Edgefield County, SC

County Name: 
Edgefield
State: 
South Carolina

Total population (1850): 39,262
Enslaved population (1850): 22,725
Percent slave: 58%
Extant nineteenth-century inquests: 524
Date range: 1829-1899
Percentage of violent crimes in county sample: 39% (202/524)

The small, rural district of Edgefield, South Carolina was the Deadwood of its day, amassing a reputation for murder and mayhem unique in the nation. Forget the gangs of New York, the toughs in tailored suits strutting about Edgefield's Court House Square were up for almost anything. Take this typical exchange between Thomas Cherry and Charles Cobb.

Cherry: "You Damn puppy."

Cobb: "What are you?"

Cherry: "Do you mean to call me a Damn puppy?"

Cobb: "What are you?"

Cherry: "If you call me a Puppy, I will ag you in the face."

Cobb: "You are nothing else."

With that Cherry stabbed Cobb through the face with an umbrella.

"If we over in Edgefield insult each other, there is generally a fight or a funeral afterwards."

"If we over in Edgefield insult each other, there is generally a fight or a funeral afterwards," noted Ben Tillman, one of the ten men of the district to serve the state as governor. Like Tillman, circuit judge Thomas Mackey took an almost perverse pride in the region's reputation. "I am going to hold court in Edgefield," he told a friend, "and I expect a somewhat exciting term, as the fall shooting is about to start."

Like most reputations, Edgefield's was at once deserved and exaggerated. At 39 percent, Edgefield County does have the highest proportion of violent crimes in the CSI:D sample. At 35 percent, Greenville County is not that far behind. More important, Edgefield's reputation for affairs of honor masks the mountain of dishonorable violence revealed by the morgue. Men spoiling for a fight on the street are rarely much different at home. In June 1893, Bill Gasten was sitting near his wood pile when his wife emerged from the house to draw some water from the well. Something she said set him off and he grabbed up a walking stick, hit her with it, then threw her down and began choking her. Emerging from the kitchen, her sister grabbed up the stick and told Bill to "let his wife alone." She had just started back to the kitchen when Bill cracked her head with a hoe.

Edgefield County, SC Inquests

Displaying 1 - 50 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Harriet negro woman July 20, 1859 at the residence of JB Rease Natural Causes
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Bob negro September 23, 1864 in the District Natural Causes
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
Everett Hook July 18, 1891 at the saw Mill of M J Hook Accident
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Amanda Glover August 30, 1892 at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation Natural Causes
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
infant child infant child October 6, 1891 at her Residence Unknown
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
Wade Barronton October 8, 1860 at Wade Barrontons Residence Natural Causes
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Joseph W. Glover September 2, 1844 at Charles Comptys[?] Hotel Homicide
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Richmond slave March 3, 1857 at V[?] Elbert Blands residence at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Minnie Johnson December 22, 1892 at John Bettis plantation Accident
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
George Watkins October 10, 1866 at George Watkins Homicide
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
J. M. Long October 10, 1891 at J. M. Longs Homicide
Sis Bonham child February 18, 1894 at M.B. Davenports Accident
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
John Rufus Russell October 10, 1884 at John L Russell House Accident
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide

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