John Freeman and Augusta Freeman Divorce Case Collection

Version: 9 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:23:23 PM

Added description

Description

John Freeman and Augusta Freeman Divorce Case Collection

Overview

This collection comprises the complete set of legal documents related to the 1850 divorce petition filed by John Freeman against his wife, Augusta Freeman, in the New Haven County Superior Court. It includes the original petition, citation, order of notice, attestation by the sheriff, and the court’s divorce decree. The materials are held by the Connecticut State Library and are available as high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF scans, accompanied by JSON metadata files.

Background

John Freeman, a New Haven resident, filed the petition on 24 August 1850, alleging that Augusta deserted him on 7 May 1847 and engaged in repeated acts of adultery beginning 1 February 1850. Attorney Charles Nettleton represented Freeman. The case was scheduled for a hearing in October 1850, and the court issued a decree that month. The collection is part of the library’s “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) retrospective of New Haven County Superior Court records.

Contents

  • Petition for Divorce (pages 1–2): Written in legal prose, detailing the marriage (19 March 1846), desertion, and adultery allegations.
  • Citation: Summarizes the grounds for divorce and requests judgment.
  • Order of Notice: Issued by the Superior Court, directing the sheriff to serve notice to Augusta and publish a notice in a local newspaper.
  • Attestation: Signature of Sheriff’s Deputy David H. Can confirming delivery of the petition.
  • Divorce Decree: Court’s findings, certification, and final judgment.
  • Scanned Images: Four image files (two JPEGs and two TIFFs) provide detailed reproductions of the original parchment pages, including the court seal and handwritten signatures.
  • Metadata: JSON files containing OCR‑extracted text and cataloging information.

Scope

The collection covers the period from the filing of the petition in August 1850 through the issuance of the divorce decree in October 1850. It does not include subsequent court proceedings, judgments, or ancillary docket entries. The materials are relevant to researchers of 19th‑century Connecticut legal history, marital law, and the social practices surrounding divorce, desertion, and adultery. The collection is accessible through the Connecticut State Library’s digital repository.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@freeman_divorce_case_collection:collection {title: "John Freeman and Augusta Freeman Divorce Case Collection", creator: [@john_freeman, @charles_nettleton, @new_haven_county_superior_court], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: {start: @date_1850_08_24, end: @date_1850_10}, language: "en", subjects: [@divorce, @legal_documents, @adultery, @desertion, @baai_subject, @marriage], description: "Collection of divorce case documents from John Freeman against Augusta Freeman, filed in New Haven County Superior Court in 1850. Includes petition documents, decree documents, and related legal papers.", place: [@new_haven, @new_haven_county, @connecticut]}

@john_freeman -> creator of -> @freeman_divorce_case_collection

@charles_nettleton -> creator of -> @freeman_divorce_case_collection

@new_haven_county_superior_court -> creator of -> @freeman_divorce_case_collection

@connecticut_state_library -> holds -> @freeman_divorce_case_collection

@freeman_divorce_case_collection -> includes -> @freeman_divorce_collection

@freeman_divorce_case_collection -> includes -> @nhsc_divorce_decree_collection

@freeman_divorce_case_collection -> includes -> [@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_001_jpg, @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_002_jpg, @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_003_jpg, @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_004_jpg, @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_003_tif, @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_004_tif]

@freeman_divorce_case:event -> part of -> @freeman_divorce_case_collection

Metadata

Title
John Freeman and Augusta Freeman Divorce Case Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
John FreemanCharles NettletonNew Haven County Superior Court
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1850-08-24/1850-10
Language
en
Subjects
Divorce, Legal Documents, Adultery, Desertion, New Haven County, Black, African American, and Indigenous History, Marriage
Place
New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (9 versions)

  • ✓ v9 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:23:23 PM
    "Added description"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 3:00:48 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:42:58 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:29:05 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:29:03 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0SHVN27FQKVEPBV5WEPP2"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:29:01 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0SFHF4R588WW79KTRG6XH"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:18:37 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 4 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:45 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0E4WN250H1RKB10E89"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:07 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were organized into two distinct groups based on their content and purpose in the divorce proceedings. The 'Divorce_Petition_Documents' group contains all files related to the initial petition and legal summons, while the 'Divorce_Decree_Documents' group contains all files related to the final court decision and decree. This separation reflects the natural progression of the legal case from petition to resolution. All files were successfully grouped based on their content and purpose, with no files remaining ungrouped.

## Groups Created

- **Divorce_Petition_Documents**: Contains the petition and related legal documents initiating the divorce proceedings between John Freeman and Augusta Freeman.
- **Divorce_Decree_Documents**: Contains the final divorce decree and related court documents finalizing the divorce between John Freeman and Augusta Freeman.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0E4WN250H1RKB10E89

Children (2)