New Haven County Superior Court Execution Documents for Lemon, a Negro Man Slave

Version: 9 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:24:36 PM

Added description

Description

Execution Warrant Documents for Lemon, a Negro Man Slave (1774)

Overview

This collection contains the primary documents related to the execution warrant issued against Lemon, a Negro slave, by the New Haven County Superior Court on 5 May 1774. The materials include the original parchment warrant, a high‑resolution TIFF scan, and a JPEG image of the same document, all preserved by the Connecticut State Library. The collection is catalogued under the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers Subject index, which groups New Haven Superior Court files concerning Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals.

Background

In the mid‑18th century, slavery was legally sanctioned in Connecticut, and the courts routinely adjudicated cases involving enslaved persons. Lemon, enslaved by John Dyes of Wallingford, was convicted of attempting to rape an Indigenous child in St. Wallingford. The case was heard before a special Superior Court convened in New Haven. The warrant, signed by clerk Geo. Delham, orders Lemon’s execution by hanging followed by a public whipping at the New Haven marketplace, a punishment typical for serious offenses against Indigenous people and enslaved individuals.

Contents

  • Execution Warrant (1774‑05‑05) – The original parchment document, detailing the sentence, execution method, and post‑execution penalties.
  • JPEG Image (RG003NHSCBAAIPSExecutionsRexvsLemon001.jpg) – A scanned photograph of the warrant, annotated with OCR text.
  • TIFF Scan (RG003NHSCBAAIPSExecutionsRexvsLemon001.tif) – A high‑resolution, archival‑grade image suitable for detailed study.
  • Metadata – Includes creator (New Haven County Superior Court), institution (Connecticut State Library), language (English), and subject headings (execution warrants, slave punishment, criminal cases, rape, African American history, Indigenous history, New Haven County, 18th century).

Scope

The collection covers a single criminal case from 1774, situated in New Haven and Wallingford, Connecticut. It documents the legal procedures surrounding the execution of a slave convicted of a violent crime against an Indigenous child. The materials are relevant to scholars of early American criminal justice, slavery, and Indigenous‑African American relations in New England. The collection does not include ancillary court filings, witness statements, or post‑execution records beyond the warrant itself.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {filename: "pinax.json", type: "Metadata (PINAX)", title: "New Haven County Superior Court Execution Documents for Lemon, a Negro Man Slave", creators: [@new_haven_county_superior_court, @joth_fitch], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created_range: {start: @date_1770, end: @date_1774}, language: "en", subjects: ["Execution warrants", "Slave punishment", "Criminal cases", "Rape", "African American history", "Indigenous history", "New Haven County", "18th century", "Execution", "Legal Documents", "Criminal Justice", "Slavery"], description: "Documents related to the execution of Lemon, a Negro man slave, convicted of attempting to commit rape on an Indian female child in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1774. Includes execution warrant and confirmation documents.", place: [@new_haven, @wallingford, @north_haven, @new_haven_county, @connecticut]}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @execution_warrant_documents_for_lemon

@file_pinax -> documents -> @execution_confirmation_documents

@file_pinax -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers

@lemon -> appears in -> @execution_warrant_documents_for_lemon

@lemon -> appears in -> @execution_confirmation_documents

@joth_fitch -> creator of -> @file_pinax

@joth_fitch -> sheriff in -> @rex_vs_lemon

@new_haven_county_superior_court -> creator of -> @file_pinax

@execution_warrant_documents_for_lemon -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers

@execution_confirmation_documents -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject-index field for New Haven County Superior Court files concerning Black, African American, and Indigenous cases and papers."}

@execution_warrant_documents_for_lemon -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@execution_confirmation_documents -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

Metadata

Version History (9 versions)

  • ✓ v9 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:24:36 PM
    "Added description"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 3:02:58 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:43:40 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:30:44 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:30:43 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0WK1FXZWMVE79XWZEHQZR"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:30:41 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0WHE9Z11GH8K5YMJ4X6Q0"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:01 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:46 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0E29FBBG0R8Z4RQWC2"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:02 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped by document type and content. The first group contains the execution warrant and sentencing details, while the second group contains the execution confirmation and supplemental notes. Both groups include both JPEG and TIFF versions of the documents along with their reference files. The grouping reflects the natural division between the legal sentencing documents and the execution verification documents in this historical case.

## Groups Created

- **Execution_Warrant_Documents**: Files containing the official execution warrant and related legal documents for the case Rex vs. Lemon (1774). These documents detail the sentencing and execution procedures.
- **Execution_Confirmation_Documents**: Files containing the sheriff's confirmation of execution and additional notes about Lemon (1770). These documents verify the execution was carried out and include supplemental information.

Parent

01KBKZYT0E29FBBG0R8Z4RQWC2

Children (2)