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
Namesort ascending Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Method
Willis Watson June 14, 1876 at the river bank on Saulda one mile above Gambell old Bridge Accident
William Roberts April 11, 1883 at Belton in Anderson County Accident train
William McCode January 20, 1870 at Luke McCoy's [?] Accident
William Davis June 11, 1881 at Mr. Jeb Davis's residence Suicide pistol
Will slave November 18, 1854 at William Nevitt's Homicide rail
white child white child January 20, 1871 at Wilson's Bridge Homicide
W. A. McConnell January 30, 1867 at Belton Suicide pocket knife
Unknown April 15, 1861 At Pendleton Accident laudanum
Truman Miles October 22, 1839 at Anderson Courthouse Accident
Thomas W. Harrison November 23, 1860 At Pendleton Homicide pistol
Thomas J. Geer November 23, 1860 Thomas J. Geer's residence Accident
Thomas Dalton February 8, 1882 at Williamston Accident
Thomas D. Cook April 10, 1854 at Stover's Ferry on Savannah River Accident
T. J. Blaydon November 30, 1878 at or near Hugh Mahaffey's on the Greenville and Columbia Rail Road about two miles below Williamston Accident train
Strather Freeman March 2, 1876 at Flat Rock Church Natural Causes
Sophia Hall March 19, 1859 at or near Samuel Martin's residence Natural Causes
Smith June 9, 1876 near R. H. Anderson's Tanyard Accident
Sloan freedman November 19, 1866 At Williamston Accident
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
Sarah Martin July 14, 1844 at residence of Mrs. Sarah Martin Natural Causes
Samuel Ward July 19, 1859 at Church Cross Roads Natural Causes
Samuel McCulley December 29, 1839 in Broadway Creek Accident
Samuel A. Geer January 15, 1866 at David Geer's House Homicide metallic instrument
Samuel Negro Man Accident
Sam Williams May 30, 1876 in the streets of Pendleton Homicide
Sam Burton December 9, 1876 Accident laudanum
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
Sally Williams July 19, 1880 n.a. Natural Causes
Robert L. Elmore at sawmill Homicide
Robert H. Pettigrew December 27, 1872 at James H. Wiles house Homicide knife
Robert H. Holliday January 20, 1874 at Calhoun Homicide pistol
Robert Brownlee July 26, 1883 at Seneca River Accident
Reuben Parker August 22, 1830 at house of Edwerd Sherman Homicide chair
Peter Williford May 2, 1876 at Daniel Williford's Natural Causes
Peter Knox July 23, 1878 near Calrandellers[?] Ferry on Tugalo River Accident
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
P. W. Morris April 27, 1872 at Anderson Court House Suicide
Olin Smith Natural Causes
Nelson Right September 6, 1873 at or near...Darm Creek Homicide knife
Nancy Steele December 11, 1842 at the Poor House Suicide rope
Nancy Drake August 21, 1872 at Mrs. Elizabeth's Anne Keaton's Suicide
N. W. Lafoy June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
N. T. Hooper November 7, 1881 n.a. Accident train
Moses Slave April 10, 1844 at Clayton Webb's Plantation...near the Spring Branch Homicide shotgun
Morriss unknown free man of color January 7, 1858 at Grief Tater's residence Natural Causes
Minnie Cason June 9, 1883 at Williamston Accident
Meredith Crawford July 3, 1861 At the residence of Meredith Crawford Unknown
Matthew Gambrell August 12, 1843 at James Mattison's Suicide manilla rope
Mary Waters March 20, 1883 at or near the residence of Thomas J. Reynolds Unknown
Mary Thompson June 12, 1878 Accident

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