New Haven County Superior Court - Black, African American, and Indigenous History - Joseph Mountain Execution Expenses Collection

Version: 9 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:22:42 PM

Added description

Description

Joseph Mountain Court Expense Documents Collection

Overview

This collection comprises two high‑resolution TIFF scans of court expense documents related to the execution of Joseph Mountain, ordered by the New Haven County Superior Court on 20 October 1790. Catalogued by the Connecticut State Library’s PINAX system, the material is part of the New Haven County Superior Court – Black, African American, and Indigenous History (BAAI) digitization effort. The files are in English and date from the late‑18th century, representing the administrative and financial record of a capital‑punishment case.

Background

Joseph Mountain was executed under an order of the Superior Court of Connecticut. Sheriff Jos M. Fitch recorded every expense incurred for the execution, producing a bill that lists items such as rope, gallows, coffin, and his own services. A subsequent court order dated 26 January 1791 confirms the bill and the execution. These documents illustrate the fiscal procedures surrounding capital punishment in colonial Connecticut and are preserved as part of the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject index, which assigns controlled subject terms to New Haven County Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals.

Contents

  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSCourtExpensesMountainJoseph001.tif – a high‑resolution scan of the first page(s) of the Sheriff’s Bill, showing the list of expenses, signatures, and witnesses.
  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSCourtExpensesMountainJoseph002.tif – a continuation of the scanned pages, capturing additional details and the court order confirming the execution.
Each TIFF preserves the original layout, stamps, and handwritten annotations, enabling detailed examination of the financial aspects of the case. The collection is accompanied by metadata that records subjects such as “executions,” “court expenses,” “New Haven County,” and “Black, African American, and Indigenous History.”

Scope

The collection covers the financial record of a single execution event in New Haven County, Connecticut, in 1790. It includes only the expense bill and the confirming court order, along with associated metadata. The material does not contain the original physical documents, pleadings, judgments, or other ancillary filings. Researchers interested in the fiscal dimensions of 18th‑century Connecticut court procedures, particularly those involving marginalized communities, will find this collection a valuable primary source.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@executions:concept {description: "Execution of a condemned individual"}

@file_pinax -> metadata -> @pinax_metadata:document {title: "New Haven County Superior Court - Black, African American, and Indigenous History - Joseph Mountain Execution Expenses Collection", creator: [@fitch_jos_m, @joseph_mountain], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1790_10_20, language: "en", subjects: [@executions, @court_expenses, @new_haven_county, @legal_documents, @black_african_american_and_indigenous_history, @new_haven_county_superior_court], description: "Collection of documents and high-resolution archival images detailing the expenses incurred for the execution of Joseph Mountain, ordered by the Superior Court of Connecticut on October 20, 1790. Part of the Black, African American, and Indigenous History collection.", place: @new_haven_county}

@mountain_execution_expenses -> same as -> @collection_mountain_court_expenses

@fitch_jos_m -> creator of -> @mountain_execution_expenses

@joseph_mountain -> subject of -> @mountain_execution_expenses

@file_pinax -> part of -> @new_haven_county_superior_court_files

@new_haven_county_superior_court_files -> has field -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@file_pinax -> documents -> @mountain_execution_expenses

@file_pinax -> metadata for -> @collection_mountain_court_expenses

Metadata

Title
New Haven County Superior Court - Black, African American, and Indigenous History - Joseph Mountain Execution Expenses Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
Fitch, Jos M.Mountain, Joseph
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1790-10-20
Language
en
Subjects
Executions, Court expenses, New Haven County, Legal documents, Historical records, Black, African American, and Indigenous History, New Haven County Superior Court
Place
New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (9 versions)

  • ✓ v9 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:22:42 PM
    "Added description"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 2:59:25 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:42:29 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:36 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:34 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N0PJR5BV8M54K40SWTTV"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:33 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0MZDFZA80MHJBB9V9EH6K"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:15:57 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:45 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0EXA04TRHN0SDDKG4E"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:13:34 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped into two distinct categories: (1) documents specifically detailing the expenses related to Joseph Mountain's execution (both the original JPGs and their reference JSONs), and (2) high-resolution archival TIFF versions of those documents with their reference JSONs. This separation maintains both thematic coherence (historical event documentation) and preservation needs (archival quality images), while avoiding redundant groupings.

## Groups Created

- **Joseph_Mountain_Execution_Expenses**: Documents related to the expenses incurred for the execution of Joseph Mountain in 1790, including sheriff's bills and itemized costs.
- **High_Resolution_Archival_Images**: High-resolution TIFF files of the original documents, preserved for archival purposes.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0EXA04TRHN0SDDKG4E

Children (2)