acquired a large fortune in the Distilling and Banking business. He was the father of Embry L. Swearingen, president of the First National Bank and The Kentucky Title Co, who died recently after a wonderfully successful career.

Richard H. Field died at Shepherdsville in 1881, after a long and lingering illness, having been attended by Dr. Samuel A. McKay, one of his old time friends and neighbors. His widow, Katherine Swearingen Field, only survived him a few months, dying at Shepherdsville on September 13th 1881. The older citizens of Bullitt County will recall the Field Family with pleasant memories as they were loved and esteemed by a host of friends and relatives for their high character, devotion to duty, their culture and refinement, their Christian faith and fortitude, through all the vicissitudes of life, and their kindness and hospitality to all who came within the radius of their influence. Their sympathy, patience and love of children will always be enshrined as one of the golden memories in the mind and heart of the writer.

As a Lawyer, Richard H. Field stood at the head of his profession and followed in his practice the biggest ideals of the Bench and the Bar. His counsel and advice were sought far and wide by the younger members of the Bar. The other members of the Bar at the time of Mr. Field's death, practicing at Shepherdsville were Judge William R. Thompson, R. J. Meyler, Frank P. Straus, Charles Carroll and J. W. Croan. The careers of these men will be discussed in later articles.

W. A. M.

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