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 51 - 100 of 153
Name Deceased Description Datesort descending Inquest Location Death Type Death Method
Lewis Green free man of color September 17, 1859 at the Williamston Hotel Homicide arsenic
John Sulivan December 17, 1859 at B. D. Garison's residence Suicide laudanum
Mary M. Williams March 20, 1860 at William William's residence Suicide
Cyrus slave September 15, 1860 at the shanty [?] upon the grounds of the Blue Ridge Rail Road Company at Anderson Accident train
Thomas W. Harrison November 23, 1860 At Pendleton Homicide pistol
Thomas J. Geer November 23, 1860 Thomas J. Geer's residence Accident
Unknown April 15, 1861 At Pendleton Accident laudanum
John Hayne May 16, 1861 At the house of Capt. John Hayne Suicide rifle
Meredith Crawford July 3, 1861 At the residence of Meredith Crawford Unknown
Alfred runaway slave June 16, 1862 At Williamston Homicide
Jack slave September 4, 1862 at Mrs. Ann Johnson's residence Homicide pistol
Jane slave March 10, 1863 at Anderson Court House Homicide
John Brownlee June 7, 1863 at Williamston Natural Causes
infant March 10, 1865 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Samuel A. Geer January 15, 1866 at David Geer's House Homicide metallic instrument
Amaziah Payton colored man of New York July 20, 1866 at the house of Richmond Payton Homicide pistol
John G. Gorley July 26, 1866 Homicide rope
Hutson B. Sulivan August 13, 1866 at Kely Sulivan's [?] residence Suicide rope or cord
Charles Kelly August 14, 1866 at the town of Anderson Homicide razor
Sloan freedman November 19, 1866 At Williamston Accident
W. A. McConnell January 30, 1867 at Belton Suicide pocket knife
Clarissa Campbell freedwoman March 29, 1867 at the residence of Sarah Campbell Natural Causes
Franklin A. Ragsdale July 23, 1867 at the house of Franklin A. Ragsdale Unknown
Hardy McKinney freedman July 28, 1867 at an old field near F. Wyne's Natural Causes
John H. Megill September 22, 1867 at J. D. Tucker's Unknown
Freedwoman Freedwoman October 23, 1867 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Jacob Cromer December 4, 1867 at the residence of Jacob Cromer Accident mule
infant January 13, 1868 at Anderson Court House Natural Causes
Gabriel Hill Colored April 28, 1868 on the plantation of John N. Wilson Suicide
Abram Clement October 6, 1868 at Martin Williamston's residence Accident
Henry Cobb December 16, 1868 at Warnock's Crossing on the Anderson Branch of the Greenville & Columbia Rail Road Other
Charity Norris May 29, 1869 at B. F. McGee's residence Homicide
Elias Smith August 24, 1869 in the county of Anderson Natural Causes
William McCode January 20, 1870 at Luke McCoy's [?] Accident
Fanny Payton colored woman, free from birth June 20, 1870 at residence of Harry Gallard[?] Natural Causes
John Saylor August 6, 1870 at or near the Ridge road near E. R. Cobb's residence Natural Causes
infant November 27, 1870 at William Stuart's residence Natural Causes
white child white child January 20, 1871 at Wilson's Bridge Homicide
Adeline Agnew May 14, 1871 near the residence of Ephraim R. Cobb Homicide knife
George Hammond June 24, 1871 at Provosts Mill Pond Accident
Eli David Junkins July 24, 1871 at or near the hosue of John Martin (colored) near Richard Robinson Mill Accident shotgun
John Calhoun Clemson August 11, 1871 at Pendleton Accident train
Caroline A. Kinnan January 13, 1872 at L. C. Neals[?] Unknown arsenic
P. W. Morris April 27, 1872 at Anderson Court House Suicide
John W. Meeks May 4, 1872 at Brown & Rice's Mill Homicide
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide
Nancy Drake August 21, 1872 at Mrs. Elizabeth's Anne Keaton's Suicide
Bill Reese December 12, 1872 at Pendleton Homicide knife
Robert H. Pettigrew December 27, 1872 at James H. Wiles house Homicide knife
infant January 23, 1873 at residence of M. A. Snipes Natural Causes

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