William Fielding was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, April 1, 1796, received his education at Cynthiana, Kentucky, and later studied medicine. He set up practice in Madison County. He also practiced medicine in Lebanon and later in Franklin, where he was married to Miss Vail. Finally, on July of 1824 he moved to Sidney, Ohio, where he resided until his death.
Dr. Fielding was eminently successful in his chosen profession of medicine, as well as being an exemplary member and ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church.
M. W. Brother Fielding was made a Mason in Lebanon Lodge No. 26 at Lebanon, Ohio, in June of 1817. He later received the chapter degrees in Lebanon, and was among the first in Ohio to receive the council degrees. He joined Mt. Vernon Commandery of Worthington, Ohio with M. W. Brother John Snow presiding.
It is said that Dr. Fielding had no superior as a ritualist and perhaps no equal. He studied the Webb Ritual in 1818 from John Snow, then Grand Master of Masons in Ohio. Dr. Fielding possessed an unusual power of memorization and even in his later years, he would rehearse the entire Ritual of the three symbolic degrees with an accuracy and impressiveness that was outstanding.
In 1818 he was elected Master of Eastern Star Lodge No. 55 at Franklin, and appointed Deputy Grand Lecturer by Grand Master Snow. In 1824 he was appointed Grand Lecturer and re-elected to this position annually up to 1830, when he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio.
In 1825 he united with others in organizing Temperance Lodge No. 73 in Sidney and became its first Master. In fact, he was the only Master of Temperance Lodge for nearly forty years. He was elected Grand Lecturer once more in 1834 and again in 1847-48. During his last official term, he formed a class and taught its members thoroughly the rituals in symbolic Masonry, some of whom went into other states and, as Grand Lecturers, taught the rituals as received from him.
Fielding Lodge No. 192, South Charleston, was named in honor of M. W. Bro. Fielding, he having met with the officers on many occasions while the Lodge was under Dispensation to instruct them in the ritual.
M. W. Brother Fielding was taken ill in May of 1871, and a few months afterward took to his bed. November of the same year, his residence caught fire about midnight. Being situated outside of town, assistance was slow in reaching him. During the excitement he rose and pulling the bedding from the bedstead, dragged it out of the house and down the lawn out of reach of the flames, where he threw himself upon it, completely exhausted, giving instructions to others.
M. W. Brother Fielding was a man of fine abilities and his opinion on almost all subjects was valuable. He was a courteous and dignified gentleman, having led a quiet life on his farm near town until 1863, when he was elected to the legislature and re-elected again in 1867.
M. W. Brother Fielding departed this life on Monday, February 17, 1872 at the age of 77. His funeral was conducted by Mt. Vernon Commandery, and he was buried on Friday, February 21, 1872 in Graceland Cemetery Section 2, Lot 85, Sidney, Ohio.