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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| David S. Threatt | July 15, 1924 | at Dudley Chesterfield County S. C., Chesterfield County, SC |
I decided that under the clear facts of the surroundings that it was unnecessary to empanel a Jury to decided how he came to his death as there was no the least suspicion or doubt that the deceased came to his death by natural causes from an affliction which usually and natural terminates fatal and suddenly. |
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| Doublin | male slave, boy | April 5, 1857 | at the Residence of Mrs Delila Philips, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . .that the deceased Doublin in manner and form aforesaid came to his death by a Providential occurrence under the influence of an apoplectic fit. |
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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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| 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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| Arlen Blakney Watson | February 2, 1902 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| William L. Collins | January 9, 1887 | at Chesterfield County, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Allen Melton | January 6, 1893 | at the residence of Mr. James Cottege, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do says that it is their belief that Allen Melton came to his death from natural causes - in all probability - form failure of the heart to perform its proper functions |
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| Sebron Miller | June 30, 1903 | at Jefferson, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Sebron Miller came to his deth by natural causes |
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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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| Thomas R. Bell | December 23, 1876 | at the late residence of Thos R. Bell, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say after hearing the testimony for the state, that Tho's R. Bell's death was caused by disease of the heart |
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| Infant of Mary Sellers | Infant of Mary Sellers | December 1, 1894 | at J. H. Seller's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: the infant child came to its death from natural causes |
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| Bluford Abney | November 14, 1894 | at M.A. Colemans plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
the said Bluford Abney came to his death by natural causes or colic |
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| Charmes | October 7, 1865 | at Levison Fowlers, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Freedman Charmes came to his death by the act of God |
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| Jacob Briges | September 18, 1832 | at the house of Jacob Briges, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that it was the visitation of God |
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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | June 4, 1868 | at FW Gaylords, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said child was still born. . . |
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| Auguiste Campbell | October 30, 1868 | at Auguiste Campbell's, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the Decd. Auguiste Campbell came to his death, from the continual use of peach brandy, he the decd. Being advanced in years to old age & feeble constitution & that the use of sd. Intoxicating brandy, drank from Monday morning the 26th Inst. to the time of his death was the cause of sd. death. |
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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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| 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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| 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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| Dora Jackson | December 26, 1893 | near Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the deceased Dora Jackson came to her death in the manner and from aforesaid that is from natural causes |
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| negro child | negro child | January 16, 1854 | at [???], Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths . . .that it came to its death by the visitation of God |
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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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| Adam Eubanks | April 19, 1894 | at the residence of the deceased, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Adam Eubanks died from natural causes on the night of the 18th April 1894 at his residence |
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| William Ganey | February 22, 1889 | at E. H. Casons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the Said William Ganey came to his death form some natural cause or causes to the jurors unknown |
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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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| 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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| Matt | negro man | February 9, 1832 | on the plantation of Doct. Jas Macham, Union County, SC |
do say upon there Oaths that the Said negro . . .died with the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Robert W. Kincade | December 27, 1845 | at the house of Baley[?] Corley, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Robert W Kincde came to his death by a Stroke of Appoplexy in the house of Baley Corby |
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| Sam Clark | near Lyles Ford, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion Sam Clark came to his death from Heart diseas |
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| Nance | infant child | April 24, 1832 | at the house of Benjamin Landrum, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the sd infant . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Rhoda | female slave | July 4, 1857 | at Dorn's[?] Mill, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, they believe the said slave Rhoda came to her death by some invisible and unknown cause or causes; perhaps a disease of the heart |
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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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| John Gregory | September 3, 1862 | at John Gregory, Union County, SC |
do say that the Decd Came to his death by the hand of God |
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| Mittie Mitchell | September 19, 1902 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Sam | negro, slave | September 18, 1846 | at the residence of Mrs Nancy Delaughter, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say. . .died by the 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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| 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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| Charley Gainey | November 18, 1903 | at T.C. Williams', Chesterfield County, SC |
the said Charley Gainey diseased came to his death from heart failure |
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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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| Mid[?] Griffin | February 2, 1895 | at the Govelace[?] Place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Aforesaid Mid Griffin came to his death by Heart failure |
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| Clarisa Epps | July 20, 1868 | at Laurens C.H., Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the afore said Claricy Epps came to her death by the visitation of God. |
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| Caroline Timons | January 10, 1901 | at Mount Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
I have this day held a preliminary examination ovr the dad body of Caroline Timons and from the evidence of witness I do not deam It necary to hold an inqest but form such witness find that the Sed Caroline Timons came to her dath from none other than natural Causes this The 10 day of January 1901 |
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| Elisha Himbry | October 11, 1832 | at the house of William Himbry, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he was found on the tenth day of the present month about one mile from this place lying in the woods on his farm and they do believe he came to his death by the act of God |
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| Wiliam Clinton | May 11, 1928 | at Wiliam Clinton's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Wiliam Clinton came to his Death from natial causes |
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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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| 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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| David Jeans | March 5, 1870 | Laurens County, SC |
We the undersigned Jurors do say that we believe the said david Jeans freedman came to his death by the Visitation of God. |
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| Roster | slave | July 27, 1844 | at Fielden Clayton's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon thear [sic] oathes [sic] that the said Roster. . .was found dead, that she had no marks of violence upon her, and died by the visitation of God |
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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. |
