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 301 - 350 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
J. M. Long October 10, 1891 at J. M. Longs Homicide
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
Richmond slave March 3, 1857 at V[?] Elbert Blands residence at Edgefield Court House Homicide
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
R. Mackgrath January 5, 1852 at the house of John Dobey Other
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
William Harlin February 19, 1856 at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road Accident
George Ross June 29, 1898 at Adoms[?] place Homicide
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Warren Kirkland November 16, 1858 at Benjamin Bartons Homicide
B. J. Mims January 20, 1885 at the Residence of Capt B J Mims Natural Causes
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
W. W. Miller Sr. white man July 10, 1891 at J M. Mays place Accident
Caroline Free negro August 26, 1858 four miles from Hamburg Unknown
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Charles negro boy November 14, 1842 On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence Accident
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Henry negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at New Savannah in beach Island Accident
James Mitchell February 18, 1879 at L D Laudrums Natural Causes
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
John Brown December 20, 1844 at the house of John Brown Natural Causes
James Edward Settle boy March 9, 1884 on Henry Hill Plantation Accident
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Blassingame Wise April 27, 1848 at or near the Negro quarter of Mrs Wiley Glover, on Savannah River Suicide

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