Inquests

Title Inquest Location County Death Type Date COD Inquest Finding COD
The State vs. the Dead Body of John Brown
at Andrew Graham's plantation, near Beaver[?] Creek
Other September 16, 1804

do say upon their oaths . . .they do believe that he died on Saturday evening the 15th ... by excessive drinking of ardent spirits

Alcoholism
The State vs. the Dead Body of Harry
at McRae & Cantey's Merchant (grist) mill
Accident August 13, 1807

do say upon their oaths that the said negro slave came to his death by misfortune

Other
The State vs. the Dead Body of William Arledge
near Sander's[?] Creek
Accident December 1, 1813

do say upon their oaths that they found William Arledge . . . lying . . . in the middle of the road and upon examination believe his neck to be broken and from other marks and evidence suppose it arose from his having fallen from his horse

Transportation
The State vs. the Dead Body of Frank
at the house of Charles M. Breaker
Homicide July 16, 1840

upon their oaths do say we suppose he came to his death by the evidence before us by being stabbed in the thigh with a deadly weapon and that done by the hands of a negro man slave by the name of Titus the property of Samuel A.B. Shannon in or near the main road leading from Camden to Salisbury

Sharp Instrument
The State vs. the Dead Body of Tom
at plantation of John Chesnut, Esquire
Accident May 5, 1805

do say upon their oaths. . . that the said negro in escaping from him [the overseer] attempted to swim the river, and was drowned

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of Angus McQueen
at home of Kelly McDermit
Accident January 17, 1816

do say upon their oaths that the deceased came to his Death by the combined effects of Cold, Intoxication, and the falls he had therefrom.

Exposure
The State vs. the Dead Body of slave
at the plantation of Daniel L. Desaushore[?]
Accident January 25, 1836

do say upon their oaths that he came to his death by being intoxicated, falling in a rut or gully and thereby the storm[?] rain & sleet has drowned or frose [sic] to Death

Exposure
The State vs. the Dead Body of Lydia Parish
at the house of Mrs. L. Parrish on Rutledge Street in the town of Camden
Natural Causes December 6, 1835

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

Unknown
The State vs. the Dead Body of Esther
at Camden
Unknown October 24, 1834

upon inquiry find the decased came to her death by the visitation of God

The State vs. the Dead Body of Kate
at the house of Mrs. Jane Love
Accident December 5, 1847

upon their oaths do say that they believe from the testimony of Jas. Love son that she came to her death by the falling of a tree accidentally upon her body

Injuries
The State vs. the Dead Body of Jenny Natural Causes April 28, 1836

do on their oath say that they believe she died of an apoplectic fit, the visitation of God

Brain
The State vs. the Dead Body of negro
at the big Raft, the body lodged in the river Wateree
Unknown March 16, 1834

do say that the said negro came to his death by drowning[?] from [?] mischance unknown. The body was clothed with two pair of pantaloons -- outside wool & cotton with one leather[?] coarse cotton shirt, patched round coat filled with white wool

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of Frankey
at the Maj. R. Gibson Plantation on the Wateree
Suicide May 23, 1835

The jury are of an opinion from the evidence before them that the deceased came to her death by drowning whether accidental or intentional they are unable to determine

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of Venus
on the side of the public road leading from the Charleston Road to McCallum's fairy
Unknown March 20, 1842

upon their oaths do say that the said negro woman died from causes unknown to the jury but from appearances and from the situation of the body the jury are of opinion that she died elswhere and that the body was placed where found by some person or persons unknown

The State vs. the Dead Body of H. McKnight
at the house of Thomas Tegues, Esq in the Town of Camden ... upon the view of the dead body of Henry McKnight who was found dead in the Wateree River near the bank of said river & raised by means of a hoop
Accident April 14, 1842

upon their oaths do say that the said Henry McKnight came to his death by the visitation of God having fallen into the river supposed to have been in a fit and alone

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of Isaac
at Col. Wm. J. Taylor's plantation
Natural Causes March 4, 1841

on their oaths due say that it was according to their belief and the evidence before them that Isaac came to his Death by the visitation of God

Unknown
The State vs. the Dead Body of J. F. Brewer
at Camden
Other September 16, 1841

upon their oaths do say that the said J.F. Brewer died between the hours of 12 & 5 o'clk this morning, caused by intemperance

Alcoholism
The State vs. the Dead Body of Marcus
at Gibson's Neck on the Wateree River
Homicide April 12, 1836

we find that the negro is Marcus the property of D. A. Brevard but are unable to say whether his death was caused by certain blows inflicted on the head & drowning or by drowning alone

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of Thomas Gaskin
at an old field in the district of Kershaw
Suicide February 26, 1842

upon their oaths [do say] Thomas M. Gaskin came [to his] death by shooting himself [with] a rifle

Firearm
The State vs. the Dead Body of Benjamin Dixon Other November 4, 1836

believe that the deceased Mr. Benj. Dixon came to his death by intemperance

Alcoholism
The State vs. the Dead Body of Robert Blair
at the mill of James Cunningham ... on a branch of Shingeton's[?] Creek
Suicide March 25, 1828

do say upon their oaths. . . that the s'd Robert Blair came to his death by drownding himelf in the Mill pond of James Cunningham's

Drowning
The State vs. the Dead Body of James Goodson Natural Causes September 28, 1807

upon their oaths do say that the said James Goodson . . .was found dead, that he had no such marks of violence on his body as would have occasioned his death & died by the visitation of God & not otherwise

Unknown
The State vs. the Dead Body of Redding Summerville Unknown January 9, 1826

do say upon their oaths that he came to his death by the visitation of God

The State vs. the Dead Body of infant
in Camden on the lot on which Mr. Thomas Welsh[?] resided
Homicide November 28, 1829

do say upon their oaths that the remains of an infant born at "full time" were found in a smoke house, suspiciuosly concealed in a jar with lime on the lot on which Mr. Thomas Welch[?] resided; but how, or when the infant came to its death we know not.

Infanticide
The State vs. the Dead Body of Somerset Accident March 24, 1824

do say upon their oaths that the said Somerset came to his death by accident arising from a fall from a horse

Transportation

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia