History Geekery — Camden Archeaology

For several months, now, I've been working on a book about the Quakers in colonial Camden, S.C. I've found a wealth of primary sources, especially from traveling Quaker ministers who mentioned their visits to Camden in their "journals," that is, published religious memoirs.

An intriguing title came up in an online search. I took a risk and ordered the book. This just arrived in the mail: Camden: Historical Archaeology in the South Carolina Backcountry by Kenneth Lewis.

I wasn't disappointed.

Although not exactly a primary source, the text contains details about colonial Camden: street layout; actual house (and jail and brewery) foundations; typical homes; and dishes and other items found in the ground.





There are even sketches of what the town may have looked like just before and during the American Revolution.

Too bad Joseph Kershaw wasn't a Quaker. I'm about to learn a whole lot about his house!