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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wiley W. Gandy | November 18, 1912 | at Steer Pen, Chesterfield County, SC |
the Said W W Gandy came to his death we find that the deceast W W Gandy came to his death by Natural causes |
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| twin infants | September 15, 1889 | at Rosa Foster's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say that the twin children were stillborn & that no violence has been practiced |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Andrew Boney | July 26, 1879 | at Ridgeway, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that from the Certificate of two Physicians who reached him in his dying moment that he come to his death from Heart disease[.] |
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| Venus | female slave | November 9, 1848 | at John Harrises, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .the disceased was a person advanced in life, and had at time been complaining of a Smothering Sensation at night and . . .Came to her death by a visitation of god |
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| George Roberts | May 2, 1896 | Laurens County, SC |
we the Jury Empannelled in the case of the State vs dead body of George Roberts find that he died From Heart failure |
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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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| Henry Shaw | April 14, 1899 | at the place of R. W. Humphries, Kershaw County, SC | |||
| Mid[?] Griffin | February 2, 1895 | at the Govelace[?] Place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Aforesaid Mid Griffin came to his death by Heart failure |
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| Child of Mary Muree | Child of Mary Muree | October 8, 1833 | at the meeting house nown by the name of Pleasant Hill, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, the affore said child then and their died of the visitation of God, and not otherwise. |
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| David Hall | October 26, 1931 | at McBee, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That david Hall come to his death by natural causes |
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| Mrs. Will Hough | March 22, 1930 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| James Harmon | March 4, 1841 | near[?] Nichara[?] Gordon's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they cannot find no marks of Violence upon him and he died by the visitation of god in a natural way and not otherwise |
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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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| Barbra Franklin | June 6, 1898 | near Swift Creek Colored Baptist Church, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said barbra Franklin of the said county and said state on the Evening of the fifth day of June 1898 Did come to her death from natural causes |
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| Maria Seawright | grandma | January 11, 1882 | at the farm of A. W. McDavids, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Maria Seawright came to her death from a natural cause by an act of Providence |
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| Tench Henson | June 8, 1868 | at Josepth Moor's, Greenville County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that it was the act of Providence |
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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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| 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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| Peter C. Oclan | January 7, 1850 | at C. Burch's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the sd. P.C. Oclan came to his death by the act of God |
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| Benjamin Crowley | January 31, 1888 | at Benjamin Crowley's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Benjamin Cawley came to his death by some natural cause or causes unknown to the Jury and that he dide on the 30 day of January AD 1888 |
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| Charles Young | July 16, 1885 | at Anderson's Mills, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Charles Young came to his death from Apoplexy near Anderson's Mills |
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| Allen Melton | January 6, 1893 | at the residence of Mr. James Cottege, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do says that it is their belief that Allen Melton came to his death from natural causes - in all probability - form failure of the heart to perform its proper functions |
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| infant | January 13, 1868 | at Anderson Court House, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the infant was a premature birth and born dead |
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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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| Fom[?] | July 2, 1858 | at the Rev. W. W Gwin on cedar creek, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Fom[?] came to his death by an act of (God) |
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| Loverberry B. Musgrove | October 9, 1866 | at the residence of Ms. James, Widow, near the Court House, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Loveberry B. Musgrove, at the residence of Mrs. James, Widow, . . .did die by visitation of Almight God |
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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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| Charley Gainey | November 18, 1903 | at T.C. Williams', Chesterfield County, SC |
the said Charley Gainey diseased came to his death from heart failure |
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| Jenny | slave | April 28, 1836 | Kershaw County, SC |
do on their oath say that they believe she died of an apoplectic fit, 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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| 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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| Infant of Dissie Adams | Infant of Dissie Adams | May 5, 1912 | at W. C. Adams place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: He came to his death from natural cause in feble condition after birth |
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| Betsy Pilgram | July 2, 1882 | at Woodruff, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased ... came to her death by disease of the heart |
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| Finley Hall | November 30, 1912 | at Ansleydale, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon theire oaths do say that the Said Finley Hall come to his death by Natural causes |
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| Nancy Montjoy | October 13, 1889 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she the said Nancy Montjoy came to her death from natural causes, probably disease of the heart |
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| Henry Leard Bancum | November 29, 1894 | at W. H. Funderburk's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say That it was an act of providence from natural causes |
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| Jane Laniere | August 13, 1880 | at the residence of G. B. Whiton, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Jane Lanier died in the woods near the public road leading from Pendleton to Williamston at the 4 mile post . . .by no foul means but by a disease of the heart |
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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 |
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| Nancey Means | December 22, 1879 | at D.T. Gibson's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the Said Nancey Means came to her death by natural causes unknown to the Jury. |
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| Jane Wisher | September 30, 1848 | at the residence of Mrs. Jane Wisher, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say from the widow of Elisabeth Wisher that the deceased was an oald person and had for some years past been afflicted with what had been cauled palpitation of the heart and [?] and was complaining . . .came to her death by a visitation 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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| Isaac F. Swinney | March 12, 1875 | at Chesterfield C. H., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: the under verdict that the deceased Isaac F Swinney came to his death from some natural cause |
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| Thomas C. Reaves | May 25, 1899 | Kershaw County, SC | |||
| 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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| Sarah Martin | July 14, 1844 | at residence of Mrs. Sarah Martin, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the above named Sarah Martin came to her death by the hand of God. |
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| Betty Gene Mangum | December 19, 1934 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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 |
