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
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Joseph Shaw July 26, 1858 at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. Accident
Anderson B. Branham January 6, 1892 at the plantation of M. C. Parker Unknown
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Robert W. Kincade December 27, 1845 at the house of Baley[?] Corley Natural Causes
Pompy Robinson November 1, 1898 at Norris Place Natural Causes
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
Sam negro, slave September 18, 1846 at the residence of Mrs Nancy Delaughter Natural Causes
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Rhoda female slave July 4, 1857 at Dorn's[?] Mill Natural Causes
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
A. G. Howard February 28, 1860 at Grannet Ville Depot Accident
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
Dinah Woman Slave May 22, 1849 at Allen Griffith Natural Causes
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide

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