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
Mary Magdalene Saxton December 6, 1876 at the house of Enoch Saxton Unknown
Sam Williams May 30, 1876 in the streets of Pendleton Homicide
Lena Hutchinson October 20, 1873 Accident
Sophia Hall March 19, 1859 at or near Samuel Martin's residence Natural Causes
Charity Bozeman June 11, 1880 at the house of Aby McAlister Natural Causes
Joseph Poor December 17, 1857 at William Holand's residence Other
John Williams February 9, 1879 at the house of Newton Perry [?] on the plantation of Thomas Cox Natural Causes
Aaron Hardin June 24, 1845 at plantation of Mr. Moses Chambles Accident
white child white child January 20, 1871 at Wilson's Bridge Homicide
John Maddox June 15, 1881 at Williamston Accident
Minnie Cason June 9, 1883 at Williamston Accident
James Jenkins May 30, 1875 at Robert Spence's [?] Mill Accident
Jack slave [runaway] November 21, 1835 at Andersonville Accident
William McCode January 20, 1870 at Luke McCoy's [?] Accident
Thomas D. Cook April 10, 1854 at Stover's Ferry on Savannah River Accident
Elias Smith August 24, 1869 in the county of Anderson Natural Causes
Thomas Dalton February 8, 1882 at Williamston Accident
Peter Williford May 2, 1876 at Daniel Williford's Natural Causes
Robert L. Elmore at sawmill Homicide
Beller McAlester March 11, 1876 at house of deceased Natural Causes
Sarah Martin July 14, 1844 at residence of Mrs. Sarah Martin Natural Causes
John M. Bonds December 16, 1850 at Isom R. Bond's Natural Causes
Martha Morris January 9, 1881 at the residence of Warren Morris Natural Causes
infant January 23, 1873 at residence of M. A. Snipes Natural Causes
Bessie Gambrell Suicide
infant March 30, 1874 at Silas Kay's Unknown
Joe Jenkins October 8, 1881 at the residence of Matilda Rud Natural Causes
Thomas J. Geer November 23, 1860 Thomas J. Geer's residence Accident
Hardy McKinney freedman July 28, 1867 at an old field near F. Wyne's Natural Causes
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Sally Williams July 19, 1880 n.a. Natural Causes
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
infant November 27, 1870 at William Stuart's residence Natural Causes
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide
John Edmonson July 26, 1854 near the road leading from Anderson Court House to the Double Branches. Other
Anna G. Cason June 10, 1883 at Williamston Natural Causes
Freedwoman Freedwoman October 23, 1867 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Jim Mason free man of color January 9, 1850 near the residence of William Poole Accident
Frances Pagett April 15, 1853 at William Pagett's Natural Causes
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
P. W. Morris April 27, 1872 at Anderson Court House Suicide
Mary May April 14, 1854 at J. W. May's Natural Causes
Abram Clement October 6, 1868 at Martin Williamston's residence Accident
Harry slave December 17, 1855 at Jesse Gray's residence Natural Causes
Mary Waters March 20, 1883 at or near the residence of Thomas J. Reynolds Unknown
Mary Thompson June 12, 1878 Accident
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
Nancy Drake August 21, 1872 at Mrs. Elizabeth's Anne Keaton's Suicide
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
John H. Megill September 22, 1867 at J. D. Tucker's Unknown

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