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
Anna G. Cason June 10, 1883 at Williamston Natural Causes
infant March 10, 1865 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Jim Mason free man of color January 9, 1850 near the residence of William Poole Accident
Willis Watson June 14, 1876 at the river bank on Saulda one mile above Gambell old Bridge Accident
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Jane slave March 10, 1863 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
Smith June 9, 1876 near R. H. Anderson's Tanyard Accident
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide
John Edmonson July 26, 1854 near the road leading from Anderson Court House to the Double Branches. Other
Mary Waters March 20, 1883 at or near the residence of Thomas J. Reynolds Unknown
John Seawright October 22, 1881 on the public road leading from Craytonville to Anderson Court House Natural Causes
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
Sloan freedman November 19, 1866 At Williamston Accident
Mary May April 14, 1854 at J. W. May's Natural Causes
infant January 13, 1868 at Anderson Court House Natural Causes
Harry slave December 17, 1855 at Jesse Gray's residence Natural Causes
Eber B. Stevens March 5, 1873 at Pendleton Natural Causes
Henry Cobb December 16, 1868 at Warnock's Crossing on the Anderson Branch of the Greenville & Columbia Rail Road Other
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
David McClellan November 27, 1857 at residence of David McClellan Accident
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
Major Crawford July 21, 1880 at Anderson Court House Accident
Robert Brownlee July 26, 1883 at Seneca River Accident
Daniel Brown October 8, 1881 at the plantation of Willis Watkins Natural Causes
Israel slave November 3, 1845 on the plantation of David Gentry Natural Causes
John Saylor August 6, 1870 at or near the Ridge road near E. R. Cobb's residence Natural Causes
male infant slave male infant slave July 10, 1851 at Jacob Pickle's Unknown
Franklin A. Ragsdale July 23, 1867 at the house of Franklin A. Ragsdale Unknown
Charity Norris May 29, 1869 at B. F. McGee's residence Homicide
Fanny Payton colored woman, free from birth June 20, 1870 at residence of Harry Gallard[?] Natural Causes
Anthony slave July 2, 1853 at Samuel J. Hannond's plantation Accident
Harry slave July 7, 1855 at Pendleton village Natural Causes
Caleb Chappell January 22, 1835 at or near house of John Ledbetter Other
Samuel Negro Man Accident
colored colored April 24, 1874 at Dr. J. A. Todd's Accident
John W. Meeks May 4, 1872 at Brown & Rice's Mill Homicide
Mary M. Williams March 20, 1860 at William William's residence Suicide
Samuel Ward July 19, 1859 at Church Cross Roads Natural Causes
John Dean December 29, 1848 on the publick [sic] road leading from William McMurry's, Esq to J. L. Kenedy's Accident
Strather Freeman March 2, 1876 at Flat Rock Church Natural Causes
Henry slave December 25, 1830 on public highway from Pendleton to Pickensville [modern-day Easley] Accident
Elizabeth McHolister August 16, 1855 at the house of Elijah McHolister Natural Causes
Jane Laniere August 13, 1880 at the residence of G. B. Whiton Natural Causes
Lila Gambrell October 21, 1875 at the house of Ran Duckworth Natural Causes
John Brownlee June 7, 1863 at Williamston Natural Causes
Daily Thompson December 8, 1876 at Daniel Thompson's Suicide
Truman Miles October 22, 1839 at Anderson Courthouse Accident
Olin Smith Natural Causes
George Norris November 23, 1876 at Anderson Courthouse Natural Causes

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