New Kent County Courthouse, New Kent, VA

The village of New Kent appears to have been the County seat since 1691 from land given to county by William Basset of Eltham Plantation.  Prior to this location, the courthouse was located at Brickhouse on the York River.  Most of the County’s colonial records were destroyed in the burning of the clerk’s office in 1787, and later records were destroyed in the burning of Richmond during the Civil War.

New York Excelsior Cuff Button

Found this nice button in a local field that has produced numerous Civil War and colonial relics. I’ve never had any luck cleaning these buttons but this one looks like it has tons of gilt left so I may give it a shot.

Quick hunt close to home yeilds a couple bullets and and eagle infantry button

Stopped by a field today to get permission but got denied.  Since I don’t give up too easy I was able to secure permission for a couple of adjacent houses.  Was only there for 30 minutes but was able to pull out a nice Eagle I button and some lead.

Road to Bottom’s Bridge

I’ve had my eye on this property for a while now and recently gained permission to hunt it.  It’s not a big field but does have an old home site and also borders an old road which at one time ran from the court house to Bottom’s Bridge.

I’ve been there for two Saturdays now and have found a handful of colonial flat buttons, a ball button, musket balls and a other colonial relics.  These finds were mostly found around the perimeter of the field away from the home site.  Before I left yesterday, I ventured over to the old home site and within minutes found a union three ringer which isn’t a confirmation that this site was a union camp but gives hope that my research was correct.  I am mainly concentrating on the field this fall/winter and will focus on the home site next spring.