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
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Learma Butler November 7, 1890 at W.H. Folks plantation Natural Causes
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
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
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Ana May Blocker child December 2, 1894 at Ben Boatwrights farm Natural Causes
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
George Robinson January 12, 1892 at the plantation of E. B. Davis Natural Causes
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Julia Van June 20, 1892 at the plantation of Mr Joe Thurmond Homicide
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
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
Jno. C Swearingin April 24, 1895 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Sallie Young December 8, 1890 at Mr A. F Broadwaters Plantation Accident
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
infant child infant child November 17, 1891 at Mr M Toneys place Unknown
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
infant child infant child January 18, 1892 at the Plantation of L. G. Swearinger Accident
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
John Rufus Russell October 10, 1884 at John L Russell House Accident
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
W. T. Mathis November 11, 1897 at the Yeldell place Natural Causes
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Henry negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at New Savannah in beach Island Accident
Ora Weaver February 21, 1891 at the plantation of D B. H Holfarth[illegible - ink blot] Accident

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