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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayet Walter | January 20, 1877 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upont their oaths do say that the dec'd Fayet Walter came to his death from a disease known as congestion of the lungs caused from severe cold |
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| Unknown | at Davis Lyles'[?] place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid Infant came to his death from Premature birth[.] |
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| John Jones | December 16, 1817 | at John Jones's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths. . .that the said John Jones did die a natural death |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Rachell Smith | at the McDowell place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to her death from dissease of the heart. |
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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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| 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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| Strather Freeman | March 2, 1876 | at Flat Rock Church, Anderson County, SC |
do say deceased came to his death by disease of the heart. |
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| W. Thomas Welsh | January 16, 1890 | at Sebram Welsh, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do Say that the Said W. T. Welsh came to his death from some unknown Cause to the Jury |
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| Caswell Waldrop | April 18, 1882 | at the residence of Caswell Waldrop, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . . the said Caswell Waldrop . . . came to his death from the effect of an epileptic fit. |
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| Ned Dial | December 25, 1890 | at Powers, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That Ned Dial came to his 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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| Aaron Oxner | October 11, 1877 | at Shelton, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion & from the[?] best information that Aaron Oxner came to his death from Appoplexy |
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| Simon West | March 25, 1857 | near the house of dec'd, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that it is by the visitation of God |
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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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| 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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| Infant of Diliar Harrell | Infant of Diliar Harrell | September 15, 1905 | at Mr. Douglass's Mill, Chesterfield County, SC |
so the said Jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do say that the aforesaid child came to death by causes unknown to them. |
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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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| Mary Knopp | Fairfield County, SC |
do state that said Mrs Mary Knopp came to her death by "heart failure." |
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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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| George | slave | June 24, 1857 | at W.B. family[?] plantation, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said George came to his death by the [?] of Almighty God. |
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| Theatus or Theater Williams | August 21, 1926 | at Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Theates Williams came to his Death from Hart Farlery |
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| Charlotte | slave | August 6, 1837 | in Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say that she came to her death by affliction[?] of the heart |
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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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| Nehemiah Franks | July 27, 1859 | at Nehemiah Franks, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he the aforesaid Nehemiah Franks in manner and form aforesaid do say that he came to his death in his own house by the act of God. |
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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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| Delia Hell | at J.K. Alston's plantation, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the deceased came to her death by softening of the brain; in manner and form aforesaid. She came to her death by the hand of God. |
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| Sallie McDowell | August 12, 1882 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sallie McDowell died of indigestion |
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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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| Joseph Prince | April 13, 1842 | Union County, SC |
came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| Harry | slave | December 17, 1855 | at Jesse Gray's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say that he came to it by manner and means to them unknown, but believe it was by the visitation of God |
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| Morriss unknown | free man of color | January 7, 1858 | at Grief Tater's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say the said that Morris (a free man of color)?more than probably came to his death by dropsy of the heart |
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| Arthur R. Hill | January 1, 1883 | at Mrs F[?] Browns place, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Arthur R Hill came to his death on the 1st day of January AD 1883 by some sickness... |
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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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| infant child | infant child | February 28, 1877 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said infant child of Ella Mitchell came to his death caused by congestion of the liver stomach & bowels |
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| Phillis | August 18, 1831 | at the house of Charles P. Stone, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that, according to all the testimony adduced to them, they are inclined to believe, that on the 17th instant, the said Phillis being often last spring, complaining of Hysterical, vapours she was taken with a Hysteric Attack which caused her death |
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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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| 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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| Priscilla Clark | March 28, 1837 | at the house of Jesse Clark, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Priscilla Clark . . . died by the visitation of God |
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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | February 23, 1883 | at Chesterfield C. H., Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say That the said Infant Child came to his death from som cause or causes unknown to the Jurors and that there was no foul play |
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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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| Brown Lee | at the McCerkin[?] grave yard, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to his death on the 6 day of Nov A D 1889 at his residence from natural causes |
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| white man | white man | October 21, 1849 | in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the aforesaid Stranger came to his death from the act of God |
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| Victor | male slave | April 24, 1859 | at A. L. Dearing Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Victor came to his death by a providential occurance |
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| Beller McAlester | March 11, 1876 | at house of deceased, Anderson County, SC |
do say that she came to her death by the act of God in a applect fitt [sic] |
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| Huston Griffith | August 24, 1910 | at J. N. Sowell's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the Said Huston Griffith came to Death By natural causes |
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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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| William Blanton | January 14, 1884 | at the house of Langdon Blanton, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that William Blanton came to his death by heart disease |
