New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Cases Collection

Version: 11 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:22:56 PM

Added description

Description

New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Cases Collection (1835‑1836) – BAAI Project

Overview

This archival set is a digitized compilation of New Haven County Superior Court divorce records from the mid‑1830s, housed by the Connecticut State Library. It is part of the library’s “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) initiative, which indexes court files that involve or illuminate the experiences of marginalized communities. The collection contains three primary sub‑collections: a 1835 divorce petition, a 1830 court summons, and 1836 case notes, all related to divorce proceedings in the county. Each document is preserved as high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF scans, with accompanying OCR‑extracted text for searchable use.

Background

During the 1830s, divorce was a relatively rare and formal legal process in Connecticut, requiring petitions filed in chancery courts and detailed statements of marital conduct. The New Haven County Superior Court, located in the county’s 4th Precinct, handled these civil matters. The BAAI project seeks to bring such records to light, providing insight into the legal history of the region and the participation of Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals in the court system.

Contents

  • Charles Cann Divorce Petition (1835) – The original petition alleging adultery, with scanned images and OCR text.
  • Ephraim Hamilton Court Summons (1830) – A summons issued by Justice of Peace Chas D. Paynswell, commanding appearance before the Supreme Court in Northampton, digitized and OCR‑processed.
  • Charles Cann Divorce Case Notes (1836) – Handwritten court clerk notes from the 1836 proceeding, captured in JPEG and TIFF formats.

Each sub‑collection includes metadata linking the documents to the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject index, which catalogs New Haven Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals.

Scope

The collection spans the years 1835‑1836, focusing on divorce, adultery, and related legal procedures in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is geographically bound to the county (including Nottingham and Northampton) and thematically centered on marital law. While indexed under the BAAI subject field, the documents themselves do not necessarily reference Black, African American, or Indigenous individuals; the indexing reflects the broader archival framework. The collection is available in English and constitutes a valuable resource for scholars of early Connecticut legal history, divorce law, and the archival representation of marginalized communities.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Cases Collection", type: "Metadata (PINAX)", id: "01KBM1JG3F6WHWGFTD6NKWFXW5", creator: ["Charles Cann", "Chas D. Paynswell", "New Haven County Superior Court"], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: {start: @date_1830, end: @date_1836}, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce","Adultery","Court Summons","Legal Documents","Marriage","Legal Cases","Black, African American, and Indigenous History","African American History","New Haven County Superior Court"], description: "Collection of legal documents and case notes related to divorce cases in New Haven County Superior Court, including petitions, summons, and case notes from 1835 to 1836.", access_url: "PLACEHOLDER", source: "PINAX", places: [@nottingham, @northampton, @new_haven_county]}

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection:collection {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Cases Collection", creator: [@charles_cann, @chas_paynswell, @new_haven_county_superior_court], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: {start: @date_1830, end: @date_1836}, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce","Adultery","Court Summons","Legal Documents","Marriage","Legal Cases","Black, African American, and Indigenous History","African American History","New Haven County Superior Court"], description: "Collection of legal documents and case notes related to divorce cases in New Haven County Superior Court, including petitions, summons, and case notes from 1835 to 1836.", access_url: "PLACEHOLDER"}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @nhsc_divorce_cases_collection

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection -> contains -> @petition

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection -> contains -> @court_summons

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection -> contains -> @divorce_case_1836

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@charles_cann -> contributed to -> @nhsc_divorce_cases_collection

@chas_paynswell -> contributed to -> @nhsc_divorce_cases_collection

@new_haven_county_superior_court -> contributed to -> @nhsc_divorce_cases_collection

@nhsc_divorce_cases_collection -> associated with -> [@nottingham, @northampton, @new_haven_county]

Metadata

Title
New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Cases Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
Charles CannChas D. PaynswellNew Haven County Superior Court
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1830-1836
Language
en
Subjects
Divorce, Adultery, Court Summons, Legal Documents, Marriage, Legal Cases, Black, African American, and Indigenous History, African American History, New Haven County Superior Court
Place
Nottingham, New Haven County, Connecticut, Northampton, Northampton County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v11 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:22:56 PM
    "Added description"
  • v10 · 12/4/2025, 2:59:40 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 6:42:41 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:43 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 3 groups"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:42 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N81W7YSAT3H29DAB71YS"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:41 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N6RH82G421DANAVF27A1"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:39 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0N5EP7F1MCCR6SFYV7K0G"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:17:25 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:17:13 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 1 file"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:45 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0E4WN250H1RKB10E89"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were grouped into three distinct categories based on their content and context within the Charles Cann divorce case of 1835. The first group contains the main divorce petition documents, the second group focuses on the related court summons for Ephraim Hamilton, and the third group gathers case notes and references. Each group contains both the original image files and their corresponding reference files to maintain document integrity. The grouping reflects the legal process flow (petition → summons → case notes) while keeping related documents together.

## Groups Created

- **Charles_Cann_Divorce_Petition_1835**: Files related to Charles Cann's 1835 divorce petition against Harriett Cann, including the petition text and supporting documents.
- **Ephraim_Hamilton_Court_Summons_1835**: Documents concerning the 1835 court summons for Ephraim Hamilton related to the Cann divorce case.
- **Case_Notes_Charles_Cann_Divorce**: Brief notes and references regarding the Charles Cann divorce case.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0E4WN250H1RKB10E89

Children (3)