This is a belt axe, hand forged dating to the last Quarter 18th century. The “cigar” shaped haft is original.
Circumstantial evidence attributes this axe to John Caton who served in the 6th Virigina Regiment during the American Revolution, based on my research.
The axe purportedly came from the “Canton” estate sale in Currituck NC. The “Canton” surname did not reveal any records in Currituck NC, but “Caton” sure did.
A line of the Caton family derives from Princess Anne County, Virginia (a now defunct county within the confines of Virigina Beach). Princess Anne County was not far from both Williamsburg, Virginia and Currituck, NC in either direction.
John Caton Sr. was born in Princess Anne County in 1725. John Sr.’s death date is unknown. John Sr. had a brother named Hillary Caton. Records show that Hillary died in Currituck County, NC in 1786.
John Caton Sr. had a son, also named John Caton, born 1750 in Princess Anne County, VA. Records show that he died sometime “after 1790”.
John Caton appears in the Currituck County Federal Census for 1800 and 1810 as the household head, being over 45 years old. This age range is approximately correct if John Jr. was born in 1750. John does not appear in the Federal Census for 1830. Also, John appears in the Currituck County deed book for 1793-1797 for land transactions.
A John Caton served as a private in the 6th Virginia Regiment which was raised in December 1775 at Williamsburg, Virginia. John would have been approximately 25 years old in 1775.
The 6th Virginia would witness some of the most formative events in American History, most notably with Washington during the “Ten Crucial Days” between the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. The 6th Virginia was consolidated with the 2nd Virginia at White Plains, NY later in the war.
Was this axe ferried across the ice choaked Delaware at John’s side by Glover’s Marbleheaders to defeat Rall at Trenton?
Was this axe at the Clarke Farm that frosty morning at Princeton in January 1777 when Washington led his counterattack to seize the day?
If John could only tell us…
