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 ascending
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Thomas Welheu[?] June 19, 1868 at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road Accident
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
Susan Churchwell October 6, 1884 at Allen Simkins House Unknown
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Albert Watson June 15, 1892 at the plantation of W.B. Maffett Natural Causes
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
Joe Elam February 16, 1882 at Nicholson premises Natural Causes
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
George W. Medlock January 1, 1848 at the house of Daniel Abby Natural Causes
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide

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