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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delia Hell | at J.K. Alston's plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the deceased came to her death by softening of the brain; in manner and form aforesaid. She came to her death by the hand of God. |
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| Charley Young | June 17, 1893 | on the plantation of Henry Young, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oathes do say that the said Charley Young came to his death from (Heart Failure). |
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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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| infant | January 23, 1873 | at residence of M. A. Snipes, Anderson County, SC |
do say that it came to its death by the act of God |
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| Thomas Noble | March 30, 1872 | at the residence of Thos Noble, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say That Thomas Noble in the manner and form aforesaid came to his Death by the act of God. |
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| Martha M. Kerr | March 10, 1881 | at the house of Edward L. Kerr, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Martha M. Kerr came to her death by the act of God: hemorage of the lungs |
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| George Robinson | January 12, 1892 | at the plantation of E. B. Davis, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say from Heart failure |
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| Margret Branan | December 15, 1889 | at or on Mrs. Alice Taylor's place, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Margret Branan died ... of heart failure or affliction of the brain |
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| Janice Parsons | October 8, 1899 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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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| Infant of C. P. Rushing | Infant of C. P. Rushing | December 19, 1894 | at C. P. Rushing's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said child came to its death from some natural cause or causes |
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| Robert W. Kincade | December 27, 1845 | at the house of Baley[?] Corley, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Robert W Kincde came to his death by a Stroke of Appoplexy in the house of Baley Corby |
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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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| Henry Clarkson | May 10, 1871 | at Antiark Church, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say ... that the aforesaid Henry Clarkson ... came to his death disease of the heart |
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| 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 |
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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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| James Robinson | May 20, 1883 | n.a., Anderson County, SC |
came to his death by the act of God in the form of Apoplexy |
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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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| 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 |
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| Nathan Hawkins | August 16, 1832 | at House of Nathan Hawkins, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the Sd Nathan Hawkins . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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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 |
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| Aaron Oxner | October 11, 1877 | at Shelton, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion & from the[?] best information that Aaron Oxner came to his death from Appoplexy |
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| Mag Potee | at N.D. Roberts place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceasd came to her death at her home the night of the 2d of Sept 1892 from natural causes[.] |
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| George Center | October 28, 1880 | at George W. Centers, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said George W Center came to his death by heart disease |
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| Mary May | April 14, 1854 | at J. W. May's, Anderson County, SC |
believe came to her death by the hand of Providence. |
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| Daniel | September 17, 1816 | at Reuben Meadows, Laurens County, SC |
do Say upon their oaths, that he came to his death by the visitation of God then and there to wit Reuben Meadows field aforesaid he died aforesaid and not otherwise. . . |
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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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| 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 |
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| Nesbitt Rice | April 21, 1886 | at Poplar Springs, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Nesbitt Rice came to his death by hand [of] god |
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| William Autry | March 16, 1896 | at E. W. Gulledge's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Wm Autry came to his death from natural causes |
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| Moriah Scott | infant child | September 26, 1875 | at Ness[?] Scott's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say that Moriah L. Scott infant child . . .came to her death from cold |
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| Theatus or Theater Williams | August 21, 1926 | at Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Theates Williams came to his Death from Hart Farlery |
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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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| Abner Nelson | December 31, 1849 | at the House of abner nelson, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . . the said Abner Nelson died a natural death as we believe from old age an of god |
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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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| Dorisa Byrd | at Martin Byrd's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Dorisa Byrd came to her death from congestion of the lungs at on the plantation of Oliver Sloan[.] |
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| Alice Miller | November 16, 1893 | in Alice Miller's house, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death from Heart Disease and that no violence of any kind was used by any person. |
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| slave | slave | May 31, 1832 | Kershaw County, SC |
do unanimously believed that the said negro woman deceased formerly the property of Isaac Mothershed now lying Dead came to her death by an act of God |
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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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| Eber B. Stevens | March 5, 1873 | at Pendleton, Anderson County, SC |
do say . . . by a visitation of God |
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| Sealy Henry | July 1, 1873 | Laurens County, SC |
we the under named jurors do find in accordance with the opinion of Dr. S. S. Knight. By disease most probably epilepsy caused her death. |
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| Reuben Johnson | March 11, 1881 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths ... do say that the said Reuben Johnson ... came to his death from natural causes |
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| Martha Lanham | January 29, 1892 | at Wilts[?] Curryes place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that Marsha Lanham Came to her death from hart failure |
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| Aaron | old negro man slave | February 23, 1858 | in J[?] M Gadbury's[?] plantation, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . . that the said negro came to his death in a manner unknown |
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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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| Phillis | August 18, 1831 | at the house of Charles P. Stone, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that, according to all the testimony adduced to them, they are inclined to believe, that on the 17th instant, the said Phillis being often last spring, complaining of Hysterical, vapours she was taken with a Hysteric Attack which caused her death |
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| Silvy Holmes | at Ben Glenn's place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that Silvy Homes came to her death at her daughters Residence at the night of 28th of April AD 1887 from Providential Visitation[.] |
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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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| Joseph Moore Jr. | April 19, 1846 | at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Joseph Moore Jr came to his death by the rupture of a blood vessel of the lungs |
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| Henry Williams | October 13, 1889 | at the Plantation of C.C. Garlington, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Henry Williams came to his death by "Natural Causes." |
