New Kent in New Kent County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
James Lafayette
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, March 28, 2009
1. James Lafayette Marker
Inscription.
James Lafayette was born in slavery about 1748 near here. His master William Armistead was commissary of military supplies when in the summer of 1781 the Marquis de Lafayette recruited James as a spy. Posing as a double agent, forager, and servant at British headquarters, James moved freely between the lines with vital information on British troop movements for Lafayette. The Virginia General Assembly freed James in 1787 in recognition of his bravery and service, on the written recommendation of Lafayette, whose name he took for his own. He died in Baltimore on 9 Aug. 1830.
James Lafayette was born in slavery about 1748 near here. His master William Armistead was commissary of military supplies when in the summer of 1781 the Marquis de Lafayette recruited James as a spy. Posing as a double agent, forager, and servant at British headquarters, James moved freely between the lines with vital information on British troop movements for Lafayette. The Virginia General Assembly freed James in 1787 in recognition of his bravery and service, on the written recommendation of Lafayette, whose name he took for his own. He died in Baltimore on 9 Aug. 1830.
Erected 1997 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number WO-17.)
Location. 37° 31.069′ N, 76° 58.7′ W. Marker is in New Kent, Virginia, in New Kent County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of New Kent Highway and Courthouse Circle. The marker is located on the lawn in front of the New Kent County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New Kent VA 23124, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. James Lafayette Marker at New Kent County Courthouse.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,019 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
