Four Hour Hunt, Two Buttons, One VERY Old, I Think

[FoundInNC]

Hey yall, I went detecting today expecting a tough hunt, and that is exactly what I got. I am on the site of possible colonial period cabin, in the middle of what was a clear-cut forest 2 years ago. There are TONS of briars, and there is very little detectable ground. I was able to yank two keepers, one is a silver plated mini flat button, and the other is a possible colonial tombac button. The shank was steel, so it is gone. I am pretty pleased with the large tombac, it was five or so inches deep, and that is the deepest signal I have dug with my new AT Gold. I am really starting to wonder if it is deeper than the ACE 250. I am not thoroughly impressed as of yet with the new detector.

As I was walking out I decided to snap a shot of the gravestone in the small cemetery on the property. There are about 9 or 10 sets of headstones and footstones, and this one is the only marked one. It reads:

In Memory Of
John Stephens
Born
March 20 1795
Died Feb (BUCKSHOT DAMAGE)9 1851

​

I am assuming that this is the man that lived in the cabin. I am currently researching the family, and so far I am not doing well. I wish I could know who is in that cemetery. Enjoy the pictures, I didn't dig that 50 cent piece today.



kennedy for size comparison

Tombac front

Tombac rear, look at the machine markings from the lathe cut mold

another angle on the tombac button

TINIEST flat button I have dug to date

and it is silver plated

really cool pottery shards, are they old?

 

[bblaha]

Nice finds HH

 

[TNGUNS]

Killer site as well as finds. Hope you can clear it a little or find some way to hunt most of it. Keep the pics coming.

 

[g-olden years]

Really nice finds! Sure would be frustrating working between all those briars! Don't know what methods you're using to find out about the family, but consider old property ownership records, property tax records, church histories with members' names & possibly their birth, christening or death dates. Also talk to whomever currently owns the land as that may help you trace things back in time. Some of the online geneology websites offer a free 2-week or more trial membership, so that's another way to find out about the family name on that gravestone, by narrowing your search terms down to your town or county on the ancestry search. Though John Stephens possibly was the last person living in that cabin, someone cared enough about him to put up the headstone, probably another family member who lived there also or lived nearby. Your search would be easier if his name was more unusual!
Good luck! And please post any future finds from that old homestead! HH Andi

 

[fyrffytr1]

Try familysearch.org It's free.

 

[FoundInNC]

Thanks folks! I use google for my genealogy research. If I had a credit card I would try the ancestry site. Hopefully I can get a positive ID on the family. It would be really cool to be able to share that with yall! As of right now I only have been told that a certain individual that has passed away was the man's great great grandchild. Her son is still alive, but knows nothing of the cabin or family history. Cross your fingers!