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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Lester | December 13, 1884 | near Pelham, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say Amanda Lester came to her death from heart disease |
|
| Charity Bozeman | June 11, 1880 | at the house of Aby McAlister, Anderson County, SC | heart disease |
do say that Charity Bozeman ^came to her death^ by Harte Deaseas [sic] |
|
| Henry Clarkson | May 10, 1871 | at Antiark Church, Kershaw County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say ... that the aforesaid Henry Clarkson ... came to his death disease of the heart |
|
| Strather Freeman | March 2, 1876 | at Flat Rock Church, Anderson County, SC | heart disease |
do say…deceased came to his death by disease of the heart. |
|
| William H. Lancaster | September 19, 1883 | at the residence of Jas. Giddes, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the aforesaid William H. Lancaster ... came to his death from disease of the heart |
|
| Betsy Pilgram | July 2, 1882 | at Woodruff, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased ... came to her death by disease of the heart |
|
| James Boiter | May 20, 1887 | near Wakefield Bridge, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon there oaths do say ... that the aforesaid James Boiter came to his death from heart disease |
|
| T. G. Cooper | June 5, 1886 | at the late residence of T. G. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that the said T. G. Cooper came to his death in his own house we suppose by heart disease |
|
| Julia Rice | June 27, 1887 | at Clough Rice's, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that in our opinion the deceased came to her death from some natural cause, probably heart disease |
|
| Joshua Clark | January 26, 1885 | on a rode leading from B. B. Martin's to John Champions, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that said deceased came to his death by an organic disease of the Heart |
|
| Margret Branan | December 15, 1889 | at or on Mrs. Alice Taylor's place, Spartanburg County, SC | heart failure or affliction of the brain |
upon their oaths do say that Margret Branan died ... of heart failure or affliction of the brain |
|
| Laban Johnson | May 15, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC | heart trouble |
do say that the said Laban Johnson came to his death from heart troubles brought on by natural causes |
|
| Martha M. Kerr | March 10, 1881 | at the house of Edward L. Kerr, Spartanburg County, SC | hemorrhage |
upon their oaths do say that the said Martha M. Kerr came to her death by the act of God: hemorage of the lungs |
|
| Rebeca Eidson | May 29, 1861 | at the Residence of William Eidson, Edgefield County, SC | illness |
upon there oaths do say that it is made evident to theme that the said deceased came to here death … from Congestion Pneumonia |
|
| negro child | negro child | October 11, 1857 | at T. C. Lesters, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by strangling or choking with phlegm |
| Eva Lyons | February 9, 1880 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that … the Dec'd came to her death from Laranges[?] Tracheitis or inflamation of the wind pipe. |
|
| Maria Seawright | grandma | January 11, 1882 | at the farm of A. W. McDavids, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that the said Maria Seawright came to her death from a natural cause by an act of Providence |
| Caroline Batson | freed woman | November 21, 1866 | at Reedy River Church, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by exposing herself while sick with fever |
| Samuel Ward | July 19, 1859 | at Church Cross Roads, Anderson County, SC | illness |
do say that he came to his death by the visitation of providence him being an old man between 75 & 80 years of age. |
|
| Jane Ashmore | child | April 3, 1880 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that … the said Jane Ashmore came to her death from natural causes |
| Caswell Waldrop | April 18, 1882 | at the residence of Caswell Waldrop, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that … the said Caswell Waldrop … came to his death from the effect of an epileptic fit. |
|
| Lawrence Lenhardt | July 5, 1882 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that … came to his death from strangulation of the hernia[?] of long duration |
|
| Moriah Scott | infant child | September 26, 1875 | at Ness[?] Scott's, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths, do say that Moriah L. Scott infant child … came to her death from cold |
| Thomas Prince | July 31, 1848 | at the Joal of Said District, Edgefield County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that the said Thomas Prince came to his death by the act of God |
|
| infant child | infant child | February 28, 1877 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC | illness |
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 |
| Henry Jennings | September 14, 1891 | at the residense of diceased, Edgefield County, SC | illness |
upon the oaths of the Jury aforesaid do say that the said Henry Jennings came to his death from Heart Disease |
|
| Jacob Belue | July 31, 1882 | at Jacob Belues, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jacob Belue came to his death from congestion of the lungs |
|
| Emmar McDonald | daughter | November 27, 1881 | at William McDonald's, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that the sd Emma [?] McDonald came to her death by asphyxia of the brain, or some unknown cause |
| Ana May Blocker | child | December 2, 1894 | at Ben Boatwrights farm, Edgefield County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say: That the child Came to its death from causes unknown |
| Alexander P. Kennard | February 16, 1847 | in the District, Edgefield County, SC | illness/mental illness |
do say upon their Oaths, that they do believe that he died of Cramp of the Stomach or in an Appoplectic fit |
|
| Emma Alexander | July 2, 1885 | Spartanburg County, SC | lung disease |
upon their oaths say that from the evidence before them that the said Emma Alexander died from congestion of the lungs |
|
| Doublin | male slave, boy | April 5, 1857 | at the Residence of Mrs Delila Philips, Edgefield County, SC | mental illness |
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. |
| Emma Duval | September 9, 1878 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC | mental illness |
upon their oaths do say that she … came to her death from natural causes |
|
| Henry Shaw | April 14, 1899 | at the place of R. W. Humphries, Kershaw County, SC | pneumonia | ||
| Lizzie Greeg | July 4, 1884 | at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?], Edgefield County, SC | possible alcohol |
upon there oaths aforesaid do say that the aforesaid Lizzie Greeg Came to her death from natural Causes |
|
| Morriss unknown | free man of color | January 7, 1858 | at Grief Tater's residence, Anderson County, SC | possible heart attack |
do say the said that Morris (a free man of color)…more than probably came to his death by dropsy of the heart |
| Ben Shubrick | col | December 24, 1869 | at Negro heade Lane, Edgefield County, SC | possible mental illness |
upon their oaths do say That they find that the said Ben Shubrick col came to his death by the act of Providence |
| infant | January 13, 1868 | at Anderson Court House, Anderson County, SC | premature birth |
do say that the infant was a premature birth and born dead |
|
| Israel | slave | November 3, 1845 | on the plantation of David Gentry, Anderson County, SC | seizure |
do say that the said Israel came to his death by mischance, and not from any injury inflicted by the hand of another, but by the act of God. |
| D. Searey | November 17, 1882 | near Martinsville, Spartanburg County, SC | seizure |
upon their oaths do say that ... the said D. Seary died from Epileptic fit or other causes to which mortal man is heir |
|
| Leanora M. Cannon | February 25, 1879 | Spartanburg County, SC | spitting up blood |
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 |
|
| twin infants | September 15, 1889 | at Rosa Foster's, Spartanburg County, SC | stillbirth |
do say that the twin children were stillborn & that no violence has been practiced |
|
| infant | November 27, 1870 | at William Stuart's residence, Anderson County, SC | stillbirth |
do say that…said child was dead born |
|
| infant | March 30, 1874 | at Silas Kay's , Anderson County, SC | stillborn |
do say that the said child came to its death by injurys [sic]…by violence or otherwise unknown to us. |
|
| Sallie McDowell | August 12, 1882 | Spartanburg County, SC | stomach |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sallie McDowell died of indigestion |
|
| Pompy Robinson | November 1, 1898 | at Norris Place, Edgefield County, SC | suffocation |
upon their oaths, do say: that Pompy Robinson came to his death from throat trouble |
|
| John M. Bonds | December 16, 1850 | at Isom R. Bond's, Anderson County, SC | throat disease caused inflation of larynx |
do say having understood that the said John M. Bonds died very suddenly on the mornign of the 15th of this Instant while going as a boat hand on Savannah River…we the jury report that we fully concur in the opinion of the said doctors as reported by them to the coroner...that is to say that John M. Bonds came to his death by a diseased action in the Larynx producing or giving rise to suffocation. |
|
| George Norris | November 23, 1876 | at Anderson Courthouse, Anderson County, SC | tuberculosis |
do say that the said George Norris by act of God died (Consumption) |
|
| Isaac Greer | December 29, 1879 | at Vernonville, Spartanburg County, SC | unknown |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death by cause or causes unknown to them but in their opinion it was an act of God |
|
| Peter Moore | July 3, 1880 | at the residence of Mrs. Mary Dobson near Cedar Hill, Spartanburg County, SC | unknown |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death ... by an act of Almighty God |
