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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Boone | July 31, 1893 | at the residence of Jno Boone, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the deceased came to his death from heart trouble |
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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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| Jim | slave | October 4, 1858 | at Giles Sharps, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Jim came to his death for some cause unknown or the visitation of god |
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| George Jefferis | near Crosbyville, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion George Jefferis came to his death from appoplexy |
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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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| Edmond Smallwood | October 19, 1892 | at E. C. Ridgells Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death. . .from heart trouble |
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| Authur Lee Johnson | October 1, 1904 | at the place of Mary Cassidy, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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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| John Saylor | August 6, 1870 | at or near the Ridge road near E. R. Cobb's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say that said John Saylor. . .died we think and believe from some disease of the heart or an appoplectic [apoplectic] fit. |
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| Josephine Smith | October 12, 1890 | on the plantation of M.B. Pool, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Josephine Smith from some natural cause unknown to the jury. |
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| Betsey Wingo | June 9, 1886 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the said Betsey Wingo came to her death by the rupture of an aneurism in the right subclavian artery |
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| Loucinda Alexander | December 7, 1883 | at the house of Camel Alexander, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death by the acts of Providence unknown to us |
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| Lizza | colered woman | October 7, 1866 | at the house of Thomas S. Miller, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the deceased died from a desease of the Heart |
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| Alexander T. Johnson | December 2, 1895 | at the residence of M.J. Johnson, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that Alexander T Johnson deceast came to his death from or with Bodily Deyses |
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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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| Isabelle Huggins | February 5, 1896 | at Jm S. Haggan place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Deceased Isabelle Huggins came to her death from Heart failure |
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| Gilbert Crawford | July 22, 1921 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Gilbert Crawford came to his death form natural causes |
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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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| Peter | negro man | May 5, 1835 | On the plantation of Jim[?] Rochester, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Peter . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Madison Materson | at Blythewood, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oath do say that the above decest came to its Death by natural causes on June 20-1895[.] |
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| Isaac Greer | December 29, 1879 | at Vernonville, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death by cause or causes unknown to them but in their opinion it was an act of God |
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| Reubin Weaver | December 28, 1895 | at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say, that Reubin Weaver aforesaid came to his death from heart failure |
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| Amanda Ellerbe | July 31, 1881 | at the residence of John Ellerbe, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Amanda Ellerbe came to her death by natural causes or the visitation of God |
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| Amilia Ruffin | August 7, 1880 | at S.W. Ruffs, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforsaid Amilia Ruffin came to her death July the 23d 1880; from natural causes to the jurors unknow, |
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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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| Borough | August 21, 1853 | on the high Road near Marengo, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he had no marks of violence upon him and that he died by the visitation of God & not otherwise. |
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| Benjamin Bishop | November 26, 1840 | taken one mile and a half south of the [?] on the main road leading to Jones' ford on Enoree[?] river, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Benjamin Bishop. . . at a place in the woods near the main road. . . died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Micjah Ward | February 9, 1849 | at the house of M. Ward, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| Silvy Nix | January 1, 1891 | Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that She came to her death by natural causes |
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| Alex White | September 26, 1899 | at M. C. Rays SC, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon thare oath do Say that Alx White deceast came to his death By some unknown causes |
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| William L. Collins | January 9, 1887 | at Chesterfield County, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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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| Infred Padgett | July 12, 1848 | at the Joal of Edgefield, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Decd came to his death by the act of God |
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| Georgiana Williams Moore | July 26, 1882 | at TS Langston's plantation, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oathes do say that the said Georgiana William Moore came to her death by a visitation of God and died of Embolism 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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| Elizabeth Walker | March 1, 1879 | at P. A. McDavid, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Elizabeth Walker came to her death by misfortune or accident |
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| Rhoda | female slave | July 4, 1857 | at Dorn's[?] Mill, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, they believe the said slave Rhoda came to her death by some invisible and unknown cause or causes; perhaps a disease of the heart |
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| Catherine Smith | September 4, 1893 | at D. A. Smith's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Catherine Smith came to her death from some Providential cause unknown to the Jury |
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| W. G. Rivers | June 15, 1888 | at F. W. Rivers, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said W J Rivers came to his death by som natural caus or causes to the jury unknown |
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| James Johnson | October 13, 1852 | at James Johnson's farm, Union County, SC |
he came to his death by some caus unknown to us |
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| John Wallcot | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their Oaths that the deceased came to his death in Winnsboro SC the 7 of Jan 1889 from heart diseas. |
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| Samuel Flagg | February 18, 1833 | near Wilson's old field, Spartanburg County, SC |
after examining the body of the sd. dec'd & finding no marks fo violence committed beleave [sic] that he was brought to his death by the visitation of God |
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| James Leppard | February 13, 1893 | at F. M. Leppards, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . .the deceased came to his death by Rheumation of the heart |
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| James Knight | September 9, 1905 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
I have examined the body of James Knight Decease and I find . . . [the] cause to his Death from natural causes. |
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| 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 |
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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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| Austin King | October 27, 1890 | at Laurens CH., Laurens County, SC |
by their oaths do say that the said Austin King came to his death "From heart disease." |
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| T. G. Cooper | June 5, 1886 | at the late residence of T. G. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said T. G. Cooper came to his death in his own house we suppose by heart disease |
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| James Goodson | September 28, 1807 | Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said James Goodson . . .was found dead, that he had no such marks of violence on his body as would have occasioned his death & died by the visitation of God & not otherwise |
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| George Hatcher | freedman | June 19, 1867 | at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oath do say that George came to his death by some disease unknown to the Jurors |
