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
Jane slave March 10, 1863 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Joseph Poor December 17, 1857 at William Holand's residence Other
Smith June 9, 1876 near R. H. Anderson's Tanyard Accident
Sam Williams May 30, 1876 in the streets of Pendleton Homicide
infant March 10, 1865 at Anderson Court House Homicide
Sophia Hall March 19, 1859 at or near Samuel Martin's residence Natural Causes
Willis Watson June 14, 1876 at the river bank on Saulda one mile above Gambell old Bridge Accident
John Seawright October 22, 1881 on the public road leading from Craytonville to Anderson Court House Natural Causes
Jack slave [runaway] November 21, 1835 at Andersonville Accident
Sloan freedman November 19, 1866 At Williamston Accident
infant January 13, 1868 at Anderson Court House 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
Minnie Cason June 9, 1883 at Williamston Accident
Henry Cobb December 16, 1868 at Warnock's Crossing on the Anderson Branch of the Greenville & Columbia Rail Road Other
David McClellan November 27, 1857 at residence of David McClellan Accident
Sarah Martin July 14, 1844 at residence of Mrs. Sarah Martin Natural Causes
Major Crawford July 21, 1880 at Anderson Court House Accident
Thomas D. Cook April 10, 1854 at Stover's Ferry on Savannah River Accident
Thomas Dalton February 8, 1882 at Williamston Accident
Eber B. Stevens March 5, 1873 at Pendleton Natural Causes
Robert L. Elmore at sawmill Homicide
John Saylor August 6, 1870 at or near the Ridge road near E. R. Cobb's residence Natural Causes
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
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
Daniel Brown October 8, 1881 at the plantation of Willis Watkins Natural Causes
Bessie Gambrell Suicide
Franklin A. Ragsdale July 23, 1867 at the house of Franklin A. Ragsdale Unknown
Jim Mason free man of color January 9, 1850 near the residence of William Poole Accident
Fanny Payton colored woman, free from birth June 20, 1870 at residence of Harry Gallard[?] Natural Causes
Barbary Havard wife of Mark Havard November 5, 1840 in the house of Mark Havard Suicide
Patsy Wilson colored free woman June 17, 1857 at the residence of Robert Wilson Suicide
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
John W. Meeks May 4, 1872 at Brown & Rice's Mill Homicide
Samuel Ward July 19, 1859 at Church Cross Roads Natural Causes
Sarah McCulley wife of Barney McCulley September 1, 1841 at the house of Barney McCulley Accident
Strather Freeman March 2, 1876 at Flat Rock Church Natural Causes
Mary May April 14, 1854 at J. W. May's Natural Causes
Harry slave December 17, 1855 at Jesse Gray's residence Natural Causes
colored colored April 24, 1874 at Dr. J. A. Todd's Accident
Mary Waters March 20, 1883 at or near the residence of Thomas J. Reynolds Unknown
Lila Gambrell October 21, 1875 at the house of Ran Duckworth Natural Causes
female daughter of female daughter of November 28, 1841 at graveyard at Hammonds Old Field Homicide
Daily Thompson December 8, 1876 at Daniel Thompson's Suicide
Sam slave October 5, 1854 at the plantation of James W. Harrison Suicide
Jane Laniere August 13, 1880 at the residence of G. B. Whiton Natural Causes

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