Natural Causes
The “hand of God” is an active presence in CSI:D files. To be sure, the Almighty took no part in the suicides and homicides; those were the work of men “not having God Before [their] Eyes But moved by the instigation of the Devil.” Deaths that could be traced to what we would call ‘natural causes,’ however, were typically deemed an ‘act of God,’ a ‘visitation by God,’ or the ‘dispensation of Providence.’
Such cases expand on the point made in the introduction that coroners’ inquests paint a very particular portrait of death in the nineteenth-century South. The stock and trade of the coroner’s office were sudden deaths, especially those that intruded upon the public view. An old man succumbing to slow cancer in his own home was unsuspicious and unlikely to be investigated. This explains why heart attacks and strokes (which they called apoplexy) figure more prominently than fever among the ‘hand of God’ cases in these files. It also explains the relative frequency of deaths that occurred out-of-doors. Daniel Brown died in his cotton field; Jane Laniere died “in the woods near the public road”; Hartwell Roper “fell dead ... at his plow.”
The words ‘Hand of God’ were also used in cases where the deceased had been struck by lightning. (In perhaps the strangest case, Broderick Mason and his enslaved girl, Cinthy, were killed by the same lightning bolt, a sure sign that God does not play favorites.) Despite the similarity in terminology, however, lightning deaths have been filed as accidents because, like cave ins and train crashes, they are cases of people simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and however ‘natural’ they might seem they are not a ‘natural death.’
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Natural Causes Inquests
| Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location |
Death Method |
Inquest Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Woods | September 3, 1870 | at Lewis Dial, Laurens County, SC |
we do say he came to his Death by Dropsey the act of God |
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| Lidda Hampton | November 24, 1893 | at A Derrecks, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Lidda Hampton came to her death from heart failure |
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| Hannah | negro woman | April 15, 1860 | at Smith Cooks, Union County, SC | ||
| James Harmon | March 4, 1841 | near[?] Nichara[?] Gordon's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they cannot find no marks of Violence upon him and he died by the visitation of god in a natural way and not otherwise |
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| Nathaniel Miller | September 2, 1825 | Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths aforesaid that he came to his death by an act of God |
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| Unknown | March 26, 1875 | at the residence of Mr. John Murpheys, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the death of the Child was the Act of God |
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| Robert Jordan | December 3, 1900 | at Mount Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
from the verdict of witness I do note deem it necsary to hold an inquest but from such witnesses find that the Sed Robrt Jordan came to his ath from natural causes Decmbr 3 1900 |
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| Infant of Pearl Oliver | Infant of Pearl Oliver | December 26, 1894 | at D. A. Redfearn's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Infant child came to its death from some natural cause unknown to them |
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| Rachael Watts | July 29, 1889 | at W.B. Fullers place near Cross Hill, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that near the Residence of W. B. Fuller in above state and county on the 29th July 1889 the said Rachael Watts came to her death by "Visitation of God." |
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| Hartwell Roper | June 17, 1869 | at the residence of Rev. J.P. Mealing, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the said Hartwell Roper fell dead in the field at his plow |
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| Charles Young | July 16, 1885 | at Anderson's Mills, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Charles Young came to his death from Apoplexy near Anderson's Mills |
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| John Seawright | October 22, 1881 | on the public road leading from Craytonville to Anderson Court House, Anderson County, SC |
do say the said came to dis death from disease of the heart. . .the deceased came to his death by some providence of God. |
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| Humphrey Wilson | August 26, 1882 | at the residence of Humphrey Wilsons, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . . he died from a visitation of the Almighty God |
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| Pompy Robinson | November 1, 1898 | at Norris Place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Pompy Robinson came to his death from throat trouble |
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| Amy Crawford | February 2, 1890 | at Neal Crawford, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon thire oaths do say that he Said Aimie Crawford came to her death by some cause or causes to this jury unknown |
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| Loverberry B. Musgrove | October 9, 1866 | at the residence of Ms. James, Widow, near the Court House, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Loveberry B. Musgrove, at the residence of Mrs. James, Widow, . . .did die by visitation of Almight God |
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| Anna Braboy | January 13, 1894 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Anna Braboy came to her death from natural causes |
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| Dolly Glenn | at the Doly place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceasd came to her death at the home of Joe Jackson the 21st of Aug 1892 from some Natural Causes[.] |
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| Henry Rush | June 22, 1875 | Spartanburg County, SC |
return our verdict that the deceased, Henry Rush, died from an attack of epilepsy |
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| Thomas R. Bell | December 23, 1876 | at the late residence of Thos R. Bell, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say after hearing the testimony for the state, that Tho's R. Bell's death was caused by disease of the heart |
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| G. D. Gullege | June 14, 1909 | near clus Rallings, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said G. D. Gullege came to his death from natural causes |
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| Frances Pagett | April 15, 1853 | at William Pagett's, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to her death by the act of God? |
