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 201 - 250 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
J. M. Long October 10, 1891 at J. M. Longs Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
Dinah Woman Slave May 22, 1849 at Allen Griffith Natural Causes
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
Richmond slave March 3, 1857 at V[?] Elbert Blands residence at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
George Watkins October 10, 1866 at George Watkins Homicide
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
A. G. Howard February 28, 1860 at Grannet Ville Depot Accident
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Richard Stevens February 21, 1898 at Johnston S.C. Natural Causes
B. J. Mims January 20, 1885 at the Residence of Capt B J Mims Natural Causes
Belaus[Velaus?] slave, boy March 30, 1863 at Robert Smiths Accident
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Thomas Welheu[?] June 19, 1868 at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road Accident
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Hartwell Roper June 17, 1869 at the residence of Rev. J.P. Mealing Natural Causes
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
Wade Medlock July 12, 1894 at Benjamin Boatwrights Plantation Unknown
infant infant May 5, 1893 at F. L. Foys Natural Causes
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident

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