About

This project is part of the final project for HIST 525: Introduction to Public History at the College of Charleston, taught by Dr. Rachel Donaldson in Fall 2020. The goal was to create a public-facing digital project using the tenets of conscientious public historical scholarship. Hopefully I have succeeded, but I welcome feedback and constructive criticism.

The main source of this project was the Return of Death records, the originals of which are held in the Charleston Archive of the Charleston County Public Library, and the digital scans of which are available at FamilySearch.org. They are far from perfect, as pointed out by James W. Hagy in his 1990 article "The Death Records of Charleston." By cross referencing Jewish individuals listed in this collection with synagogue records, gravemarker inscriptions, and other archival sources, he concludes that some of the entries provide inaccurate or conflicting information on things like date of death and age, and omits information for some on things like cause of death and occupation, but still provides a valuable set of data that should not be completely discounted.¹ Like any historical evidence, these should be examined critically and supplemented with other sources in order to present the fullest and most accurate possible picture. I have done my best to do so with the sources listed here.

Several entries were unable to be mapped due to a lack of address, or an address whose currently location couldn't be found or mapped. Some are included in the burial ground listed for the individual, but all are included in analysis involving the entire dataset. These are given in the table below, because every name is important.²

If any scholars are interested in obtaining a copy of the spreadsheet I compiled containing the Return of Death records from 1860, please feel free to email me. It was very time consuming and I'd be happy to save someone else the effort.

Potential employers impressed by this project should visit my LinkedIn profile. All research, writing, web design and coding, and GIS work was 100% completed by me, Danielle Cox.

Special thanks to Dr. Rachel Donaldson for her guidance and advice on this project and for providing an interesting and insightful introduction to the field of project history, and to Amanda Holling at the Charleston Archive for giving me an abundance of information about these records' scope, provenance, and accessibility. Thanks also to my classmates in this class and others who patiently allowed me to bounce ideas off them, to various professors who answered random niche questions in the course of talking about other things, and to my friends, family members, and cats who were probably confused and upset hearing me talk about nineteenth century causes of death, but were supportive nevertheless.

