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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Johnson | October 13, 1852 | at James Johnson's farm, Union County, SC |
he came to his death by some caus unknown to us |
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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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| infant | March 16, 1883 | at Martha J. Adkins, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said infant child came to his death by the hands of Providence |
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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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| Bettie McConnell | near Lyles Ford, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, "That Bettie McConnell in manner and form aforsaid, came to her death from by heart failure." |
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| Hartwell Roper | June 17, 1869 | at the residence of Rev. J.P. Mealing, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the said Hartwell Roper fell dead in the field at his plow |
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| Gilbert Crawford | July 22, 1921 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Gilbert Crawford came to his death form natural causes |
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| T. G. Cooper | June 5, 1886 | at the late residence of T. G. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said T. G. Cooper came to his death in his own house we suppose by heart disease |
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| John Brownlee | June 7, 1863 | at Williamston, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to his death, not from any violence but by the visitation of God to the best of our knowledge and belief. |
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| Nancy Therrel | February 19, 1876 | at Mr. John Therrels, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Nacy Therel came to her death by some natural caus unknown to the jury |
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| Benjamin Wood | May 8, 1829 | at the house of Benjamin Wood, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he the said Benjamin Wood came to his death by visition of God |
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| Abby | February 28, 1840 | at Thomas Carters, Laurens County, SC |
do Say upon their oaths that the said negro woman Abby, on the 28th Inst 1840 at Thomas Carters in the District afforesaid was found dead and that She dyed by the visitation of god in a natural way & not otherwise. |
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| Spencer Knott | August 9, 1890 | at Spencer Knotts', Chesterfield County, SC |
Jurors aforesaid that said that Spencer Knotts came to his death from some natcherel case or cosses to the jury owns known |
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| Thomas Stevenson | at the Jesse Wayride place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Thos. Stevenson, came to his death from some disease supposed to be disease of the Heart[.] |
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| Joseph Prince | April 13, 1842 | Union County, SC |
came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | April 26, 1888 | at Margret Bouer, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Infant Child came to her death by being accidently Smothered and that it dide on the 26th day of A D 1888 |
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| James W. Steene | August 22, 1898 | at the Residence of Deceased James W. Steene, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say...we find that The deceased came to his death from Heart Falure |
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| William Cooper | September 22, 1882 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .Wm T. Cooper came to his death from heart disease |
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| Thomas J. Fuller | October 5, 1894 | at T.J. Fuller's, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said T.J. Fuller came to his death "From Natural Causes." |
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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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| Lillie C. McManus | February 10, 1889 | at T. M. McManus's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, by the Hand of God, and from causes unknown to the parents and to the jury |
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| Clara | slave | February 18, 1861 | at Thos Bayds[?], Union County, SC |
uppon there oaths do say. . . the decd came to her death by hand of the Almity |
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| John Williams | February 9, 1879 | at the house of Newton Perry [?] on the plantation of Thomas Cox, Anderson County, SC |
do say, that deceased [John Williams] came to his death by dropsical affiction. |
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| J. H. Vandike | May 20, 1877 | at Crawfordville, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they are satisfied that the aforesaid Col. J.H. Vandike came to his death from apoplexy while riding along the road |
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| Thomas Prince | July 31, 1848 | at the Joal of Said District, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Thomas Prince came to his death by the act of God |
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| Susan Oliver | March 27, 1893 | at W. B. Oliver's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Susan Oliver came to her death by cause or causes unknown to us |
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| Patsy Johnston | at Bell plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oath do say that the aforesaid Patsy Johnston came to her death from scrofula. |
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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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| William Ganey | February 22, 1889 | at E. H. Casons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the Said William Ganey came to his death form some natural cause or causes to the jurors unknown |
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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | June 4, 1868 | at FW Gaylords, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said child was still born. . . |
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| Bird Yarbor | December 20, 1903 | at McBee, SC, Chesterfield County, SC |
the deceased -- Bird Yarbor -- came to his death by heart failure or some natural cause. |
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| Peggy | slave | March 28, 1841 | at Mr. Adamson's plantation, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that we find upon examination that [the] negro woman called Peggy Adamson the property of Mrs. Adamson ... came to her death by the visitation of the Divine providence |
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| Rachel Dullivan | January 30, 1890 | at Rachel Dullivan Residence, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Rachel Dullivan came to her death from natural cause (Heart disease). |
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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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| Elizabeth Leightner | July 1, 1875 | at Col. Fenlis[?] Plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: that Eizabeth Leightner came to her death from some cause unknown to the Jurors. |
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| Mary Jane Johnson | child | September 25, 1856 | at Sarah [?] house, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they believe . . .that it Came to its by the visitation of God |
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| Joseph Smith | freeman | July 25, 1866 | at Benjamin Vaughn's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death . . .by some means unknown to the jurors |
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| William H. Lancaster | September 19, 1883 | at the residence of Jas. Giddes, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the aforesaid William H. Lancaster ... came to his death from disease of the heart |
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| Sabia Covington | January 14, 1895 | at Chesterfield C. H., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Sabia Covington came to her death from some natural cause or causes Unknown to them |
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| Martha Stevenson | at Daniel Stevenson's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that Martha Stevenson came to her death from natural causes probly influenza[.] |
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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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| Charley Turner | February 8, 1922 | at J W Patsobe, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That Charley Turner came to his death from natural cause |
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| Polly Evins | August 18, 1886 | at Joe Waters, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from natural causes |
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| James Boiter | May 20, 1887 | near Wakefield Bridge, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon there oaths do say ... that the aforesaid James Boiter came to his death from heart disease |
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| Clarissa Campbell | freedwoman | March 29, 1867 | at the residence of Sarah Campbell, Anderson County, SC |
that the said Clarissa Campbell a freedwoman came to her death natural by the act of God |
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| Ann Funderburk | August 27, 1880 | at Oak Hill Grave Yard, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon oaths do say that the said Ann Funderburk died on the 14th Aug A.D. 1880 of 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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| Drusilla Philips | June 18, 1840 | at Abram Philips, Laurens County, SC |
do Say upon their oaths that; the said Drusilla Philips on the 17th day of June in the year one thousand Eight Hundred and forty one at Abram Philips her husbands own House, in the distrct afore said was found dead that she had no Marks of violence upon her and died by the visitation of God in a natural way and not otherwise. |
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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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| Clarence Rodgers | at the [?] Quarter[?], Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Clarence Rodgers, came to his death from congestion of the lungs at the Residence of Hanibal Willis[.] |
