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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Shubrick | col | December 24, 1869 | at Negro heade Lane, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That they find that the said Ben Shubrick col came to his death by the act of Providence |
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| Josephine Smith | October 12, 1890 | on the plantation of M.B. Pool, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Josephine Smith from some natural cause unknown to the jury. |
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| Milton Ponder | January 19, 1867 | at Milton Ponder's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Milton Ponder came to his death . . . by the hand of Providence |
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| John McDaniel | May 31, 1839 | at McCaskill's graveyard, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say we found upon examination of the body of John McDaniel no cause nor have heard any testimony to lead us to believe that he cam eto his death otherwise than by 'a visitiation of God' |
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| Lucinda Scott | September 9, 1878 | at P. Hastings' Plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Lucinda Scott came to her death at the house of John Scott; on P. Hastings plantation. September 8th 1878. from hemorrhages of the Lungs. |
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| Richard Stevens | February 21, 1898 | at Johnston S.C., Edgefield County, SC |
upon their Oaths aforesaid, do say, that the aforesaid Dick Stevens died. . .from visitation of God |
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| J. W. Hunnicutt | December 8, 1896 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| infant | December 24, 1882 | at the residence of Miss Mary Bridges, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
| John Crosley | January 11, 1838 | at of John W Sartor[?], Union County, SC |
do say upon there othes that the said John Crosley . . .died by the visitation of god in a natural way by getting choked or strangled and not otherwise |
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| Ely Edwards | at Ridgeway, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that we the jurors after viewing the body of Ely Edwards & hearing the testimony in the [?] Believe that his death was the result of natural causes on the night of Dec 14th 1893 about Eleven oclock[.] |
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| Grover Cassidy | December 3, 1885 | at W. F. Pates, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said Grover Casidy came to his death on the 3d day of December A D 1885 form som nautral causes or causes unknown to the jurors |
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| Hardy McKinney | freedman | July 28, 1867 | at an old field near F. Wyne's, Anderson County, SC |
do say that said decd being diseased came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| Tom | negro boy | February 5, 1853 | at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say the said negro boy . . .died in some natural way unknown |
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| Shelt Gainey | February 17, 1929 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
We Find du Explannation and Testimony frm Witnesses and Doctor that Deceased Shelt Gainy came to his Death from Natural Cause, Heart Trouble and Accut Indigestion from eating Fresh Pork for his supper |
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| Garett Doby | October 11, 1880 | at William Rufus, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say That he came to his death from dropsey of the hart |
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| William A. Jordan | December 12, 1891 | at William M. Jordan's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Said Infant came to his death from Some causes or causes to the Jury unknown |
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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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| Nathaniel Miller | September 2, 1825 | Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths aforesaid that he came to his death by an act of God |
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| Nicholas Gibson | June 26, 1884 | at the residence of Nicholas Gibson, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say ... that the aforesaid Nicholas Gibson came to his death ... in the manner as testified to by the examining physician, Dr. M. Bonner |
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| Wade Chappell | at William Steele's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased Wade, Chappell, came to his death from an affection of the heart[.] |
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| John Brown | January 28, 1902 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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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| James Lee | April 7, 1834 | at Amos Lee's, Union County, SC |
do say upon there oaths that the sd James Lee . . .on the plantation of William Hay[?] . . .Dyed By the Visitation of god in a natural way |
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| Patrick Burns[?] | November 4, 1858 | at the residence of Richard Campbell, Edgefield County, SC |
said Burns came to his death by visitation of God . . . that the immediate cause leading to sudden death, was the bursting of a blood vessel in or about the heart or lungs |
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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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| 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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| Humphrey Wilson | August 26, 1882 | at the residence of Humphrey Wilsons, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . . he died from a visitation of the Almighty God |
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| James Blackie | August 17, 1836 | in the house of Ezekiel Hoy, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe James Blackie died on the 16th of August & and that his death was caused by a 'severe acute disease aggravated & hurried to a fatal termination by previous organic affection of all the viscera of the systems |
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| Kisiah Frazier | December 17, 1893 | at the plantation of T S Rainsforde, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Kisiah Frazier came to her death from natural causes. . .Rheumatic trouble of the heart |
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| W. L. Pegues | July 16, 1894 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said W L Pegues came to his death from natural causes. |
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| Henry Rush | June 22, 1875 | Spartanburg County, SC |
return our verdict that the deceased, Henry Rush, died from an attack of epilepsy |
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| Daniel W. Willis | September 27, 1887 | at the residence of the deceased Daniel Willis, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the [said] Daniel Willis came to his death of heart disease |
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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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| Nathan Moore | April 1, 1870 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say, That the diseased was and had been for some time afflicted with a Heart disease, which we believe caused his very sudden death at the Corner of market and third streets in cheraw on Friday April the first 1870 at 5 O clk PM |
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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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| Sharp | infant male child | June 5, 1861 | at Wm Bovels[?], Union County, SC |
uppon there oaths do say that . . .we conclud that Decsd Came to its Death by the hand of the Almighty |
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| Richard Lewis | January 4, 1910 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That he came to his death from natural causes |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Isaac | slave | March 4, 1841 | at Col. Wm. J. Taylor's plantation, Kershaw County, SC |
on their oaths due say that it was according to their belief and the evidence before them that Isaac came to his Death by the visitation of God |
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| E. P. Brown | January 1, 1879 | at Mrs. E.P. Browns, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Deceased came to to her death at her Residence Dec. the 31st A.D. 1878 from enlargement of the heart[.] |
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| Pompy Robinson | November 1, 1898 | at Norris Place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Pompy Robinson came to his death from throat trouble |
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| Molsie Knight | February 6, 1897 | at Reid Knight's, Chesterfield County, SC |
So the Jurors aforesaid do say that the aforesaid Molsie Knight in manner and form aforesaid did come to Her death in a way that is unknown to the Jury we decide that it was an act of God. |
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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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| Dick | slave | March 19, 1837 | at the house of Edward Gregory, Union County, SC |
do say that the said Dick . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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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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| 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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| Mrs. Joe Landon | October 11, 1929 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
according to evidence that an inquest is not necessary |
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| Henry Jennings | September 14, 1891 | at the residense of diceased, Edgefield County, SC |
upon the oaths of the Jury aforesaid do say that the said Henry Jennings came to his death from Heart Disease |
