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 ascending Death Method
Abram man slave August 17, 1860 at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin Accident snake
Henry Langley April 2, 1848 at Wm Vances Accident wagon
Lindy Jones March 15, 1882 at George Holingsworth House Accident
Emanuel Johnson October 7, 1893 at Wards Accident train
Hugh Wetherford June 25, 1895 at Edgefield CH Accident train
Harry negro boy September 9, 1858 at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks Accident
George Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Lawrence Frazier child January 14, 1895 at D.B. Holingsworths Accident
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
Everett Hook July 18, 1891 at the saw Mill of M J Hook Accident
Ellen slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
George Low col June 6, 1869 at Sand Bar Ferry Accident stems of yellow jasmine
Howard Gale June 13, 1879 at Jacksons Holinns[?] Mill Accident
Manerva Sanders March 22, 1890 at Webb S.C Accident tornado
J. F. Styron April 21, 1891 at residence of J. F. Styron[?] Accident
Charley Geeter October 27, 1881 at Violets Geeter's house Accident
Edinborough Ryan December 30, 1882 at Mrs D. L Bussy Plantation Accident
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
Richard Mims August 1, 1899 at the plantation of Mrs. H. Carter Accident
Sam Slave June 14, 1858 at Henry Spiers[?] Accident
Lewis Glanton September 8, 1846 near the church of Antioch Accident horse
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
Liz slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Charles S. Harrison November 25, 1878 at E.C. House Accident pistol
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
Dave negro man Slave March 16, 1849 at Kilcrease's Ferry Accident boat
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Ransom Hollaway May 14, 1862 at Ransom Holaways Accident lightning
Willie Glover July 26, 1892 at Lark Glovers Plantation Accident mule
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Peter slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
James Blocker May 6, 1897 Accident train
Hugh Duffey Sr. August 26, 1855 at Bethany Church Accident horse
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Betsey slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown

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