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 Typesort ascending Death Method
John King May 1, 1833 at plantation of the deceased John King Suicide sharp pocket knife
John Hayne May 16, 1861 At the house of Capt. John Hayne Suicide rifle
Bessie Gambrell Suicide
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Daily Thompson December 8, 1876 at Daniel Thompson's Suicide
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
Matthew Gambrell August 12, 1843 at James Mattison's Suicide manilla rope
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
W. A. McConnell January 30, 1867 at Belton Suicide pocket knife
Hutson B. Sulivan August 13, 1866 at Kely Sulivan's [?] residence Suicide rope or cord
Mary M. Williams March 20, 1860 at William William's residence Suicide
P. W. Morris April 27, 1872 at Anderson Court House Suicide
Nancy Drake August 21, 1872 at Mrs. Elizabeth's Anne Keaton's Suicide
John Sulivan December 17, 1859 at B. D. Garison's residence Suicide laudanum
Gabriel Hill Colored April 28, 1868 on the plantation of John N. Wilson Suicide
Celia King September 8, 1857 at Peter King's residence Suicide hank of cotton thread
George C. Mitchell September 19, 1874 at residence of Marion Mtchell Suicide
William Davis June 11, 1881 at Mr. Jeb Davis's residence Suicide pistol
Nancy Steele December 11, 1842 at the Poor House Suicide rope
Ephraim Mayfield April 1, 1847 at the plantation of Ephraim Mayfield Suicide knife
James Hembree September 24, 1835 at the house of Jesse Hembree Homicide knife or dirk
Sam Williams May 30, 1876 in the streets of Pendleton Homicide
Amaziah Payton colored man of New York July 20, 1866 at the house of Richmond Payton Homicide pistol
white child white child January 20, 1871 at Wilson's Bridge Homicide
Robert L. Elmore at sawmill Homicide
Julia Long November 22, 1883 at the residence of David Long Homicide shovel
Bill Reese December 12, 1872 at Pendleton Homicide knife
John G. Gorley July 26, 1866 Homicide rope
John W. Meeks May 4, 1872 at Brown & Rice's Mill Homicide
Charles Kelly August 14, 1866 at the town of Anderson Homicide razor
infant June 12, 1872 Homicide
Adeline Agnew May 14, 1871 near the residence of Ephraim R. Cobb Homicide knife
Will slave November 18, 1854 at William Nevitt's Homicide rail
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
Moses Slave April 10, 1844 at Clayton Webb's Plantation...near the Spring Branch Homicide shotgun
Clara Burress February 25, 1878 at the house of Caty Burress on the plantation of Dr. A. G. Cook Homicide pistol
Charity Norris May 29, 1869 at B. F. McGee's residence Homicide
Robert H. Pettigrew December 27, 1872 at James H. Wiles house Homicide knife
Allen S. Barksdale June 23, 1876 at the house of Robert A. Gray Homicide axe
Samuel A. Geer January 15, 1866 at David Geer's House Homicide metallic instrument
Freedwoman Freedwoman October 23, 1867 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Robert H. Holliday January 20, 1874 at Calhoun Homicide pistol
Nelson Right September 6, 1873 at or near...Darm Creek Homicide knife
Reuben Parker August 22, 1830 at house of Edwerd Sherman Homicide chair
Alfred runaway slave June 16, 1862 At Williamston Homicide
Giles Guess colored February 2, 1882 at the hosue of John Smith Homicide pistol
Lewis Green free man of color September 17, 1859 at the Williamston Hotel Homicide arsenic
Jane slave March 10, 1863 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Jack slave September 4, 1862 at Mrs. Ann Johnson's residence Homicide pistol
infant March 10, 1865 at Anderson Court House Homicide

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