Sir John Fielding (16 September 1721 – 4 September 1780) was a notable
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
and
social reform
A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary move ...
er of the 18th century. He was also the younger half-brother of
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
,
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and chief magistrate
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel '' Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...
. Despite being
blinded in a naval accident at the age of 19, John set up his own business and, in his spare time, studied law with Henry.
Appointed Henry's personal assistant in 1750, John helped him to root out corruption and improve the competence of those engaged in administering justice in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. They formed the first professional
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
force, the
Bow Street Runners
The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1 ...
. Through the regular circulation of a
police gazette containing descriptions of known
criminals, Fielding also established the basis for the first police
criminal records department.
When Henry died in 1754, John was appointed
magistrate at Bow Street in his place, becoming renowned as the "Blind Beak", and allegedly being able to recognize three thousand criminals by the sounds of their voices. He also continued to develop his ideas on crime prevention and youth employment, helping to found the Asylum for Orphan Girls in
Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...
in 1758. He was
knighted in 1761.
Bibliography
*
In popular culture
*
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
used John Fielding as a character in his ''
Barnaby Rudge
''Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty'' (commonly known as ''Barnaby Rudge'') is a historical novel by British novelist Charles Dickens. ''Barnaby Rudge'' was one of two novels (the other was ''The Old Curiosity Shop'') that Dickens publ ...
''.
*
Leon Garfield
Leon Garfield FRSL (14 July 1921 – 2 June 1996) was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for children's historical novels, though he also wrote for adults. He wrote more than thirty books and scripted '' Shakespeare: The Animated Ta ...
's ''Smith'' (1967), which deals with London's underworld,
highwaymen
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to fo ...
and
footpad
In archaic terminology, a footpad is a robber or thief specialising in pedestrian victims. The term was used widely from the 16th century until the 19th century, but gradually fell out of common use. A footpad was considered a low criminal, as opp ...
s, contains a blind justice.
* A 1984 West German television series ''
The Blind Judge
''The Blind Judge'' (German: ''Der blinde Richter'') is a 1984 West German historical crime television series broadcast on ARD in thirteen episodes.Apropos, Film p.128 It is based on the career of the eighteenth century British magistrate John Fi ...
'' is based on his career, with
Franz Josef Steffens
Franz Josef Steffens (1923–2006) was a German stage, film and television actor.Ackermann & Schülting p.234
Selected filmography
* '' Die Verrohung des Franz Blum'' (1974)
* '' Jerusalem, Jerusalem'' (1979, TV series)
* '' The Blind Judge'' (1 ...
playing Fielding
* John Fielding is a key secondary character in ''Lempriere's Dictionary'' (1991) by
Lawrence Norfolk
Lawrence Norfolk (born 1963) is a British novelist known for historical works with complex plots and intricate detail.
Biography
Though born in London, Norfolk lived in Iraq until 1967 and then in the West Country of England. He read Engli ...
although he was dead at the time the scenes were set.
* A fictionalized Sir John Fielding is the protagonist of eleven historical detective novels published from 1994 to 2005. Set in
Britain's Georgian period, the series was written by American author
Bruce Cook under the pseudonym ''Bruce Alexander''.
* John Fielding is an important character in the historical detective novel ''Death in the Dark Walk'' (1994), written by
Deryn Lake.
* John Fielding is played by
David Fox in the 1997 BBC production of ''
Tom Jones'', where he appears as the judge presiding over the protagonist's trial.
* John Fielding is portrayed by
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
in the 2006 British television film of ''
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial ''The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London urban legend, legend. A barber fr ...
'', starring
Ray Winstone
Raymond Andrew Winstone (; born 19 February 1957) is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perha ...
.
* The 2008
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
television series ''
City of Vice'' is based on the crime investigation work of the Fielding brothers.
Iain Glen
Iain Alan Sutherland Glen (born 24 June 1961) is a Scottish actor. Glen is best known for his roles as Dr. Alexander Isaacs/Tyrant in three films of the ''Resident Evil'' film series (2004–2016) and as Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO fantasy t ...
plays John Fielding.
* John Fielding is a recurring supporting character in a series of Benjamin Franklin mysteries by Robert Lee Hall—set in London during the late 1750s. In many instances Fielding himself requests Franklin's help solving a murder.
External links
The Blind Beak of Bow Streetby
John DashneySir John Fieldingat the
National Portrait GalleryManuscript Minutes of the Lambeth Orphan's Asylumat the
University of Pennsylvania Libraries
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
detailing Fielding's involvement].
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fielding, John
1721 births
1780 deaths
Blind people from England
18th-century English judges
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
Knights Bachelor
Legal history of England
British social reformers