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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| Charles Aiken | at the Bell place, Fairfield County, SC |
upo their Oaths do say that the deceased Charles Aiken, came to his death form Rupture of a blood vesel at Narthers Church[.] |
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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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| Lizzie Greeg | July 4, 1884 | at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?], Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths aforesaid do say that the aforesaid Lizzie Greeg Came to her death from natural Causes |
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| Jacob Briges | September 18, 1832 | at the house of Jacob Briges, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that it was the visitation of God |
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| Infant of Peter and Mary Hancock | Infant of Peter and Mary Hancock | March 1, 1898 | at B.C. Moons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: from natural causes |
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| Mrs. May M. White | January 22, 1885 | at E. P. Whites, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Mrs. Mary M. White came to her death by some natural cause or causes, on the 22nd day of January A.D. 1885 |
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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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| Sarah Johnson | July 8, 1893 | at Hebron Church, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Sarah Johnson came to her death from natural causes |
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| Abraham Ison | July 17, 1855 | at Abraham Ison's House, Union County, SC |
upon there Oaths do say . . .that the Deceased came to his death by the act of God |
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| Joe Jenkins | October 8, 1881 | at the residence of Matilda Rud, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to his death upon hart [sic] disease |
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| Thos P. Milnor | February 5, 1849 | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Thos. P. Milnor came to his death by a visitation of Providence |
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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." |
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| Sarah Ellen Oliver | January 2, 1904 | at J. W. Crawley's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
from the examination and testimony believe that she came to her death from natural causes. |
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| Charity Johnson | March 11, 1847 | at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased, Edgefield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, that the said Charity Johnson. . .died by the visitation of God |
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| Charles Goswell | February 9, 1883 | at John Goswell's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the said Charles Goswell came to his death from natural causes unknown to the Jury |
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| Patsey Blanton | May 5, 1886 | at L. Blanton's residence, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they consider the said Patsey Blanton came to her death by the providence of God |
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| Eddie Watson | Infant | April 25, 1892 | at Bob Stevens, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the Said Eddie Watson came to his death from Natural Causes |
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| Elijah M. Cooper | August 25, 1877 | at the residence of Elijah M. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said E.M. Cooper came to his death. . .while engaged at work on his fieds near his residence from some cause which the jury believes to have been disease of the heart |
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| James Wilson | March 27, 1846 | at the house of Alexander Moorehead, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said James Wilson came to his death by the hands of Providence causes unknown to the jury. |
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| Jack Odom | August 26, 1911 | at B. J. Douglass Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the aforesaid Jack Odom come to his death from natural causes |
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| Calline Crosby | Fairfield County, SC |
up pon these oths do say that She came to her death from heart failure[.] |
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| Curtis Outlaw | February 21, 1895 | at Campbell's Graveyard, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Curtis Outlaw came to his death form blood clot on the brain [????] apoplexid |
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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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| Christopher Norral | January 5, 1815 | at the Dweling house of John Norals, Union County, SC |
say on their oaths that the Said Christopher Norral Came to his Death By the act of God |
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| M. M. Oneall | December 1, 1870 | at the residence of Elias E. Roberts, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Mrs. M.M. Oneall came to her death from disease 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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| Dick | August 13, 1818 | on the plantation of John Boyd, Laurens County, SC |
the said Dick came to his death by the Act of God do Say upon their oaths here inserted. |
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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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| Wade Barronton | October 8, 1860 | at Wade Barrontons Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Wade Barronton came to his death. . .by the Visitation of God |
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| Willy Hall | February 19, 1845 | at Black River in the stage road, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Willy Hall came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| John Uriah Bedenbaugh | September 17, 1835 | on the plantation of Thomas Satten, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said John Uriah Bedenbaugh. . . died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| infant, child | infant, child | November 29, 1894 | at the plantation of J. P. Roton, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .the said Infant aforesaid. . .came to its death from natural causes |
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| Sidney Rhinehart | December 26, 1883 | at Spartanburg, Spartanburg, S.C., Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sidney Rhinehart died of Cerebral Apoplexy |
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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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| 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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| Bessie Marshal | child | November 22, 1893 | at Henry Foster's, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say "that Bessie Marshal came to her death by the hand of Providence, at the house of Henry Foster, on the 22nd day of November 1893." |
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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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| Emma Duval | September 9, 1878 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she . . .came to her death from natural causes |
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| George W. Medlock | January 1, 1848 | at the house of Daniel Abby, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said George W Medlock came to his death from a disease of the heart |
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| Rachel Manigun | at Feasterville, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that Rachel Manigon[?] died from a stroke of apoplexy on the 4th of Apr. A.D. 1887, at her home on the plantation of J.B. [?][.] |
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| B. J. Mims | January 20, 1885 | at the Residence of Capt B J Mims, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by the visitations of Providence from heart disease |
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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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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | March 27, 1895 | at Daniel McGarland's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: The said infant child was the Child of Caroline Laurean but from being buried such a length of time was in such a state of decomposition, it was impossible from autopsy to find out cause of death, Therefore we find that it came to its death from some cause unknown to it there |
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| Emma Bennett | July 10, 1888 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said Emma Benitt came to her death by Som natural caus or causes to the Jury unknown |
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| Pinkie Lemmon | at J.H. Aiken's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, the said Pinkie Lemmon came to her death from Heart Disease[.] |
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| 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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| 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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| Daniel Brown | October 8, 1881 | at the plantation of Willis Watkins, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Daniel Brown died. . . in the cotton field on the plantation of Willis Watkins by no act of violence or foul means but by heart disease. |
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| Elisha Farless[?] | September 15, 1847 | at Robert Youngers Mill house, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the siad Elisha Farleys[?] died on the 14th[?] instant past at or in the Mill house of Robert Yongers[?] was found dead that he had no markes of violence appearing on his body and died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