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| Quash | May 11, 1815 | at the House Genl. John. Y. Wolff, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their Oaths that the aforesaid Negro Man Quash from all appearances as exhibited to this Jury of Inquest did by the act of God - The testimony of Mr Alexander Mahoffy who saw him a few minutes before his death, "he thinks about nine oclock P.M. of the 10th Inst & Genl. John Y. Wolff a few minutes after his death, he thinks about 12 Oclock of the same day - induced the Jury to give their verdict" That the Decsd. came to his death by the Act of God. |
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| Henry Jennings | September 14, 1891 | at the residense of diceased, Edgefield County, SC |
upon the oaths of the Jury aforesaid do say that the said Henry Jennings came to his death from Heart Disease |
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| Nancy Montjoy | October 13, 1889 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she the said Nancy Montjoy came to her death from natural causes, probably disease of the heart |
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| infant child. Male. | infant child. Male. | January 25, 1874 | at Solomon Scott's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said child was born on the twenty second inst and was dead |
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| Isaac | slave | March 4, 1841 | at Col. Wm. J. Taylor's plantation, Kershaw County, SC |
on their oaths due say that it was according to their belief and the evidence before them that Isaac came to his Death by the visitation of God |
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| Cintha Boon | April 10, 1926 | [Stein?] Pin Township, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Died of Heart failure |
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| Jane Wisher | September 30, 1848 | at the residence of Mrs. Jane Wisher, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say from the widow of Elisabeth Wisher that the deceased was an oald person and had for some years past been afflicted with what had been cauled palpitation of the heart and [?] and was complaining . . .came to her death by a visitation of god |
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| J. H. Collins | June 30, 1896 | at G.W. Morris' place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the Deceased came to his death from natural causes, from the effects of Rheumatism. |
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| Silvia | October 10, 1857 | at the House of J.s. W. Holliday, Horry County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the said Silvia a slave Came to her death by the Visitation of God |
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| Patrick Burns[?] | November 4, 1858 | at the residence of Richard Campbell, Edgefield County, SC |
said Burns came to his death by visitation of God . . . that the immediate cause leading to sudden death, was the bursting of a blood vessel in or about the heart or lungs |
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| infant | March 16, 1883 | at Martha J. Adkins, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said infant child came to his death by the hands of Providence |
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| Anarky Thompson | at Joe Freshleys, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from diseas of the heart called osfication of the valve of the heart, on the plantation of Joe Freshley, in Fairfield County SoC. The 1st of May 1884. |
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| Kissey Blakeny | October 22, 1884 | at Kessey Blakenys, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Deceased came to her death by a natural causs of heart disease |
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| infant | November 27, 1870 | at William Stuart's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say that. . .said child was dead born |
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| Lewis Dial | October 20, 1870 | at Laurens C.H., Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say on examining and viewing the body of Lewis Dial, this day found dead in the garden of J.M. Boyd, and from competent medical examination, we find that the said deceased came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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| Kisiah Frazier | December 17, 1893 | at the plantation of T S Rainsforde, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Kisiah Frazier came to her death from natural causes. . .Rheumatic trouble of the heart |
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| Nathan Hawkins | August 16, 1832 | at House of Nathan Hawkins, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the Sd Nathan Hawkins . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Benjamin Wood | May 8, 1829 | at the house of Benjamin Wood, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he the said Benjamin Wood came to his death by visition of God |
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| Unknown | at Davis Lyles'[?] place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid Infant came to his death from Premature birth[.] |
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| Caroline Timons | January 10, 1901 | at Mount Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
I have this day held a preliminary examination ovr the dad body of Caroline Timons and from the evidence of witness I do not deam It necary to hold an inqest but form such witness find that the Sed Caroline Timons came to her dath from none other than natural Causes this The 10 day of January 1901 |
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| Infant of C. P. Rushing | Infant of C. P. Rushing | December 19, 1894 | at C. P. Rushing's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said child came to its death from some natural cause or causes |
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| George Blakely | August 23, 1889 | at Tom Youngs, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that George Blakely came to his death "Natural Causes" |
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| James Mitchell | February 18, 1879 | at L D Laudrums, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jas Mitchell came to his death by means unknown |
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| Nesbitt Rice | April 21, 1886 | at Poplar Springs, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Nesbitt Rice came to his death by hand [of] god |
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| James Robinson | May 20, 1883 | n.a., Anderson County, SC |
came to his death by the act of God in the form of Apoplexy |
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| William Cooper | September 22, 1882 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .Wm T. Cooper came to his death from heart disease |
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| Spencer Knott | August 9, 1890 | at Spencer Knotts', Chesterfield County, SC |
Jurors aforesaid that said that Spencer Knotts came to his death from some natcherel case or cosses to the jury owns known |
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| W. Thomas Welsh | January 16, 1890 | at Sebram Welsh, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do Say that the Said W. T. Welsh came to his death from some unknown Cause to the Jury |
