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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| L. O'Brien | August 5, 1877 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Mrs. L. B. O'Brien came to her death from a natural cuase to[?] with[?] by a disease known as paralasis of the brain |
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| Sarah Acock | February 25, 1881 | at D. R. Davison, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the said Sarah Acock came to her deathby some caus or causes unknown to the Jury |
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| Unknown infant | Unknown infant | July 14, 1879 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that , according to the evidence before them, the said infants came to this death in the house of Alie Williams on Church street in Town of Cheraw one on Saturday night the other on Sunday - both form natural causes |
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| William Fisher | September 12, 1855 | at the home of Sarah Vanderford, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that they are of opinion that the Said William Fisher died a natural death by [?] and by the act of God |
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| Elsie Starks | at N.C. Roberts' place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from some cause uknown to the Jury between two & seven Oclock the 21st Jan 1883[.] |
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| Bilpha Hargroove | February 1, 1847 | at Joseph Simmon's, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon there oaths, That after a thorough examination of the body we find no marks of violence or bruises on the body, we after a full examination of the testimony we are of opinion that the Deceased came to her death by appoplectic fit or some suffocation. |
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| Henry Shaw | April 14, 1899 | at the place of R. W. Humphries, Kershaw County, SC | |||
| Mary Gillam | January 1, 1891 | at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the said Mary Gillam came to her death from Rhumatism from the Heart |
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| Peter Williford | May 2, 1876 | at Daniel Williford's, Anderson County, SC |
do say that some time between the hours of 3 oclock on the 1st of May 1876 and 8oclock on the 2d day of may May 1876 that the deceased came to his death by the act of God |
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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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| 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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| Unknown | at the Gailiard Plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said infants death was from premature birth, from best evidence we can get, it not being over six months old the 17 of Feb 1886[.] |
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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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| Emmar McDonald | daughter | November 27, 1881 | at William McDonald's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the sd Emma [?] McDonald came to her death by asphyxia of the brain, or some unknown cause |
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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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| Infant of G. R. C. Baskins | Infant of G. R. C. Baskins | February 18, 1905 | at E. W. Gulledge's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
their oath say that the said William H. Baskin infant Died . . . from Natural Causes. |
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Alexander Black | November 14, 1863 | at the house of A. W. Black, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said decd came to his death . . . by the act of God unknown to them |
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Samuel Ward | July 19, 1859 | at Church Cross Roads, Anderson County, SC |
do say that he came to his death by the visitation of providence him being an old man between 75 & 80 years of age. |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Cintha Boon | April 10, 1926 | [Stein?] Pin Township, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Died of Heart failure |
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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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| 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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| Unknown infant | Unknown infant | July 14, 1879 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that , according to the evidence before them, the said infants came to this death in the house of Alie Williams on Church street in Town of Cheraw one on Saturday night the other on Sunday - both form natural causes |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Thomas C. Reaves | May 25, 1899 | Kershaw County, SC | |||
| 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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| George Norris | November 23, 1876 | at Anderson Courthouse, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said George Norris by act of God died (Consumption) |
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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 |
