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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| 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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| Miss Vida Nivius | April 4, 1923 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
We the Jury after viewing the Body of Miss Nivius find that the dec'd aforsaid she came to her death from natural causes |
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| Simon C. Wood[?] | December 26, 1857 | at Wm Calelaziers[?], Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Simon C Nood came to his death by some unknown cause or rather by the visitation of Providence |
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| Infant Child | Infant Child | March 12, 1891 | at Ebb Hildreth, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Infant child came to the death from natural cause or causes |
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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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| John Bryce | March 7, 1815 | in the town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said John Bryce came to his death in the Town of Camden aforesaid, on the night of the sixth Instant of a visitation of God. |
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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[.] |
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| Caroline Coleman | July 25, 1893 | at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . .that the said Caroline Coleman aforesaid came to her death from heart failure |
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| Caroline Batson | freed woman | November 21, 1866 | at Reedy River Church, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by exposing herself while sick with fever |
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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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| Hezehiah Gulledge | January 14, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
| Watson Jackson | June 5, 1880 | at Jackson Grove Church, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that at his mother's house of the plantation of Mr. A. Smith ... Watson Jackson came to his death by Malarial Fever |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Jonathan | June 5, 1826 | at the plantation of Wm Ader[?], Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon our oaths that our [?] from the evidence Jonathan came to his death by the Visitation of God |
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| Dilsey Seigler | September 20, 1869 | at Miles Mills, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the said Dilsey came to her death by an act of Providence after long affliction |
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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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| 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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| W. F. DeBruhl | April 20, 1859 | at the late residence of W.F. DeBruhl, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Wm. F. Debruhl came to his death by none other than a visition from God |
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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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| W. T. Mathis | November 11, 1897 | at the Yeldell place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oath do Say he come to his Death by Providential occurance or heart failure |
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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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| 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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| Harry Horton | October 8, 1889 | at Harry Hortons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the aforesaid Harry Horton came to his death by the act of God or natural causes |
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| unnamed infant | unnamed infant | September 8, 1855 | at the Plantation of the late William Montgomery, Horry County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say That upon a Post-morten examination, that from the decomposed state of the Child, having been dead 8 days and buried 7 days, that we can not see any sign of violence or Poesen,--but from the emty state of the Childs Stomach and Bowels, believe that the death of the Child was caused by withholding the necessary nurishment, from its Mothers breast, or otherwise |
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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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| Catharine Rodgers | child | September 30, 1879 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . . the deceased came to her death from congestion of the Lungs |
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| Sopha Bolz | April 2, 1876 | at John Wolf's Place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that she came to her death [?] have no doubt from Diesase of the heart |
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| Julia Banks | September 4, 1891 | at Mr Banks Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .Mrs Julia Banks . . .Supposed to have died from heart decise |
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| Charity Bozeman | June 11, 1880 | at the house of Aby McAlister, Anderson County, SC |
do say that Charity Bozeman came to her death by Harte Deaseas [sic] |
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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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| Sally Williams | July 19, 1880 | n.a., Anderson County, SC |
find her lungs badly affected and diseased came to her death from consumption & had consumption badly. |
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Waterman Fleming | August 3, 1925 | at Jule Fleming's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: by natural causes |
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| Edward | slave, boy | October 22, 1858 | at the residence of Wm Miller, Edgefield County, SC |
the said Boy Came to his death by the act of Providence |
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| Child of Mary Muree | Child of Mary Muree | October 8, 1833 | at the meeting house nown by the name of Pleasant Hill, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, the affore said child then and their died of the visitation of God, and not otherwise. |
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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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| James Hall | September 25, 1818 | in town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon a view of the body of the deceased . . . that he came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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| Elsie Starks | at N.C. Roberts' place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from some cause uknown to the Jury between two & seven Oclock the 21st Jan 1883[.] |
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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 |
