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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blair Massey | Alias: Isaac Funderburk | May 16, 1896 | at Phillip Arrant, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say that the deceased came to his death by natural causes |
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| Sindy Simmons | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to her death at her Brother, Ben Davis in Fairfield County SC the 12 day of Sept 1898 from natural causes[.] |
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| Lewis Denham | December 6, 1883 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said Lewis Denham ... in the field near his house died of natural causes |
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| Emaline | slave | April 4, 1862 | at R. G. H. Faws[?], Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that the deseast came to her death by the visitation of god or some unknown cause |
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| Clarence Rodgers | at the [?] Quarter[?], Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Clarence Rodgers, came to his death from congestion of the lungs at the Residence of Hanibal Willis[.] |
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| unnamed infant | unnamed infant | September 8, 1855 | at the Plantation of the late William Montgomery, Horry County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say That upon a Post-morten examination, that from the decomposed state of the Child, having been dead 8 days and buried 7 days, that we can not see any sign of violence or Poesen,--but from the emty state of the Childs Stomach and Bowels, believe that the death of the Child was caused by withholding the necessary nurishment, from its Mothers breast, or otherwise |
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| E. A. Teal | September 1, 1883 | near and on the north side of the Public Road leading from Chesterfield C. H. to Abrahams Creek and the middle prong of said Creek, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said E.A. Teal, came to her death from natural causes there neing no marks of violence upon her body |
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| John Day | January 28, 1878 | at the Guard house, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said John Day came to his death from the natural cause to wit[?] congestion of the brain |
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| infant child | infant child | September 9, 1891 | at Wards, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say that the said infant male Child came to it death by premature birth |
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| Laura Jones | February 27, 1861 | at Esther E. Jones, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Laura E. Jones came to her death By the providence of God at O. H T. Jones home in Laurens District |
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| Charity Bozeman | June 11, 1880 | at the house of Aby McAlister, Anderson County, SC |
do say that Charity Bozeman came to her death by Harte Deaseas [sic] |
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| Jacob Briges | September 18, 1832 | at the house of Jacob Briges, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that it was the visitation of God |
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| Alex Black | October 27, 1884 | at Philadelphia in Spartanburg County, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death from disease of the brain in his field some two hundred yards from his house |
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| Jonathan | June 5, 1826 | at the plantation of Wm Ader[?], Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon our oaths that our [?] from the evidence Jonathan came to his death by the Visitation of God |
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| Mary Elizabeth Rallings | February 6, 1900 | at Sanford Rallings', Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say That Mary Elizabeth Rallings came to her death by mischance or natural causes |
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| Dudley Roundtree | August 10, 1856 | at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree, Edgefield County, SC |
the said Dudley Roundtree came to his death. . .that the said death was by the visitation of God, and so the jury sworn and [?] as aforesaid upon their oaths declare |
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| Arthur R. Hill | January 1, 1883 | at Mrs F[?] Browns place, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Arthur R Hill came to his death on the 1st day of January AD 1883 by some sickness... |
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| Limbrick | negro child a slave | July 22, 1856 | at Wm. R. A. Thomas's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that limbrick here lying dead came to his death by a visitation of god |
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| Infant Child | Infant Child | March 12, 1891 | at Ebb Hildreth, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Infant child came to the death from natural cause or causes |
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| Charles Goswell | February 9, 1883 | at John Goswell's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the said Charles Goswell came to his death from natural causes unknown to the Jury |
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| Amanda Glover | August 30, 1892 | at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say That Amanda Glover came to her death from hart Failure |
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| Harry Horton | October 8, 1889 | at Harry Hortons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the aforesaid Harry Horton came to his death by the act of God or natural causes |
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| Lee Roy Almond | November 18, 1893 | at R. J. Almond's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid Lee Roy Almond came to his death from natural causes |
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| Caroline Batson | freed woman | November 21, 1866 | at Reedy River Church, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by exposing herself while sick with fever |
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| Brown Lee | at the McCerkin[?] grave yard, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to his death on the 6 day of Nov A D 1889 at his residence from natural causes |
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| Elijah M. Cooper | August 25, 1877 | at the residence of Elijah M. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said E.M. Cooper came to his death. . .while engaged at work on his fieds near his residence from some cause which the jury believes to have been disease of the heart |
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| Hezehiah Gulledge | January 14, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
| Sopha Bolz | April 2, 1876 | at John Wolf's Place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that she came to her death [?] have no doubt from Diesase of the heart |
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| Charlotte Johnson | July 9, 1906 | on the plantation of George Johnson, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| William Anderson | April 14, 1864 | at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that said William Anderson came to his death by some sevear attack of disease. . .by Mischance or Visitation of God |
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| Rose Watts | December 8, 1891 | at Mountville, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Rose Watts came to her death by misfortune or the act of God. |
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| infant child | infant child | August 9, 1837 | on the plantation of Mr. Austin Wilson, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Child . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| 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 |
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| Henry B. Mathers | November 26, 1841 | at the house of Benjamin Nettles, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the believe it was by the visitation of God |
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| Bluford Abney | November 14, 1894 | at M.A. Colemans plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
the said Bluford Abney came to his death by natural causes or colic |
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| 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 |
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| Waterman Fleming | August 3, 1925 | at Jule Fleming's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: by natural causes |
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| Ida Sellers | June 4, 1896 | at W.K. Sellers' Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Ida Sellers came to her death from some causes or cause unknown to them |
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| Manuel Coleman | at Manuel Coleman's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say came to his death by congestion of the Stomach from drinking water. |
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| Sidney Rhinehart | December 26, 1883 | at Spartanburg, Spartanburg, S.C., Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sidney Rhinehart died of Cerebral Apoplexy |
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| William Fisher | September 12, 1855 | at the home of Sarah Vanderford, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that they are of opinion that the Said William Fisher died a natural death by [?] and by the act of God |
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| Elsie Starks | at N.C. Roberts' place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from some cause uknown to the Jury between two & seven Oclock the 21st Jan 1883[.] |
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| Infant of Susie Redfern | Infant of Susie Redfern | at Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Adeline Terry | February 6, 1883 | at Henry Grant's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do Say That the said Adline Terry came to her death from som caus or causes unknown to the jurors |
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| Emma Duval | September 9, 1878 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she . . .came to her death from natural causes |
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| Mary Gillam | January 1, 1891 | at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the said Mary Gillam came to her death from Rhumatism from the Heart |
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| Charmes | October 7, 1865 | at Levison Fowlers, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Freedman Charmes came to his death by the act of God |
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| Sally Williams | July 19, 1880 | n.a., Anderson County, SC |
find her lungs badly affected and diseased came to her death from consumption & had consumption badly. |
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| Elisha Himbry | October 11, 1832 | at the house of William Himbry, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he was found on the tenth day of the present month about one mile from this place lying in the woods on his farm and they do believe he came to his death by the act of God |
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| Lou Terry | November 25, 1884 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that [she] came to her death from natural causes |
