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.’
NEXT: Meet the Coroners
Natural Causes Inquests
| Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location |
Death Method |
Inquest Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward William Davis | September 29, 1870 | at Ridgeway, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Edward William Davis. "came to his death by a Pulmonary Congestion with Hemorrhage caused from heart disease |
||
| Ephram Ashford | at [?], Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to his death at his home from heart failure |
|||
| 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 |
||
| Peter C. Oclan | January 7, 1850 | at C. Burch's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the sd. P.C. Oclan came to his death by the act of God |
||
| Alexander Black | November 14, 1863 | at the house of A. W. Black, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said decd came to his death . . . by the act of God unknown to them |
||
| Matt | negro man | February 9, 1832 | on the plantation of Doct. Jas Macham, Union County, SC |
do say upon there Oaths that the Said negro . . .died with the visitation of God in a natural way |
|
| Jerry | July 11, 1811 | at the plantation of James Glen, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oathes, that they are of opinion that the said Negro boy died a Natural Death |
||
| Tower | December 27, 1809 | at Benjamin Strange's, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe his death came by the act of god |
||
| Jim | slave | June 10, 1859 | at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Jim a slave. . .came to his death by the act of Providence |
|
| Charley Turner | February 8, 1922 | at J W Patsobe, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That Charley Turner came to his death from natural cause |
||
| R. H. Crawford | January 26, 1894 | at Elisha Boans, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the deceased R.H. Crawford came to his death from some natural cause or causes unknown to me |
||
| Charlotte | slave | August 6, 1837 | in Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say that she came to her death by affliction[?] of the heart |
|
| Lona May Hamilton | child | October 18, 1893 | at or near Longmires PO[?], Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that she said Lona May Hamilton came to death. . .on the plantation of J.A. Deale. . .by accidental suffication |
|
| John Brownlee | June 7, 1863 | at Williamston, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to his death, not from any violence but by the visitation of God to the best of our knowledge and belief. |
||
| Alexander Moore | May 22, 1889 | at Wellford, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Alexander Moore came to his death from the evidence given and our belief [is] that he died of apoplexy |
||
| Thomas Stevenson | at the Jesse Wayride place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Thos. Stevenson, came to his death from some disease supposed to be disease of the Heart[.] |
|||
| Ed Caldwell | at Jas. McFir's[?] place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased Ed Caldwell came to his death from heart dissease at his home[.] |
|||
| L. M. Stroud | August 18, 1909 | at Tom Strouds, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: that the said Mrs. P. M. Stroud came to her death from natural causes |
||
| Sallie McDowell | August 12, 1882 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sallie McDowell died of indigestion |
||
| negro child | negro child | November 1, 1837 | at Union C.H., Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths say that the said negro child . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
|
| Auguiste Campbell | October 30, 1868 | at Auguiste Campbell's, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the Decd. Auguiste Campbell came to his death, from the continual use of peach brandy, he the decd. Being advanced in years to old age & feeble constitution & that the use of sd. Intoxicating brandy, drank from Monday morning the 26th Inst. to the time of his death was the cause of sd. death. |
||
| 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 |
||
| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | April 26, 1888 | at Margret Bouer, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Infant Child came to her death by being accidently Smothered and that it dide on the 26th day of A D 1888 |
|
| Lillie C. McManus | February 10, 1889 | at T. M. McManus's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, by the Hand of God, and from causes unknown to the parents and to the jury |
||
| Mary Hillian | October 30, 1896 | at R.E. River's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: the said May Hillian came to her death from accidental Hemmorage of the lungs |
||
| John Jones | December 16, 1817 | at John Jones's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths. . .that the said John Jones did die a natural death |
||
| 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 |
||
| John Williams | February 9, 1879 | at the house of Newton Perry [?] on the plantation of Thomas Cox, Anderson County, SC |
do say, that deceased [John Williams] came to his death by dropsical affiction. |
||
| George | Negro Slave | April 19, 1830 | at the house of Reps Edwards, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said George . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
|
| Nash Ferguson | May 23, 1883 | at Laurens court house, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid Nash Ferguson came to his death on the 23d day of May AD 1883 in Laurens County from general condition of the brain and blood clots on the brain |
||
| James Hammons | March 25, 1884 | at Andrew Bristers, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said James Hammons came to his death by some natural caus or causes unknown to the jurors |
||
| William Ganey | February 22, 1889 | at E. H. Casons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the Said William Ganey came to his death form some natural cause or causes to the jurors unknown |
||
| Caswell Waldrop | April 18, 1882 | at the residence of Caswell Waldrop, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . . the said Caswell Waldrop . . . came to his death from the effect of an epileptic fit. |
||
| George Robinson | January 12, 1892 | at the plantation of E. B. Davis, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say from Heart failure |
||
| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | June 4, 1868 | at FW Gaylords, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said child was still born. . . |
|
| Joshua Clark | January 26, 1885 | on a rode leading from B. B. Martin's to John Champions, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said deceased came to his death by an organic disease of the Heart |
||
| Elizabeth Leightner | July 1, 1875 | at Col. Fenlis[?] Plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: that Eizabeth Leightner came to her death from some cause unknown to the Jurors. |
||
| Sallie Manigo | at Mrs. E.M. Turner's place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say. That the said Sallie Manigo came to her death from some natural cause unknown to the Jury. |
|||
| 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 |
||
| Simon West | March 25, 1857 | near the house of dec'd, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that it is by the visitation of God |
||
| Joseph Smith | freeman | July 25, 1866 | at Benjamin Vaughn's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death . . .by some means unknown to the jurors |
|
| William McLure | December 7, 1844 | at or near the plantation of John Gage, Union County, SC |
do say that the said William McLure . . .was found lying dead near a small path leading from Union Ville to the plantation of John Gage . . .we therefore do believe that he died from some providential cause to us unknown |
||
| Elizabeth Mitchel | October 12, 1845 | at the dwelling house of David Mitchel, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .the deceased went to bed in the house of David Mitchel . . .in good health, and was found a corps on the morning of the twelfth, and do believe that She came to her death by a visitation of god |
||
| Saul Bates | January 24, 1815 | at James Johnsons mill, Laurens County, SC |
do say on their oaths are of the opinion that the sd. Saul Betts on the 24th of Jany. 1815 Came to his death by the Act of God at James Johnsons mill in the district afore sd. |
||
| Victor | male slave | April 24, 1859 | at A. L. Dearing Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Victor came to his death by a providential occurance |
|
| Miss Vida Nivius | April 4, 1923 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
We the Jury after viewing the Body of Miss Nivius find that the dec'd aforsaid she came to her death from natural causes |
||
| Infant | February 3, 1894 | at J. B. Presson's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That it came to its death by natural causes sometime between midnight and day on Feb the 3rd 1894 |
||
| John McDonald | April 15, 1839 | at Daniel McDonalds, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe the said John McDonald ... being a youth in the district aforesaid there & then died of the visitation of God |
||
| infant | infant | January 22, 1894 | at Oak Gilchrist House, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Infant Came to its death from a cause unknown |
|
| Clarissa Campbell | freedwoman | March 29, 1867 | at the residence of Sarah Campbell, Anderson County, SC |
that the said Clarissa Campbell a freedwoman came to her death natural by the act of God |
