Moses Paul Execution Case Collection

Version: 10 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:24:50 PM

Added description

Description

Moses Paul Execution Case Collection (New Haven County Superior Court, 1772)

Overview

This archival collection preserves the legal documents that led to the execution of Moses Paul, a Black traveling joiner, in New Haven County, Connecticut. The collection includes the original execution warrant issued on 29 August 1772, the case file “Rex vs Paul,” and the execution record itself. Digital reproductions are provided in JPEG and TIFF formats, accompanied by a JSON metadata file (pinax.json) that records provenance, subjects, and related entities.

Background

The documents originate from the New Haven County Superior Court, the primary judicial body for the county during the colonial period. The warrant was signed by Chief Judge Matthew Griswold and directed the Sheriff to carry out the execution on 2 September 1772 in New Haven. The case is part of the Connecticut State Library’s New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) files and is indexed in the “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) subject database, reflecting the library’s effort to document early cases involving Black and Indigenous individuals.

Contents

  • Execution Warrant – the original court order, scanned in high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF, with OCR‑extracted text.
  • Case File “Rex vs Paul” – a paper docket that records the defendant’s name, charges, and court proceedings, also scanned in JPEG and TIFF.
  • Execution Record – a brief record of the execution event.
  • Metadata – a pinax.json file detailing creator, institution, subjects, language, and linked entities (Moses Paul, Moses Cook, Sheriff, Chief Judge).
  • Contextual Links – references to the NHSC BAAI subject index and related entities such as New Haven County and Watertown.

Scope

The collection focuses exclusively on the execution of Moses Paul and the immediate legal documents surrounding that event. It does not include trial transcripts, appellate filings, or other ancillary evidence. The material is geographically tied to New Haven, Connecticut, and thematically to criminal law, executions, and early colonial African‑American and Indigenous history. It is a valuable resource for scholars of colonial legal practices, criminal justice, and the historiography of Black and Indigenous peoples in New England.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {filename: "pinax.json", type: "Metadata (PINAX)", id: "01KBM1MW5HVG4BSJ1B0J9PQHRN", title: "Moses Paul Execution Case Collection", creator: @new_haven_county_superior_court, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1772_08_29, language: "en", subjects: ["Execution", "Moses Paul", "Murder", "Legal Documents", "Black, African American, and Indigenous History", "New Haven County", "18th Century", "Criminal Cases"], description: "Collection of documents related to the execution of Moses Paul, a traveling person and joiner, convicted of the murder of Moses Cook of Watertown, New Haven County. Includes an execution warrant and related records from the New Haven County Superior Court.", place: ["New Haven", "Watertown", "New Haven County", "Connecticut"]}


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection:concept {title: "Moses Paul Execution Case Collection", description: "Aggregated records of the Moses Paul murder and execution case, encompassing warrant, execution record, and related court documents."}


@file_pinax -> describes -> @moses_paul_execution_case_collection


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection -> includes -> @execution_warrant_moses_paul


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection -> includes -> @moses_paul_execution_record:document


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection -> includes -> @rex_vs_paul:document


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection -> part of -> @baai_project:concept


@moses_paul_execution_case_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept


@moses_paul_execution_record -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept


@rex_vs_paul -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept


@baai_project:concept -> focuses on -> @new_haven_county_superior_court:organization


@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {abbreviation: "NHSC", location: @new_haven, description: "New Haven County Superior Court Files (Record Group 3, Connecticut State Library)"} 


@new_haven:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}


@connecticut_state_library:organization {description: "Connecticut State Library"} 


@moses_paul:person {occupation: "travelling person and joiner"} 


@moses_cook:person {residence: @watertown}


@watertown:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}


@file_pinax -> documents -> @moses_paul_execution_record:document


@file_pinax -> depicts -> @execution_warrant_moses_paul


@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_001_jpg -> depicts -> @rex_vs_paul:document


@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_001_tif -> associated with -> @rex_vs_paul:document


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> concerns -> @moses_paul {role: "defendant"}


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> concerns -> @moses_cook {role: "victim"}


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> ordered execution -> @moses_paul {date: @date_1772_09_02, location: @new_haven}


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> signed by -> @mattth_griswold:person {role: "Chief Judge"}


@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> addressed to -> @sheriff:person {role: "Sheriff of New Haven County"}

Metadata

Title
Moses Paul Execution Case Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
New Haven County Superior Court
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1772-08-29
Language
en
Subjects
Execution, Moses Paul, Murder, Legal Documents, Black, African American, and Indigenous History, New Haven County, 18th Century, Criminal Cases
Place
New Haven, Watertown, New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v10 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:24:50 PM
    "Added description"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 3:04:19 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:43:59 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:15 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:14 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0ZC14QHMCC8SBCHFYKBW0"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:12 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0Z9T7DX4XB6N4D5Y7HZF3"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:13 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:21:04 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 1 file"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:46 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0E29FBBG0R8Z4RQWC2"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:05 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped into two distinct categories based on their content: (1) The official execution warrant documents (court order and sheriff's return) for Moses Paul's 1772 hanging, and (2) The execution record itself ('Alex. of Moses Paul Ex'n'). Each group contains both the original image files (.jpg/.tif) and their corresponding reference files (.ref.json). The grouping reflects the natural division between the legal authorization documents and the record of execution.

## Groups Created

- **Execution_Warrant_Moses_Paul**: Documents related to the official execution warrant for Moses Paul, including the court order and sheriff's return.
- **Execution_Record_Moses_Paul**: The execution record (Alex. of Moses Paul Ex'n) documenting the carrying out of the sentence.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0E29FBBG0R8Z4RQWC2

Children (2)