New Haven County Superior Court Expenses for Negro Tom and Mountain Joseph, 1790

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

Added description

Description

New Haven County Superior Court Expenses for Negro Tom and Mountain Joseph, 1790

Overview

This collection comprises digitized court‑expense records from the New Haven County Superior Court, held by the Connecticut State Library. It contains a single ledger dated 11 August 1790, compiled by clerk Joseph Peck, and an image of Gadson’s Bible dated August 1790. The materials are indexed under the NHSC BAAI (Black, African American, and Indigenous History) subject field and provide a snapshot of the financial administration of prisoner boarding during the late 18th century.

Background

In 1790 the Superior Court contracted private houses to accommodate inmates awaiting trial or sentencing. Joseph Peck recorded payments made to these boarding houses, noting the names of prisoners, duration of stay, and costs for lodging, blankets, wood, coal, and clothing. The ledger reflects contemporary practices of the Connecticut criminal justice system and offers insight into the treatment of African‑American and Indigenous prisoners in New Haven County.

Contents

The collection includes:
  • A high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF scan of the ledger (files RG003NHSCBAAIPSCourtExpensesNegroTomMountainJoseph001.jpg and …001.tif). The ledger lists 13 prisoners—such as “Negro Tom,” “Joseph Mountain,” “Levi Lath,” and “Sarah Bapett”—with boarding durations ranging from 5 to 24 weeks and amounts ranging from £2 6 5 to £6 3 6 2. Ancillary expenses include blankets, wood, coal, shirts, and sundry bills. The ledger concludes with a total payment of £38 7 11, paid by E Whitwell, and the notation “Errors Excepted from Joseph Peck.”
  • A JPEG and TIFF image of Gadson’s Bible (files RG003NHSCBAAIPSCourtExpensesNegroTomMountainJoseph002.jpg and …002.tif), scanned in 1790 and linked to the same court‑expense case.

Metadata in PINAX format connects both items to the NHSC BAAI subject index and the New Haven County Superior Court files.

Scope

The collection documents a single fiscal day (11 August 1790) in New Haven County, Connecticut. It focuses on financial records of prisoner boarding, with particular reference to African‑American and Indigenous inmates. The materials do not include court transcripts, personal correspondence, or broader narrative accounts. They are valuable for scholars of early American criminal justice, prison history, and the socioeconomic conditions of marginalized populations in colonial Connecticut.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Expenses for Negro Tom and Mountain Joseph, 1790", format: "json", source: "PINAX"}

@file_pinax -> metadata for -> @joseph_peck_expenses_1790 {creator: [@joseph_peck, @gadson], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1790, language: "en", subjects: [@court_expenses, @baai, @bibles, @historical_documents]}

@file_pinax -> metadata for -> @gadsons_bible_collection {creator: [@gadson], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1790, language: "en", subjects: [@bibles, @historical_documents, @baai]}

@bibles:concept {description: "Religious texts, including printed Bibles"}

@historical_documents:concept {description: "Documents of historical significance"}

@joseph_peck_expenses_1790 -> about -> @court_expenses

@gadsons_bible -> documents -> @court_expenses

@file_pinax -> source -> "PINAX"

@file_pinax -> related to -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject -> indexed -> @joseph_peck_expenses_1790

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject -> indexed -> @gadsons_bible_collection

@court_expenses -> subject_indexed_by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@joseph_peck -> co-creator -> @gadson

@joseph_peck -> linked to -> @gadsons_bible {relation: "expense documentation includes image of Gadson's Bible"}

Metadata

Title
New Haven County Superior Court Expenses for Negro Tom and Mountain Joseph, 1790
Type
Collection
Creator
Joseph PeckGadson
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1790
Language
en
Subjects
Court expenses, Prisoner boarding, African American history, Indigenous history, New Haven County, Legal documents, Bibles, Historical Documents, Black, African American, and Indigenous History
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, 6:42:30 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:37 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:35 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N1PVTXTGRV5BCWH3F7M8"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:34 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N0CQCEQNR3K57TJ89TGD"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:15:58 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, 6:13:35 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped based on their content and context. The first group contains documents related to Joseph Peck's expenses for boarding prisoners, including Negro Tom and Joseph Mountain, in August 1790. The second group contains documents referencing Gadson's Bible from the same period. Each group includes both the original image files and their corresponding reference files. The grouping ensures that related documents are kept together for easier access and reference.

## Groups Created

- **Joseph_Peck_Expenses_1790**: Documents related to Joseph Peck's boarding and expenses for prisoners in August 1790, including Negro Tom and Joseph Mountain.
- **Gadsons_Bible_1790**: Document referencing Gadson's Bible from August 1790.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0EXA04TRHN0SDDKG4E

Children (2)