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
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Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Method | Inquest Finding |
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Martha M. Kerr | March 10, 1881 | at the house of Edward L. Kerr, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Martha M. Kerr came to her death by the act of God: hemorage of the lungs |
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Martha Lanham | January 29, 1892 | at Wilts[?] Curryes place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that Marsha Lanham Came to her death from hart failure |
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Marisley Malone | September 23, 1890 | at the residence. Mrs Fooshers, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that on the night of the 22nd day of Sept. AD 1890, at the House of Mrs. Foosher in Laurens County, that the said Marilsey Malone came to her death by the Act of God. |
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Mariah Pincy | July 10, 1881 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that said Mariah Princey ... came to her death from heart disease |
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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 |
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Maria Powell | at the Paggitt place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to her death at her residence the 4 day of May A D 1891 from heart failure. |
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Margret Branan | December 15, 1889 | at or on Mrs. Alice Taylor's place, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Margret Branan died ... of heart failure or affliction of the brain |
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Manuel Coleman | at Manuel Coleman's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say came to his death by congestion of the Stomach from drinking water. |
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Manerva Proctor | September 19, 1876 | at Thomas Anderson's place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: That Manerva Proctor came to her death by disease of the heart. |
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Mandy Richerson | February 18, 1929 | on Jule Campbell's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Mandy Richerson came to her Death from natural causes |
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Malsey A. Blakeny | August 12, 1894 | at the house of W. E. Courtney, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say "that she came to her death by an act of Providence" |
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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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Mag Potee | at N.D. Roberts place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceasd came to her death at her home the night of the 2d of Sept 1892 from natural causes[.] |
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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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Madison Harper | September 23, 1867 | at the residence of R.E. Ellison, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Madison Harper came to his death from disease by the visitation 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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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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Lydia Parish | December 6, 1835 | at the house of Mrs. L. Parrish on Rutledge Street in the town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
find no reason to suppose the deceased came to her death otherwise than by the act of God or in the course of nature from diesease the particular character of which is unknown to us |
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Luvenia Elmore | March 15, 1883 | at J A Fergusons place, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the cause of her death on the 14th day of March AD. 1883 on J A Fergusons place in Laurens County from Congestion. |
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Lucy E. Louremore | January 27, 1873 | in Horry County, Horry County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that She Came to her death by natural Insident |
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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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Loverberry B. Musgrove | October 9, 1866 | at the residence of Ms. James, Widow, near the Court House, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Loveberry B. Musgrove, at the residence of Mrs. James, Widow, . . .did die by visitation of Almight God |
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Loucinda Alexander | December 7, 1883 | at the house of Camel Alexander, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death by the acts of Providence unknown to us |
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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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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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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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Lizza | colered woman | October 7, 1866 | at the house of Thomas S. Miller, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the deceased died from a desease of the Heart |
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Limbrick | negro child a slave | July 22, 1856 | at Wm. R. A. Thomas's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that limbrick here lying dead came to his death by a visitation of god |
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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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Lila Gambrell | October 21, 1875 | at the house of Ran Duckworth, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Lila Gambrell came to her death by mischance produced by personal epolepsy [sic]. |
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Lidda Hampton | November 24, 1893 | at A Derrecks, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Lidda Hampton came to her death from heart failure |
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Liberty | slave | August 1, 1843 | at John Murph's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say uppon [sic] their oaths that he was found in his house lying dead on the floor and came to his death by the act of God |
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Lewis Dial | October 20, 1870 | at Laurens C.H., Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say on examining and viewing the body of Lewis Dial, this day found dead in the garden of J.M. Boyd, and from competent medical examination, we find that the said deceased came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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Lewis Denham | December 6, 1883 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said Lewis Denham ... in the field near his house died of natural causes |
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Levy | negro man slave | January 9, 1849 | at Austin Wilson's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Levy Came to his death by natural Cause and that was an Act of God |
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Levi S. Mathews | July 13, 1892 | at G. C. Wheerles[?] Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their do Say. . .that the aforesaid Levi S. Mathews. . .Came to his death from hart Failure |
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Lee Roy Almond | November 18, 1893 | at R. J. Almond's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid Lee Roy Almond came to his death from natural causes |
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Learma Butler | November 7, 1890 | at W.H. Folks plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death from rheumatism of the Heart ... by natural causes |
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Leanora M. Cannon | February 25, 1879 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... the said Leonora M. Cannon died from the rupture of a blood vessel which caused a rush of blood into the lungs and instant death ensued |
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Lawrence Lenhardt | July 5, 1882 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . . came to his death from strangulation of the hernia[?] of long duration |
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Laura Jones | February 27, 1861 | at Esther E. Jones, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Laura E. Jones came to her death By the providence of God at O. H T. Jones home in Laurens District |
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Laura Doneyhue | October 17, 1901 | at the Plantation of Geo Gregory, M.D., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: nothin other than natural causes |
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Lansford Mosley | June 19, 1879 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . . the said Lansford Moseley came to his death from disease unknown to the Jury |
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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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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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L. M. Stroud | August 18, 1909 | at Tom Strouds, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: that the said Mrs. P. M. Stroud came to her death from natural causes |
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Kizziah[?] | slave, servant | March 11, 1860 | at the residence of Mr M Lanham, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Kisziah came to her death. . .from the Visitation of God in a natural way |
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Kissey Blakeny | October 22, 1884 | at Kessey Blakenys, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Deceased came to her death by a natural causs of heart disease |
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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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Kent | slave | January 12, 1845 | at the house of David Maberry, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said slave Kent came to his death by the visitation of God |