Burial Place	Name	Enslaver	Gender	Race	Condition	Age	Occupation	Birthplace	Disease	Physician	Date
Public Cemetery	Infant Slave	D. R. L. Baker	female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	Isabella Lafar	March 22, 1860
Public Cemetery	Jane	J. Dougherty Esq.	female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Burn	Henry R. Frost	June 14, 1860
Methodist Protestant Church Colored Cemetery	Emma	Mr. McAndrew	female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	Henry R. Frost	March 26, 1860
Methodist Protestant Church Colored Cemetery	Infant	C. Kenison Esq.	female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	T. L. Ogier Jr.	November 2, 1860
Field of Rest	Martha		female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	T. R. Aldrich	July 16, 1860
African Cemetery	Negro	Mr. E. Edwards	female	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Lungs, Congestion of	W. H. Huger	September 22, 1860
Field of Rest	Richard	Miss. M. Whitney	male	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Teething	C. M. Rivers	July 25, 1860
African Cemetery	Charles	Miss S. L. Lucas	male	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Bronchitis	D. J. Cain	February 5, 1860
Field of Rest	Infant	Mr. Geo. Taft	male	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	Henry R. Frost	February 10, 1860
African Cemetery	Theophilus Merril	Miss S. L. Lucas	male	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Apoplexy	M. Greenland	February 5, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	A negro child	Mrs. Simons	male	Black	slave	0	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	W. H. Huger	July 11, 1860
Field of Rest	Child	Mr. Broughton	male	Black	slave	1	Minor	Charleston	Abcess	F. Peyre Porcher	August 8, 1860
Ephrath Cemetery	Infant	Alex. Robertson Esq.	male	Black	slave	1	Minor		Dysentery	T. L. Ogier Jr.	November 1, 1860
Public Cemetery	Bob	Miss Hort	male	Black	slave	2	Minor	Charleston	Diarrhea, Chronic	J. P. Chazal	August 25, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	Sarah Celeste	Mr. D. Lesesne	female	Black	slave	3	Minor	Charleston	Dropsy	Henry R. Frost	January 4, 1860
Public Cemetery	Sye	E. Capers	male	Black	slave	3	Minor	Charleston	Worm Fever	Middleton Michel	May 19, 1860
St. John’s Church Colored Cemetery	Mary	Mrs. E. Godfrey	female	Black	slave	4	Minor	Charleston	Whooping Cough	Henry R. Frost	June 19, 1860
Field of Rest	William	P. Buchrut Esq.	male	Black	slave	17	Laborer	Charleston	Bowels, Inflamation of	William T. Wragg	April 17, 1860
	Jane	Mrs. Walkins	female	Black	slave	23	Servant	Charleston	Diarrhea, Chronic	D. J. Cain	April 19, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	Elizabeth	Mrs. LeBruce	female	Black	slave	25	House Servant	Charleston	Consumption	A. N. Bellinger	October 28, 1860
Public Cemetery	Tenato	Mr. J.H. Tate	female	Black	slave	25	Cook	Charleston	Fever, Typhoid	J.F. Poppenheim	June 16, 1860
Public Cemetery	Judith	Alex. Robertson Esq.	female	Black	slave	30	Washer	South Carolina	Lungs, Congestion of	Peter Porcher	February 27, 1860
African Cemetery	Margaret	Mrs. Clark	female	Black	slave	35	Washer	Charleston	Pneumonia, Chronic	R. J. Limehouse	July 25, 1860
Public Cemetery	George	Danl. Heyward Esq.	male	Black	slave	40	Boathand	Charleston	Pneumonia Typhoides	T. L. Ogier Jr.	February 22, 1860
Second Presbyterian Colored Cemetery	Alice	Mrs. Shackelford	female	Black	slave	49	Servant	Charleston	Cancer Uteri	John Bellinger	January 15, 1860
Field of Rest	Betsy	Mrs. C.M. Perry	female	Black	slave	58	Servant	Charleston	Hepatitis	Henry R. Frost	May 5, 1860
Field of Rest	Nancy	Mrs. M. E. Lord	female	Black	slave	60	Domestic	Charleston	Pericarditis	A. L. Hammond	March 17, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	William	Est. Miss S. Rutledge	male	Black	slave	78	Servant	Charleston	Old Age	Henry R. Frost	June 29, 1860
St. Patrick’s Church Cemetery	Mary Jane	Mr. Lelane	female	Black	slave	80	Domestic	Charleston	Pneumonia	W. M. Michels	March 17, 1860
Field of Rest	Brister	Mrs. W. W. Ancrum	male	Black	slave	80	Laborer	Charleston	Dropsy	John L. Dawson	February 21, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	Daniel	Est. Jon Lucas	male	Black	slave	85	Laborer	Charleston	Old Age	Elias Horlbeck	February 10, 1860
African Cemetery	Pleasant	Mr. J. Cohen	female	Black	slave	88	Servant	Africa	Old Age	T. E. Hertz	November 16, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	Daniel	A. H. Abrahams Esq.	male	Black	slave	90	Laborer	Charleston	Old Age	E. M. Whiting, Cor.	February 12, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	Dinah	James Dupree	female	Black	slave	95	Nurse	Charleston	Old Age	Horatio S. Waring	February 1, 1860
Public Cemetery	Infant	E. M. Beach Esq.	male	Black	slave			Charleston	Stillborn	T. L. Ogier Jr.	January 29, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	A female infant	C.F. Hanckel Esq., Stillborn	female	Black	slave				Stillborn	William T. Wragg	June 23, 1860
MacPhelah Cemetery	Julia F. Will		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Cholera Infantum	G. W. Wescott	August 18, 1860
MacPhelah Cemetery	Mary Washington		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	S. C. Webster	June 16, 1860
Brown Fellowship Cemetery	Infant of Eliza Deas		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	T. R. Aldrich	April 8, 1860
Second Presbyterian Colored Cemetery	John		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Want of Vitality	Celia Dedrick	June 2, 1860
African Cemetery	Mr. Edward's Child		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Teething	H. C. Guerin	October 3, 1860
Methodist Protestant Church Colored Cemetery	Paul Drayton		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Lungs, Inflammation of	T. R. Aldrich	June 4, 1860
Methodist Protestant Church Colored Cemetery	Francis Wiss		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Enteritis	W. H. Ford	August 12, 1860
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	Harriet Miles' Child		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	0	Minor	Charleston	Birth, Premature	W. H. Huger	November 18, 1860
Brotherly Association Cemetery	Julia Hare		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	4	Minor	Charleston	Whooping Cough	Middleton Michel	June 24, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	Mary Legare		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	32	Seamstress	Charleston	Pericarditis	Henry R. Frost	November 10, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	Jackson		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	58	Mechanic	Charleston	Rheumatism	J. C. Ludwig	December 27, 1860
MacPhelah Cemetery	C. Verie		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	59	Seamstress	South Carolina	Cerebral Congestion	Middleton Michel	March 30, 1860
First Baptist Church Colored Cemetery	William Jackson		male	Mulatto	Free Col.	62	Mechanic	Charleston	Fever, Typhoid	C. L. Meyer	April 24, 1860
Public Cemetery	White Infant		female	White		0	Foundling	Charleston	Diarrhea	H.E. Bissell	May 25, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Mary Torres		female	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	C. L. Meyer	May 24, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Mary Vaughan		female	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Lungs, Congestion of	J. J. Chisolm	October 13, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	Elizabeth M. Busch		female	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Hemorrhage of Bowels	R. M. Brailsford	February 15, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	Ann Catherine Lubbs		female	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Gastro Enteritis	T. R. Aldrich	May 13, 1860
Public Cemetery	Amelia Smith		female	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Teething	T. R. Aldrich	May 25, 1860
St. Mary’s Church Cemetery	Mr. Millar's Son		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Hemorrhage	C. Davega	November 25, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	Mr. Froning's Child		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Lungs, Congestion of	C. Davega	September 21, 1860
Magnolia Cemetery	George N. Brickwell		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Pneumonia	G. W. Wescott	February 13, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Kennedy O'Brien		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Trismus Nascentium	Henry R. Frost	February 7, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	Mr. Mason's Son		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	J. J. Chisolm	November 23, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Malike Tighe		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Diarrhea	S. L. Lockwood	July 16, 1860
Jewish Cemetery - Hanover Street	Mendal S. Rubenstan		male	White		0	Minor	Charleston	Teething	T. E. Hertz	May 11, 1860
	James B. S...		male	White		3	Minor	Charleston	Convulsions	G. W. Wescott	October 1, 1860
Unitarian Church Cemetery	Catherine Miller		female	White		8	Minor	Charleston	Sore throat, Membranous	Henry R. Frost	September 2, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	Anne Millington		female	White		15	Minor	Charleston	Fever, Typhoid	Geo. E. Trescot	August 31, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	P. Dolen		male	White		22	Laborer	Germany	Stomach, Inflammation of	C. J. Proctor	July 4, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	Sarah Tucker		female	White		25	Mother	South Carolina	Fever, Typhoid	C. L. Meyer	April 20, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	Peter Weinheimer		male	White		28	Merchant	Germany	Coup de Soleil	Middleton Michel	July 5, 1860
Interred out of City	P.f. Chartrand		male	White		28	Merchant	South Carolina	Consumption	Middleton Michel	October 26, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	F. Collmann		male	White		30		Germany	Consumption	J. C. Ludwig	October 29, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Ellen Maloney		female	White		35	Servant	Ireland	Brain, Congestion of	Geo. E. Trescot	May 10, 1860
Public Cemetery	An unknown person		male	White		35	Laborer		Unknown	E. M. Whiting, Cor.	April 4, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	Mrs. A. Lubbs		female	White		36	Wife & Mother	Germany	Debility	T. R. Aldrich	September 21, 1860
Bethania Cemetery	C. Federwith		male	White		37	Clerk	Germany	Gastritis	G. W. Wescott	July 12, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	William Kayal		male	White		42	Mechanic	Charleston	Fever, Typhoid	Henry R. Frost	March 28, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Bridget Noonan		female	White		43	Wife	Ireland	Apoplexy	Henry R. Frost	June 20, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Julia Duvaul		female	White		45	Wife	Canada	Heart, Dropsy of	T. R. Aldrich	May 6, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	James Donnelly		male	White		45	Laborer	Ireland	Phrenitis	C. J. Proctor	July 20, 1860
Magnolia Cemetery	Mrs. Joseph Smith		female	White		48	Mother	South Carolina	Fever, Typhoid	C. J. Proctor	July 5, 1860
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Thomas Quin		male	White		50	Laborer	Ireland	Complication of Disease	S. L. Lockwood	May 20, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	Boehan		male	White		50	Gardener	Ireland	Pneumonia	S. L. Lockwood	July 9, 1860
Unitarian Church Cemetery	Barrow		female	White		55	Domestic	Charleston	Breast, Cancer of	J. J. Chisolm	December 23, 1860
St. John’s Church Cemetery	Joseph Laurence		male	White		60	Mechanic	Germany	Pneumonia, Typhus	R. M. Brailsford	October 11, 1860
	Mrs. P.h. Chisolm		female	White		84	Domestic	Charleston	Bronchitis	J. J. Chisolm	December 6, 1860

Burial Place	Name	Enslaver	Gender	Race	Condition	Age	Occupation	Birthplace	Disease	Physician	Date	Residence Place
St. John’s Church Colored Cemetery	Rev: Mr. Lynch's woman	Rev. Mr. Lynch	female	Black	slave	50	Servant	Charleston	Dropsy	Augustus Fitch	January 9, 1860	Boate Alley
Trinity Church Colored Cemetery	Louisa Cochran		female	Mulatto	Free Col.	45	Seamstress	Charleston	Consumption	Augustus Fitch	April 2, 1860	Cohen's Court
St. Lawrence Cemetery	Huetson		female	White		45	Washer	Ireland	Consumption	S. L. Lockwood	October 15, 1860	Gadsden's Green
Public Cemetery	John Colinwood		male	White		17	Sailor	Charleston	Fever, Typhoid	Wm. Snowden	July 4, 1860	Lodebar School Ship
Lutheran Colored Cemetery	Dick	Est. L. V. Martin	male	Black	slave	40	Mason	Charleston	Tetanus	A. Peurofoy	February 5, 1860	Phenix St.
Public Cemetery	Prince	W. Lowrey Esq.	male	Black	slave	50	Laborer	South Carolina	Apoplexy	E. M. Whiting, Cor.	April 21, 1860	Whapoo

¹James W. Hagy, “The Death Records of Charleston,” The South Carolina Historical Magazine 91, no. 1 (1990): 32–44.

²City of Charleston, SC Board of Health, South Carolina, Charleston City Death Records, 1821-1926, database, FamilySearch.org, film 007576007, 350-410. https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/3477663.

Inhabitants, Illness, and Interment

Deaths in Charleston on the Eve of War

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