I have probably done more on the early Fields family than Ima and Aileen because that family was my assignment from them when I first started this passion. They would not tell me how to go about this, but work Virginia - what a learning process. There is not a shred of even circumstantial evidence that any of the children attributed to Brittle Fields were his other than he APPEARS to have had children based on the Census and the name Brickle or Brittle does appear in the Jeremiah line. Nor is there any evidence that Mary was a Mercer but the names so indicate that may have been the case. Bartholomew with the Pension, was from Dobbs - the known possible fathers are slim. It is what is not known that bothers me. I found Brittle on the 1754 Involvant List of Sussex County, Va. That is the year Sussex was split from Surry. Several of us have assumed that his parents were John and Jane Barker Fields but there is no proof. A Jane does appear in Dobbs Co with land Grants as does a William. There was a Richard and Ann FIelds in Surry/Sussex - Richard died ca 1754. THere are records for their children in the Parish Records and Bartholomew Fields was the godfather for at least one of them. Bartholomew disappears from the Wills and deeds about 1755. THere was a Brittle family with the name Bartholomew all through it in Surry at the right time but I can't find a connection. None of the Barker names show up in any Dobbs Fields line. Last week, I backtracked in both counties as a number of abstracts are available now that were not available 20 years ago. I still can't find anything that sheds light. Need to find out of Haun has done or is working on Vol 3 of the Sussex COurt Records and find out if other Tax List exists for either county that I have not already found. THere is not a hint of where RIchard, Brittle or Bartholomew came from as the only earlier Fields was John. Did Bartholomew move to Dobbs Co and there is just no record of him, maybe because he died early? Who knows. Martha