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 351 - 400 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
William Prince July 9, 1851 at the house of John W Garrett Accident
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Jno. C Swearingin April 24, 1895 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Rhoda female slave July 4, 1857 at Dorn's[?] Mill Natural Causes
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
A. R. Steel girl child August 28, 1869 at Graniteville Accident
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Ana May Blocker child December 2, 1894 at Ben Boatwrights farm Natural Causes
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident
George W. Medlock January 1, 1848 at the house of Daniel Abby Natural Causes
Anderson B. Branham January 6, 1892 at the plantation of M. C. Parker Unknown
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Julia Van June 20, 1892 at the plantation of Mr Joe Thurmond Homicide
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Isaac Grimer December 10, 1868 at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road Accident
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
James Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Robert Johnston May 23, 1891 at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R Accident
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
Thomas Rosseter[?] August 30, 1852 at Hamburg SC Accident
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
George Washington Crowder October 19, 1866 at Grannetville Accident

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