Field was born at Chesham, Buckinghamshire and joined the Royal Navy, becoming a lieutenant on 20 December 1851. From 1 January 1857 he was a lieutenant on gunneryship HMS Excellent at Portsmouth. He was promoted to Commander on 16 June 1859. On 31 January 1863 he became Commander in HMS Trincomalee, Royal Naval reserve training ship at Sunderland On 23 July 1866 he commander a cruiser under commissioning at Portsmouth, and on 10 August 1866 became Commander in HMS Helicon of the Channel squadron. He retired from the navy as a captain and in 1881 was living at The Grove, Alverstoke, Hampshire with his wife Mary Ann. He was a J. P.