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 451 - 500 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
Bridgett Etheridge June 26, 1893 at John Etheridges Residence Homicide hoe
Peter negro man June 16, 1838 at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys Homicide stick
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Bill King August 9, 1881 at H C Kings Residence Homicide hoe
Alice Adkinson October 18, 1898 at Republican Church Homicide
Mahlon Jones December 25, 1891 at Landrams Farm Homicide
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
Al White October 12, 1898 at Mundy[?] Place Homicide
John Laudrum October 11, 1869 at Dons Steam Mills near Rocky Creek Homicide knife
Isaah Golden August 27, 1860 at Silverton Beach iland Homicide knife
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Presley Wise July 11, 1891 at D W. Padgetts plantation Homicide
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide
Michael Long April 17, 1849 at the house of Michael Long Homicide shotgun
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
Julia Mundy June 17, 1881 at Jas H Banknight Homicide
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
Dave Parkman December 16, 1897 at Cheatham place Homicide pistol
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
William Martin May 24, 1891 on the premises of W. E. Friday Homicide pistol
Moses Blalock May 19, 1882 on the Plantation of W G McDavid Homicide
Lucious Perry November 8, 1891 at the plantation of Ben Boatwright Homicide
Alfred Hollingsworth October 10, 1898 at David Strothers place Homicide razor
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Edmond Sharpton December 20, 1866 at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer Homicide pistol
John Williams August 21, 1898 at S H Nicholson Homicide stick
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
Sam Howard Freedman August 6, 1866 at L. L. Halls Homicide knife
John Agner December 26, 1883 at Mr. John Agner's Homicide knife
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
Benjamin F. Jones March 24, 1845 at W B Griffins Homicide shotgun
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Joel Roper Sr. August 30, 1845 at the house of Joel Roper Sr Suicide rope
Michael Long October 11, 1877 near the Residence of E.N. Youngblood Suicide knife
John Randall October 19, 1857 at the dwelling house of John Randall Suicide razor
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
Samuel M. Dowel July 25, 1844 at James Murrels Suicide knife
Joshua Miller December 22, 1851 at Joshua Millers Suicide shotgun
Sarah Jowls[?] November 16, 1858 at Mrs Mary Ann Keys Suicide rope
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
Larkin Swearengen April 1, 1852 at the hous of Larkin Swearengen Suicide razor

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