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 51 - 100 of 524
Name Deceased Description Datesort ascending Inquest Location Death Type Death Method
Mary Blocker December 6, 1894 at R H Parks Accident strychnine
Ana May Blocker child December 2, 1894 at Ben Boatwrights farm Natural Causes
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Steve Yeldell October 28, 1894 at Edgefield Accident cart
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
Robert Parks September 27, 1894 at Parkville Homicide lick
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
Tandy Holmes September 21, 1894 at or on Dr. W.C. Prescotts Plantation Homicide
Ben Lowman September 14, 1894 at W.[?] L. Rawls Mills Homicide pistol
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Wade Medlock July 12, 1894 at Benjamin Boatwrights Plantation Unknown
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Sis Bonham child February 18, 1894 at M.B. Davenports Accident
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
William Humphry January 4, 1894 at Etheridge Bridge Accident pocket knife
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Nancy Weaver December 20, 1893 at Edgefield Court House Accident
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Lidda Hampton November 24, 1893 at A Derrecks Natural Causes
Balus Harrison November 14, 1893 at Edgefield CH Accident cart
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Louisa Wooden October 13, 1893 at Mose Woden Accident
Emanuel Johnson October 7, 1893 at Wards Accident train
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
Thomas Glover August 2, 1893 at Bill Werk[?] Residence Homicide
Caroline Coleman July 25, 1893 at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence Natural Causes
Bridgett Etheridge June 26, 1893 at John Etheridges Residence Homicide hoe
James S. Aiton June 19, 1893 at J.S. Aiton deceased Suicide pistol
Henry Peterson June 13, 1893 at Ridge Spring Accident train
James Bledsoe May 15, 1893 at Dr D.P. Lalsrones[?] Residence Homicide pistol
infant infant May 5, 1893 at F. L. Foys Natural Causes
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia