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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hester Mobley | June 27, 1868 | at David Gladney's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . . that from the testimony the Said Hester Mobley came to her death by the desease, She was Suffering from, The disease of the Heart. |
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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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| John McDonald | April 15, 1839 | at Daniel McDonalds, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe the said John McDonald ... being a youth in the district aforesaid there & then died of the visitation of God |
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| Hezehiah Gulledge | January 14, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
| Abram | slave | October 8, 1860 | at the Residence of H. B. Raborns, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that. . .the said Abram a slave of H Gallman. . .came to his death by some internal deseased unknown |
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| Scott Infant Child | Scott Infant Child | July 30, 1891 | at W. A. Buchanan's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Infant child came to its death form natural cause or causes to this Jury unknown |
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| D. Searey | November 17, 1882 | near Martinsville, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... the said D. Seary died from Epileptic fit or other causes to which mortal man is heir |
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| infant child | infant child | August 9, 1837 | on the plantation of Mr. Austin Wilson, 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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| Emaline Jackson | August 27, 1894 | at Dr Childs Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that from the evidence before us by misfortune and that said misfortune was caused by the bursting of an artery And So the said jurors aforesaid, do say, that the aforesaid Emaline Jackson came to her death in manner and form |
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| Prince Crawford | November 29, 1916 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Prince Crawford came 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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| Anna G. Cason | June 10, 1883 | at Williamston, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the death of said Anna Cason (after hearing the testimony) was caused by disease of the heart. |
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| Matilda Hall | June 28, 1880 | at residence of deceased on plantation of C.S. Brice, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Matilda Hall came to her death by heart disease,-the act of Almighty God. |
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| Answorth Middleton | December 3, 1816 | at James Boyds, Laurens County, SC |
Do say that he the said Answorth Middleton came to his Ende by the hand 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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| Samuel Kelso | December 21, 1817 | at the plantation of Sam'l Kelso, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that. . .he came to his death by an act of God being subject to something like a apoplexy for some time previous to his death |
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| Emaline | slave | April 4, 1862 | at R. G. H. Faws[?], Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that the deseast came to her death by the visitation of god or some unknown cause |
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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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| James Drake | December 7, 1854 | at residence of James Drake, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said James Drake came to his death by the hand of God |
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| Baby Roscoe | June 18, 1934 | at Ruby & Hartsville Cross Roads, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Still Born |
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| Alice Miller | November 16, 1893 | in Alice Miller's house, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death from Heart Disease and that no violence of any kind was used by any person. |
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| Angeline Allen | February 27, 1899 | at A.L. Sims', Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that we are convinced that the above Angeline Allen came to her death from natural causes |
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| Harry McBee | May 31, 1876 | at Alexander McBee's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say that Harry McBee came to his . . . in the woods near the Premasis of Mr Alexander McBee . . . by the visitation of God |
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| Jacob Belue | July 31, 1882 | at Jacob Belues, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jacob Belue came to his death from congestion of the lungs |
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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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| Alexander P. Kennard | February 16, 1847 | in the District, Edgefield County, SC |
do say upon their Oaths, that they do believe that he died of Cramp of the Stomach or in an Appoplectic fit |
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| John S. Collins | May 29, 1870 | at Mr. John S. Collin's residence, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the sd. J.S. Collins came to his death by the hand of God |
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| Major | negro man the property of no person | July 29, 1845 | at the plantation of Miss M. J. Rogers, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the above named Major came to his death by the act of God, |
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| Albert Watson | June 15, 1892 | at the plantation of W.B. Maffett, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Albert Watson came to his death from Natural Causes |
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| Ranse Lowry | July 21, 1888 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
The finding of the Jury is that the deceased came to his death by mischance |
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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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| James Coleman | September 16, 1873 | at or near Mrs. Fantt's residence and one and 1/2 miles south east of Anderson, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the deceased came to his death by the act of God. |
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| Doreas Mobley | May 18, 1870 | at the house of Mrs. Doreas Mobley, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Dorene Mobley on the 18th day of May in the year One thousand Eigth Hundred and Seventy at her house in the county aforesaid, 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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| Jack Dendy | October 25, 1889 | at Jack Dendys, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jack Dendy came to his death "From Providential Causes." |
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| Authur Lee Johnson | October 1, 1904 | at the place of Mary Cassidy, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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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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| M. H. Miller | April 10, 1889 | at W. T. H. Miller's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that from the evidence given Martha Miller died with heart disease |
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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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| Infant of Andrew and Helen Barrett | Infant of Andrew and Helen Barrett | February 19, 1897 | at Andrew Barretts coloud in Chesterfield Co., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, the deceased came to its death by means unknown to the Jury. |
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| infant | December 24, 1882 | at the residence of Miss Mary Bridges, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
| negro child a slave | negro child a slave | January 27, 1835 | on the plantation of T Hooker, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the Sd child . . .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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| Ned Redfern | January 24, 1916 | at Evans Mill, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: natural causes |
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| Abram Alston | near Dawkins, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Abram Alston manner and form aforsaid came to his death from natural causes |
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| Alexander T. Johnson | December 2, 1895 | at the residence of M.J. Johnson, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that Alexander T Johnson deceast came to his death from or with Bodily Deyses |
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| Olin Smith | Anderson County, SC |
I found he died from natural causes |
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| Sarilla Coleman | August 5, 1880 | at the residence of Henry Jeffares, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion Savilla Coleman came to her death from apoplexy or congestion of the brain. |
