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 ascending
Edward Lawrence March 29, 1856 at Pendleton village Accident wagon
John Calhoun Clemson August 11, 1871 at Pendleton Accident train
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
William Roberts April 11, 1883 at Belton in Anderson County Accident train
N. T. Hooper November 7, 1881 n.a. Accident train
Henry Thompson June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
Allen Johnson June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
N. W. Lafoy June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
M. J. Wilson June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
Cyrus slave September 15, 1860 at the shanty [?] upon the grounds of the Blue Ridge Rail Road Company at Anderson Accident train
Jefferson Kitsinger June 17, 1876 at Broadway trestle on the line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad Accident train
Anna G. Goodrich November 10, 1881 at Pelzer, SC Accident train
Julia Long November 22, 1883 at the residence of David Long Homicide shovel
Eli David Junkins July 24, 1871 at or near the hosue of John Martin (colored) near Richard Robinson Mill Accident shotgun
Moses Slave April 10, 1844 at Clayton Webb's Plantation...near the Spring Branch Homicide shotgun
John King May 1, 1833 at plantation of the deceased John King Suicide sharp pocket knife
Hutson B. Sulivan August 13, 1866 at Kely Sulivan's [?] residence Suicide rope or cord
John G. Gorley July 26, 1866 Homicide rope
Nancy Steele December 11, 1842 at the Poor House Suicide rope
John Hayne May 16, 1861 At the house of Capt. John Hayne Suicide rifle
Charles Kelly August 14, 1866 at the town of Anderson Homicide razor
Will slave November 18, 1854 at William Nevitt's Homicide rail
W. A. McConnell January 30, 1867 at Belton Suicide pocket knife
Robert H. Holliday January 20, 1874 at Calhoun Homicide pistol
Giles Guess colored February 2, 1882 at the hosue of John Smith Homicide pistol
Amaziah Payton colored man of New York July 20, 1866 at the house of Richmond Payton Homicide pistol
Jack slave September 4, 1862 at Mrs. Ann Johnson's residence Homicide pistol
William Davis June 11, 1881 at Mr. Jeb Davis's residence Suicide pistol
Thomas W. Harrison November 23, 1860 At Pendleton Homicide pistol
Clara Burress February 25, 1878 at the house of Caty Burress on the plantation of Dr. A. G. Cook Homicide pistol
Jacob Cromer December 4, 1867 at the residence of Jacob Cromer Accident mule
Samuel A. Geer January 15, 1866 at David Geer's House Homicide metallic instrument
Matthew Gambrell August 12, 1843 at James Mattison's Suicide manilla rope
Unknown April 15, 1861 At Pendleton Accident laudanum
Sam Burton December 9, 1876 Accident laudanum
John Sulivan December 17, 1859 at B. D. Garison's residence Suicide laudanum
James Hembree September 24, 1835 at the house of Jesse Hembree Homicide knife or dirk
Nelson Right September 6, 1873 at or near...Darm Creek Homicide knife
Ephraim Mayfield April 1, 1847 at the plantation of Ephraim Mayfield Suicide knife
Bill Reese December 12, 1872 at Pendleton Homicide knife
Adeline Agnew May 14, 1871 near the residence of Ephraim R. Cobb Homicide knife
Robert H. Pettigrew December 27, 1872 at James H. Wiles house Homicide knife
John Vandiver March 28, 1845 at residence of Daniel Gentry Accident horse
Edward Whitt March 1, 1846 near John Baurman's Accident horse
Celia King September 8, 1857 at Peter King's residence Suicide hank of cotton thread
Reuben Parker August 22, 1830 at house of Edwerd Sherman Homicide chair
Allen S. Barksdale June 23, 1876 at the house of Robert A. Gray Homicide axe
Caroline A. Kinnan January 13, 1872 at L. C. Neals[?] Unknown arsenic
Lewis Green free man of color September 17, 1859 at the Williamston Hotel Homicide arsenic
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide

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