Theophilus Field was born and christened 22 January 1573/74. [1]
"He was bishop of Hereford, and eldest son of the Rev. John Field, and was born in Cripplegate, London, and baptized there Jan. 22, 1574. He was brother of Nathaniel Field, the actor. He was educated at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, of which he was elected a fellow on Oct. 9, 1598. In 1599 he proceeded M.A.. and was incorporated at Oxford July 16, 1600 (Wood, Athene Oxon., ed. Bliss, i. 536, ii. Ma; Fasti Oxon. i. 288). He subsequently became B.D. and D.D. In 1610 he was vicar of Mashfield, Sussex (Mayfield vicarage or Maresiield rectory may be meant); he was also rector of Cotton, Suffolk, and became vicar of Lydd, Kent, in io11 (Hasted, Kent, fol. edit. iii. 517). The king appointed him one of his chaplains, and he acted in the same capacity to Bacon when lord chancellor (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1619-23, p. 238). John Chamberlain in a letter to Carleton, dated June 2, 1619, described Field as "a sort of broker" for the chancellor in his peculations (ib. Dom. 1619-23. p. 260). It is evident that he took no very exalted view of his profession, nor ever troubled himself much about its duties. By the interest of the Duke of Buckingham, he was consecrated bishop of Llandaff on Oct. 10, 1619 (Le Neve, Fasti, ed. Hardy, ii. 253), but being dissatisfied with the smallness of the revenue he pestered the duke with letters urging his poverty, his having a wite and six chil dren to maintain, and vowing to spend his blood for him if he would get him a better bishopric, such as Hereford (Willis, Survey of Cathedrals, ii. 526-7). In 1621 Field was impeached by the Commons for brocage and bribery before his promo tion, on the accusation of one Edward Egerton. His defense as regards the charge of bribery was deemed satisfactory by the lords, "but as it was not a fitting thing for a clergyman to be concerned in a brocage of such a nature, the house," says Carte, "required the Archbishop of Canterbury to give him an admonition as Dr. Field, not as bishop of Llandaff, in the Convocation house, which was done accordingly" (Hist. of England, iv. 77-8). Despite this check, Field still persevered in his suit to Buckingham, and as the result of a letter written in August, 1627. he was trans lated to the see of St. David's in the following September (Le Neve, i. 302-3). Though his income was :thus quadrupled, he found the air of his new diocese to disagree with him. When asked by the king why he lingered on at Broad Sanct uary, Westminster, he gave as the reasons "want of health and means of recovery in that desolate' place, his diocese, where there is not so much as a leech to cure a sick horse" (Letter to Endymion Porter dated Oct. 31, 1629, in Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1629-31, p 84). However, in 1630 he managed to hold a visitation of the chapter, in which he solemnly confirmed the acts and statutes of his predecessors, and then, in due form, by and with the consent of the chapter, decreed that his cathedral should be whitewashed (Jones and Freeman, History of St. David's, p. 171). On Dec. 15, 1635, Field reached the summit of his ambition by being elected bishop of Hereford (Le Neve, i. 471.)
He died on June 2, 1636, and was buried at the east end of the north aisle in Hereford cathedral. Against the north wall, under a canopy, lined with ermine, and supported by two angels, is a bust of him in his pontificals, and in the attitude of preaching (Duncomb, Herefordshire, i. 574-5). His will, bearing date July 31, 1635, was proved on July 26, 1636, by his widow, Alice (Registered in P. C. C. 82, Pile). He wrote, says, Wood, "A Christian Preparation to the Lord's Supper," 8vo, 1624, "besides several sermons and other things" (Fasto. i. 288-9). He contributed to and apparently edited "An Italian's Dead Bodie Stuckl with English Flowers. Elegies on the Death of Sir Oratio Pallavincino," London, 1600. Poor commendatory verses by him are prefixed to Sir John Straddling's "Divine Poems," 1625 (Wood, Athens Oxon. ii. 395)."[2]
Theophilus Feeld married Alisia Playfere on 7 Feb 1611/12 at St Botolph, Cambridgeshire, calling into question the purported children born earlier.[3][4][5]
Children:[6]
1. Theophilus, b. about 1596
2. William, b. about 1598
3. John, b. about 1600
4. James, b. about 1604
On appointment to Bishop, he complained that he had a wife and six children to support, so there may be two other children, likely daughters.[2]
His name was also spelled Theofolus.[7]