code: private Set<Annotation> getFieldAnnotations(final Class<?> clazz)
  	{
  		try
  		{
  			return new LinkedHashSet<Annotation>(asList(clazz.getDeclaredField(propertyName).getAnnotations()));
  		}
  		catch (final NoSuchFieldException e)
  		{
  			if (clazz.getSuperclass() != null)
  			{
  				return getFieldAnnotations(clazz.getSuperclass());
  			}
  			else
  			{
  				logger.debug("Cannot find propertyName: {}, declaring class: {}", propertyName, clazz);
  				return new LinkedHashSet<Annotation>(0);
  			}
  		}
  	}
docs: Private function to allow looking for the field recursively up the superclasses.
  
  @param clazz
  @return