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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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| Pulaskey | slave, boy | March 30, 1848 | at the plantation of J. F> Hill, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that we believe the boy died of disease (Influenza) from the history of the Case |
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| Eber B. Stevens | March 5, 1873 | at Pendleton, Anderson County, SC |
do say . . . by a visitation of God |
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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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| Watson Jackson | June 5, 1880 | at Jackson Grove Church, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that at his mother's house of the plantation of Mr. A. Smith ... Watson Jackson came to his death by Malarial Fever |
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| Malsey A. Blakeny | August 12, 1894 | at the house of W. E. Courtney, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say "that she came to her death by an act of Providence" |
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| 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 |
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| Prince Crawford | November 29, 1916 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Prince Crawford came to his death from natural causes |
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| Edward Bownes | April 30, 1874 | at Cheraw, S. C., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said Edward Bownes came to his death by sum caus or causes to them unknown at His Residence in Cheraw in the 24 day of April A.D. 1874 |
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| Priscilla Clark | March 28, 1837 | at the house of Jesse Clark, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Priscilla Clark . . . died by the visitation of God |
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| Scott Infant Child | Scott Infant Child | July 30, 1891 | at W. A. Buchanan's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Infant child came to its death form natural cause or causes to this Jury unknown |
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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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| W. F. DeBruhl | April 20, 1859 | at the late residence of W.F. DeBruhl, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Wm. F. Debruhl came to his death by none other than a visition from God |
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| Matilda Hall | June 28, 1880 | at residence of deceased on plantation of C.S. Brice, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Matilda Hall came to her death by heart disease,-the act of Almighty God. |
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| Isaac Jones | July 1, 1881 | at Ridge Spring, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the deceast came to his death from Nattural Causese the visitation of Providence |
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| white man | white man | October 21, 1849 | in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the aforesaid Stranger came to his death from the act of God |
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| Anna G. Cason | June 10, 1883 | at Williamston, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the death of said Anna Cason (after hearing the testimony) was caused by disease of the heart. |
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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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| Rose Brodie | June 5, 1897 | on MacFarland plantation, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Rose Brodie came to her death by from natural causes |
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| William Blanton | January 14, 1884 | at the house of Langdon Blanton, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that William Blanton came to his death by heart disease |
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| Martha McFarlan | September 20, 1890 | at Robert Mcfarlan, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon thire oaths do say that the Said Martha McFarling came to her death from natural causes to the Jury unknown |
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| Catharine Rodgers | child | September 30, 1879 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . . the deceased came to her death from congestion of the Lungs |
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| Baby Roscoe | June 18, 1934 | at Ruby & Hartsville Cross Roads, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Still Born |
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| Cooper | slave | March 17, 1852 | at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd, Edgefield County, SC |
where & when & by what means the Said Slave, Cooper came to his death By acute Gastro Duodinitis[?] |
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| Tephius[?] Cornwall | January 14, 1845 | on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg, Edgefield County, SC |
Upon their oaths do say, that the decd Tephius[?] Cornwell came to his death as they believe by the visitation of God |
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| Amos Lee | July 10, 1852 | at Amos Lee's, Union County, SC |
upon ther oaths do say . . .that the said Amos Lee Come to his death by the act of God |
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| Harry | slave | July 7, 1855 | at Pendleton village, Anderson County, SC |
do say that we believe he came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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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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| Liberty | slave | August 1, 1843 | at John Murph's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say uppon [sic] their oaths that he was found in his house lying dead on the floor and came to his death by the act of God |
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| H. F. Nivens | January 1, 1893 | at John Parker, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said H.F. Nivens came to his death form some cause or causes to this Jury unknown |
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| Bettie Willis | March 24, 1892 | at the Croker place the home of Miss Bettie Willis, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the Said Miss Bettie Willis Came to her death. . .by the Act of God. From Heart Failure or disease accompied with Dropsie |
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| Harry McBee | May 31, 1876 | at Alexander McBee's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say that Harry McBee came to his . . . in the woods near the Premasis of Mr Alexander McBee . . . by the visitation of God |
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| Ranse Lowry | July 21, 1888 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
The finding of the Jury is that the deceased came to his death by mischance |
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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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| Sebron Miller | June 30, 1903 | at Jefferson, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Sebron Miller came to his deth by natural causes |
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| Julia Rice | June 27, 1887 | at Clough Rice's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in our opinion the deceased came to her death from some natural cause, probably heart disease |
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| James Hall | September 25, 1818 | in town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon a view of the body of the deceased . . . that he came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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| Doreas Mobley | May 18, 1870 | at the house of Mrs. Doreas Mobley, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Dorene Mobley on the 18th day of May in the year One thousand Eigth Hundred and Seventy at her house in the county aforesaid, was found dead, that she had no marks of violence upon her, and died by the visitation of God in a natural way, and not otherwise. |
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| Harriet | negro woman | July 20, 1859 | at the residence of JB Rease, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said negro woman. . .died by the visitation of God |
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| John Savage | January 27, 1852 | at John Savages, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .John Savage Sr was Providentially taken away by the act of God |
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| James Coleman | September 16, 1873 | at or near Mrs. Fantt's residence and one and 1/2 miles south east of Anderson, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to his death by the act of God. |
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| Nancy Davis | April 22, 1883 | at plantaion of Seaborn Parks, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Nancy Davis the deceased came to her death from disease of the Heart. |
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| Peter Moore | July 3, 1880 | at the residence of Mrs. Mary Dobson near Cedar Hill, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death ... by an act of Almighty God |
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| George Myers | October 21, 1894 | at Hornsboro, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the deceased Geo Myers came to his death from Heart failure |
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| Frank Milton | child | January 26, 1894 | at Sanders Loricks, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oath do say: that said Frank Milton aforesaid came to his death from natural causes, that is to say from inflammation of the lungs |
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| Ned Redfern | January 24, 1916 | at Evans Mill, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: natural causes |
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| Jackson Cartlidge | October 21, 1874 | at or near the Brewers gold mine, near the waters of Big Lynches Creek, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say, That it appears that the deceased Jackson Cartlidge came to his death by mischance or accident, or visitation of God. |
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| John Crosley | January 11, 1838 | at of John W Sartor[?], Union County, SC |
do say upon there othes that the said John Crosley . . .died by the visitation of god in a natural way by getting choked or strangled and not otherwise |
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| Infant of Andrew and Helen Barrett | Infant of Andrew and Helen Barrett | February 19, 1897 | at Andrew Barretts coloud in Chesterfield Co., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, the deceased came to its death by means unknown to the Jury. |
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| Maria Powell | at the Paggitt place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to her death at her residence the 4 day of May A D 1891 from heart failure. |
