Button fields , whats your theory ?

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Ok Ian Gadget and I as you know go detecting together , and we have got a field on one farm that we call our button field , we've discussed the various possibilities for the vast amount of buttons we've had off there. between 500 - 1000 is our guess. 70 in one day is our best (or worst depends which way you wanna look at it) These buttons go from small non descript pewter right up to big fancy dandy and court of arms button.

All fields have got buttons on them , casual losses whilst working , walking ect. But why do some have such a huge amount. I've heared several theories but was wondering if anyone had their own 'sensible' theories.

[Kev]

good question this TAFF !! yes iv wondered on this one b4 like you said i thought it was coz of working in the fields and things like that, so would like to find out on this one.

[sodbuster]

Thats one fantastic amount of buttons for one field . I always thought the farmers etc just ploughed any old garments into the soil to decompose the linen /cotton as a way of improving the soil.

[Jonola (Jon)]

Lots of scarecrows over the years? Losing buttons that way?

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Yes Alan thats one theory I'd heared as well but .. Two points to consider with that theory is.

1/ (Ian Gadget pointed this out)  Could you imagine all the garments hooking up in the plough as it was being pulled along.

2/ And my take on this is , why on earth would they not have  cut off and reused the buttons. (my Gran did and that was only in the 30's)

[vitallius (Dave)]

Thats a hell of alot of buttons Rob, thought I was doing pretty good trouble is everytime I find one my heart jumps thinking its a silver coin? The only theory is like you said so cant think what the reason is for all the buttons? ....Dave

[Kev]

he lost a few to TAFF

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Theres another theory , cant think who told me about it though. Was that 'night soil' being spread on the field may have ontained buttons. i.e undoing the fly or coat  to go to the khaze , buttons often fell off the clothing and down the pan . Ending up in the waste below. Spread on the field and hey presto .  One Turd tunic coming up.

[waltonbasinman]

May also have been functions like harvest dances or campsites for seasonal workers as well Rob.

[willow tree]

perhaps the farmers wife was useless at sewing buttons on and every time the farmer tended his crops they fell off and he had to rush back home cos his trousers kept falling down my theory  

[DIGGA]

ANY HISTORY OF THERE BEING ANY OLD BUILDINGS THERE IN THE PAST ROB   

[romano-brit]

its called dunage, they used to shread all the old clothes up and use it as fertizer in the olden days, thats why theres so many buttons in the fields

[robson (chris)]

well if i ever need a button i no where to go lol

[PHIL YNYSBOETH]

My mother and Gran used to collect buttons so i can imaging how precious Buttons once where,
You couldn't nip out to you local FW Woolworths in then days, saying that you can do that nowadays lol
Ive heard the night soil theory but Ive been wearing button up shirts and Levis,s 501,s for years and Ive never lost a button down the ole thunder box.
I'm for the lovers lane theory there must have been an handy looking  woods where lovers would congregate under.
Old looking trees is a good place to start looking for coinage for the same reasons 

[U.K. Brian]

The key could be that you said "in a field". Many farms growing fruit laid worn out clothing on the soil to keep it warmer, supress weed growth and to minimise damage to windfalls.

There's lots of orchard fields down in Kent where they did this and they are also loaded with buttons.