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 101 - 150 of 153
Name Deceased Description Datesort ascending Inquest Location Death Type Death Method
Mary M. Williams March 20, 1860 at William William's residence Suicide
John Sulivan December 17, 1859 at B. D. Garison's residence Suicide laudanum
Lewis Green free man of color September 17, 1859 at the Williamston Hotel Homicide arsenic
Samuel Ward July 19, 1859 at Church Cross Roads Natural Causes
Sophia Hall March 19, 1859 at or near Samuel Martin's residence Natural Causes
Morriss unknown free man of color January 7, 1858 at Grief Tater's residence Natural Causes
Joseph Poor December 17, 1857 at William Holand's residence Other
David McClellan November 27, 1857 at residence of David McClellan Accident
Henry Davis October 30, 1857 at Anderson Courthouse Accident
Celia King September 8, 1857 at Peter King's residence Suicide hank of cotton thread
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
Edward Lawrence March 29, 1856 at Pendleton village Accident wagon
Bonaparte Bates March 26, 1856 at the Fuller old field Accident
Harry slave December 17, 1855 at Jesse Gray's residence Natural Causes
Elizabeth McHolister August 16, 1855 at the house of Elijah McHolister Natural Causes
Harry slave July 7, 1855 at Pendleton village Natural Causes
James Drake December 7, 1854 at residence of James Drake Natural Causes
Will slave November 18, 1854 at William Nevitt's Homicide rail
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
John Edmonson July 26, 1854 near the road leading from Anderson Court House to the Double Branches. Other
Mary May April 14, 1854 at J. W. May's Natural Causes
Thomas D. Cook April 10, 1854 at Stover's Ferry on Savannah River Accident
Anthony slave July 2, 1853 at Samuel J. Hannond's plantation Accident
Frances Pagett April 15, 1853 at William Pagett's Natural Causes
male infant slave male infant slave July 10, 1851 at Jacob Pickle's Unknown
John M. Bonds December 16, 1850 at Isom R. Bond's Natural Causes
Jim Mason free man of color January 9, 1850 near the residence of William Poole Accident
John Dean December 29, 1848 on the publick [sic] road leading from William McMurry's, Esq to J. L. Kenedy's Accident
Ephraim Mayfield April 1, 1847 at the plantation of Ephraim Mayfield Suicide knife
James Wilson March 27, 1846 at the house of Alexander Moorehead Natural Causes
Edward Whitt March 1, 1846 near John Baurman's Accident horse
Israel slave November 3, 1845 on the plantation of David Gentry Natural Causes
Aaron Hardin June 24, 1845 at plantation of Mr. Moses Chambles Accident
John Vandiver March 28, 1845 at residence of Daniel Gentry Accident horse
Sarah Martin July 14, 1844 at residence of Mrs. Sarah Martin Natural Causes
Moses Slave April 10, 1844 at Clayton Webb's Plantation...near the Spring Branch Homicide shotgun
Matthew Gambrell August 12, 1843 at James Mattison's Suicide manilla rope
Nancy Steele December 11, 1842 at the Poor House Suicide rope
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Samuel McCulley December 29, 1839 in Broadway Creek Accident
Truman Miles October 22, 1839 at Anderson Courthouse Accident
Jack slave [runaway] November 21, 1835 at Andersonville Accident
James Hembree September 24, 1835 at the house of Jesse Hembree Homicide knife or dirk
Caleb Chappell January 22, 1835 at or near house of John Ledbetter Other
John King May 1, 1833 at plantation of the deceased John King Suicide sharp pocket knife
Henry slave December 25, 1830 on public highway from Pendleton to Pickensville [modern-day Easley] Accident
Reuben Parker August 22, 1830 at house of Edwerd Sherman Homicide chair
Robert L. Elmore at sawmill Homicide

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