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 Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
Joe infant negro August 26, 1860 at John Huiets Accident
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
white man white man October 21, 1849 in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields Natural Causes
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Henry slave, boy May 1, 1857 at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek Accident
Polly Vines April 20, 1892 at the house of Ben. Holt Natural Causes
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
George Hatcher freedman June 19, 1867 at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek Natural Causes
Howard Gale June 13, 1879 at Jacksons Holinns[?] Mill Accident
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Ryal Negro Slave July 28, 1851 at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek Accident
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Blassingame Wise April 27, 1848 at or near the Negro quarter of Mrs Wiley Glover, on Savannah River Suicide
Garett Doby October 11, 1880 at William Rufus Natural Causes
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Lucius Walker October 5, 1869 at James Doziers plantation Accident
infant child infant child July 24, 1892 at Promised Land School house Unknown
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Gertrude infant child December 1, 1891 at Edgfield Court house Accident
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Unknown April 11, 1860 at or near W.J. Walkers Unknown
Prince negro man October 27, 1844 at Mrs Elizabeth Timmermans Suicide
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident

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