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 |
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Pleas Jackson | August 6, 1899 | at M. E. Tomlinsons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Ples Jackson came to his death by natural causes |
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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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Lou Terry | November 25, 1884 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that [she] came to her death from natural causes |
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Infant of Mary Sellers | Infant of Mary Sellers | December 1, 1894 | at J. H. Seller's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: the infant child came to its death from natural causes |
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John Brown | December 20, 1844 | at the house of John Brown, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that. . .the aforesaid John Brown came to his death by mischance or misfortune by the act of God, unknown to the Jurors |
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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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Roster | slave | July 27, 1844 | at Fielden Clayton's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon thear [sic] oathes [sic] that the said Roster. . .was found dead, that she had no marks of violence upon her, and died by the visitation of God |
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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 |
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Elizabeth Pinnel | February 27, 1851 | at the late residence of Elizabeth Pinnel, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Elizabeth Pinnel in maner[?] and form aforesaid came to her death by the providence of God |
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Levi S. Mathews | July 13, 1892 | at G. C. Wheerles[?] Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their do Say. . .that the aforesaid Levi S. Mathews. . .Came to his death from hart Failure |
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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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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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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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Milly Roler | November 2, 1819 | Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths [that] the said Milley Roler came to her Death by the act of God as far we know |
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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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Laban Johnson | May 15, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say that the said Laban Johnson came to his death from heart troubles brought on by natural causes |
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Elizabeth McHolister | August 16, 1855 | at the house of Elijah McHolister, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Elizabeth McHolister in manner and form aforesaid came to her death by the dispensation of providence. |
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Rebeca Eidson | May 29, 1861 | at the Residence of William Eidson, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that it is made evident to theme that the said deceased came to here death. . .from Congestion Pneumonia |
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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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Edward Fuller | July 30, 1880 | at Spartanburg C.H., Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Edw. O Fuller ... came to his death from conjestion of the brain or other natural cause |
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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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negro child | negro child | July 13, 1835 | at the house or on the plantation of Charles Humphries, 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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infant | infant | June 6, 1876 | at Orange Goodlet'ts, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .the jury is not able to say whether the child was born alive or not. |
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Joel W. Warren | November 9, 1894 | at Joseph Mirren[?] House, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say and belief that he Joel W. Warren came to his death by heart failure |
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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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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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Cintha Boon | April 10, 1926 | [Stein?] Pin Township, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Died of Heart failure |
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Mary Champion | November 10, 1870 | at Camden, Camden, S.C., Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that [the] deceased came to her death by a visitation or the act of God |
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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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negro child | negro child | January 16, 1854 | at [???], Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths . . .that it came to its death by the visitation of God |
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Lila Gambrell | October 21, 1875 | at the house of Ran Duckworth, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Lila Gambrell came to her death by mischance produced by personal epolepsy [sic]. |
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J. D. Wells | December 14, 1890 | at Edgefield C.H., Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased J D Wells came to his death from Heart disease |
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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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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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Jane Ashmore | child | April 3, 1880 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .the said Jane Ashmore came to her death from 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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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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Amanda Lester | December 13, 1884 | near Pelham, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say Amanda Lester came to her death from heart disease |
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Infant of Diliar Harrell | Infant of Diliar Harrell | September 15, 1905 | at Mr. Douglass's Mill, Chesterfield County, SC |
so the said Jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do say that the aforesaid child came to death by causes unknown to them. |
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Chaney | negro woman | December 11, 1855 | at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that Chaney, the woman now lying dead before them came to her death by the Visitation 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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Kent | slave | January 12, 1845 | at the house of David Maberry, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said slave Kent came to his death by the visitation of God |
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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 |
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George | slave | June 24, 1857 | at W.B. family[?] plantation, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said George came to his death by the [?] of Almighty God. |
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Sallie Busch | August 21, 1892 | at Lewis Beans plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That she came to her death from heart failure |
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D. L. Campbell | October 21, 1894 | at the residence of D. L. Campbell, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that D L Campbell deceased come to his death from hart trouble |
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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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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 |
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John Nelson | June 5, 1826 | in the house of John Nelson Sen'r on Grannie's Quarter, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he came to his death by the visitation of God |
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Nancy Johnson | June 11, 1906 | at Whitfield Johnson, Chesterfield County, SC |
AND so the said Jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do say that the aforesaid Nancy Johnson came to her death from natural causes |