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 301 - 350 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort ascending Death Method
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Joseph Jay October 4, 1860 at Joseph Jays Accident horse
Charles negro boy November 14, 1842 On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence Accident
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
A. R. Steel girl child August 28, 1869 at Graniteville Accident
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident
Uriah Koon October 16, 1847 at the house of Col John Hunt Accident wagon
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
William Prince July 9, 1851 at the house of John W Garrett Accident
Henry negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at New Savannah in beach Island Accident
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Albert Brunson June 26, 1895 at Edgefield CH Accident train
Charles negro boy March 7, 1857 at Archy Clark residence Accident
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Elijah Sullivan April 24, 1898 at Cow-buel[?] place Accident
Adam negro man Slave, boy August 3, 1850 at Vaucluse Factory Accident
Edward Horton August 7, 1879 near Wesley Barrs[?] Accident sunstroke
Sallie Young December 8, 1890 at Mr A. F Broadwaters Plantation Accident
Sam Slave June 14, 1858 at Henry Spiers[?] Accident
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
infant child infant child January 18, 1892 at the Plantation of L. G. Swearinger Accident
Thomas Rosseter[?] August 30, 1852 at Hamburg SC Accident
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
Isaac Grimer December 10, 1868 at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road Accident
Robert Johnston May 23, 1891 at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R Accident
Solomon negro man June 24, 1844 near the Mill of George A. McKee on Stevens Creek Accident
Hampton Weaver colored July 17, 1869 at the house of and on the farm of James T Outz Accident shotgun
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Ora Weaver February 21, 1891 at the plantation of D B. H Holfarth[illegible - ink blot] Accident
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
Sarah Lucas October 30, 1890 at Mr. M L Holson Accident
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
Sherod Holms October 10, 1884 at Sherod Holms House Accident horse
George Washington Crowder October 19, 1866 at Grannetville Accident
George Bowers May 26, 1891 at Kenards bend Accident mule
William Lundy August 28, 1846 at house of John Rainsford Accident
Louisa slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
Wallace Halloway June 25, 1895 at Edgefield Court house Accident train
Enoch Douglass August 11, 1879 near Wesly Barrs on the rail road Accident
infant child infant child September 15, 1861 at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis Accident
Alick Croker boy September 29, 1878 at Mrs. Marshes premises Accident
Unknown October 10, 1869 at Graniteville Accident train

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