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 201 - 250 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Jane Glover January 12, 1883 at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation Unknown
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
A. P. Shultz January 9, 1850 at or near Solomon Clickleys[?] Unknown
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Lidda Hampton November 24, 1893 at A Derrecks Natural Causes
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Lizzie Greeg July 4, 1884 at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?] Natural Causes
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Adam Barker August 10, 1879 at the Residence of Adam Barker Decd Suicide
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
infant child infant child September 15, 1861 at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis Accident
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Charley Geeter October 27, 1881 at Violets Geeter's house Accident
James Mitchell February 18, 1879 at L D Laudrums Natural Causes
white man white man October 21, 1849 in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields Natural Causes
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Simon C. Wood[?] December 26, 1857 at Wm Calelaziers[?] Natural Causes
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
Caroline Free negro August 26, 1858 four miles from Hamburg Unknown
Henry slave, boy May 1, 1857 at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek Accident
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident

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