I was sitting at home when the phone rang. It was my friend Judy at Windermere on the banks of the Tamar River near Launceston in Tasmania. This is where various members of my Goodson convict family lived from about 1832 until about 1881.

James Goodson (the convict father of the Goodson family) served his time in Windermere, where he worked for the man who built St Matthias Church which sits on Native Point – an area which once was known as Goodson’s Point. James was the bell ringer, window washer and grave digger at St Matthias Church.

“You won’t believe it.” Judy said.

“I just took a man to the place where James Goodson’s cottage was at Native Point because he wanted to do some searching. He’s a metal detectorist. He found something exciting and he’s taking it to the museum to get it looked at.”

“What is it?” I asked, quite beside myself with excitement by now. First because a detectorist had found something and second because the word detectorist made me think of that tv comedy.

Judy decided it was best to wait until the museum had seen it before she would tell me any more – such a tease!

I’ll be honest, life went on. I got busy and I forgot all about it.

One morning I realised I hadn’t checked the mailbox for a few days. In it I found a package from a name I didn’t recognise and from an address… in Tasmania.

Inside the package I found a letter and a matchbox – how intriguing! (funny moment of irony – I am currently writing a book called Kindling and going to the letterbox was to take a break… and I’ve received a box of matches in the mail! what is Universe trying to tell me???)

Inside the matchbox were three very small items in a condition that if I hadn’t had the letter I wouldn’t have had a clue what they were.

A two hole brass button – most likely a common workman’s button, could have been worn by farmer. There is a lovely circle of blue around the centre. This blue colour is oxidisation of the brass, not man made.

A crown and anchor Naval brass button – certain styles of crown and anchor denote the era of the button and the rank of the wearer. Sadly its too deteriorated to work out any of that. There were a couple of retired Naval Officers in the area who frequented St Matthias Church when it was first constructed. Captain Neilley and Lieutenant Dutton are two who spring to my mind. James would have known them, they are all named as being part of the group of men involved when the church was built.

The two tiny buttons were found less than 50cm from each other. James’ wife Mary Ann Goodson (also a convict) was a needlewoman… was she mending clothes? Did she drop a box of buttons?

An 1827 penny!!!

The information in the package tells me that the penny, which is in terrible condition, is a type that was only made for use in Australia – although this seems to be hotly contested in the ‘coin expert’ world and no one seems to have been able to prove it.

Either way, its an exciting thing to have in my possession, even in this state.

The coin is quite unusual and its very hard to make out, but rather than a King’s or Queen’s head it has what looks like a Roman Emperor on one side and a Roman Goddess on the other.

I’m feeling quite blessed as I stare at these objects, found in the vicinity of James Goodson’s home, dug out of the earth more than 140 years after his death. Did he wear one of these buttons? Did he hold this coin?

Over the next few months my new friend the metal detectorist went back to the vicinity of James Goodson senior’s home at Goodson’s Point. Out of the Goodson soil he unearthed more buttons, possibly the hinge from a small door (complete with convict arrow), and the remains of a plate or dish that a Goodson might have eaten from.

(apologies for the picture quality)

Once, he found a WRA 12 gauge shotgun shell that was manufactured between 1884 to 1897 – after James died so it can’t be his. But it could still have belonged to someone in the family.

Then he found an 1861 Britannia Penny and a really chunky piece of brass that could be a lamp base which is still being cleaned up.

This is what a good quality 1861 penny looks like, unfortunately the one found at Goodson’s Point has been in the earth too long. It has been photographed next to the shotgun shell to show size and if you enlarge it you can just make out the image. Sort of.

If any more things are unearthed at Goodson’s Point I’ll keep you posted!