Anderson County, SC

County Name: 
Anderson
State: 
South Carolina

Total population (1850): 32,318
Enslaved population (1850): 19,262
Percent enslaved: 60%
Extant nineteenth-century inquests: 153
Date range: 1830-1883
Percentage of violent crimes in county sample: 32% (49/153)

Anderson County was named for Robert Anderson, a Revolutionary War hero who helped wrest the land away from the Cherokee in 1777. The resulting cession was then broken into Pickens and Anderson Counties (technically Pickens and Anderson Districts) in 1826. Lacking a central county seat, Anderson Courthouse was built, which gradually became the town of Anderson, now known as 'The Electricity City' because it was the first in the country to have continuous power thanks to a water mill located in the high shoals. Like many counties in the area, Anderson became heavily invested in cotton and textile mills as the nineteenth century progressed.

Anderson County, SC Inquests

Displaying 1 - 50 of 153
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Franklin A. Ragsdale July 23, 1867 at the house of Franklin A. Ragsdale Unknown
John Edmonson July 26, 1854 near the road leading from Anderson Court House to the Double Branches. Other
Fanny Payton colored woman, free from birth June 20, 1870 at residence of Harry Gallard[?] Natural Causes
Anna G. Cason June 10, 1883 at Williamston Natural Causes
Jim Mason free man of color January 9, 1850 near the residence of William Poole Accident
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide
John W. Meeks May 4, 1872 at Brown & Rice's Mill Homicide
Harry slave December 17, 1855 at Jesse Gray's residence Natural Causes
Samuel Ward July 19, 1859 at Church Cross Roads Natural Causes
Mary Waters March 20, 1883 at or near the residence of Thomas J. Reynolds Unknown
Strather Freeman March 2, 1876 at Flat Rock Church Natural Causes
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
colored colored April 24, 1874 at Dr. J. A. Todd's Accident
Mary May April 14, 1854 at J. W. May's Natural Causes
Lila Gambrell October 21, 1875 at the house of Ran Duckworth Natural Causes
Daily Thompson December 8, 1876 at Daniel Thompson's Suicide
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
Jane Laniere August 13, 1880 at the residence of G. B. Whiton Natural Causes
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
Clarissa Campbell freedwoman March 29, 1867 at the residence of Sarah Campbell Natural Causes
Robert Brownlee July 26, 1883 at Seneca River Accident
James Coleman September 16, 1873 at or near Mrs. Fantt's residence and one and 1/2 miles south east of Anderson Natural Causes
Israel slave November 3, 1845 on the plantation of David Gentry Natural Causes
George Norris November 23, 1876 at Anderson Courthouse Natural Causes
male infant slave male infant slave July 10, 1851 at Jacob Pickle's Unknown
Mary Magdalene Saxton December 6, 1876 at the house of Enoch Saxton Unknown
Harry slave July 7, 1855 at Pendleton village Natural Causes
Lena Hutchinson October 20, 1873 Accident
Charity Norris May 29, 1869 at B. F. McGee's residence Homicide
Charity Bozeman June 11, 1880 at the house of Aby McAlister Natural Causes
Anthony slave July 2, 1853 at Samuel J. Hannond's plantation Accident
John Williams February 9, 1879 at the house of Newton Perry [?] on the plantation of Thomas Cox Natural Causes
Caleb Chappell January 22, 1835 at or near house of John Ledbetter Other
Samuel Negro Man Accident
John Maddox June 15, 1881 at Williamston Accident
Mary M. Williams March 20, 1860 at William William's residence Suicide
James Jenkins May 30, 1875 at Robert Spence's [?] Mill Accident
John Dean December 29, 1848 on the publick [sic] road leading from William McMurry's, Esq to J. L. Kenedy's Accident
William McCode January 20, 1870 at Luke McCoy's [?] Accident
Henry slave December 25, 1830 on public highway from Pendleton to Pickensville [modern-day Easley] Accident
Elias Smith August 24, 1869 in the county of Anderson Natural Causes
Elizabeth McHolister August 16, 1855 at the house of Elijah McHolister Natural Causes
Peter Williford May 2, 1876 at Daniel Williford's Natural Causes
John Brownlee June 7, 1863 at Williamston Natural Causes
Beller McAlester March 11, 1876 at house of deceased Natural Causes
Bonaparte Bates March 26, 1856 at the Fuller old field Accident
Truman Miles October 22, 1839 at Anderson Courthouse Accident
Olin Smith Natural Causes

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