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

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia