Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks Divorce Case Collection

Version: 10 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:23:34 PM

Added description

Description

Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks Divorce Case Collection

Overview

This collection comprises digitized legal documents from a 1799 divorce proceeding in the New Haven County Superior Court. It includes the original petition filed by Hope Marks, the court’s proceeding record, an earlier petition letter, and associated metadata. The materials are held by the Connecticut State Library and indexed under the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers Subject field, indicating their relevance to the state’s Black, African American, and Indigenous History project.

Background

In the late 18th century, divorce in Connecticut required proof of serious marital misconduct. Hope Marks, a resident of Wallingford, filed a petition on 26 June 1799 alleging adultery and desertion by her husband, Levi Marks. The case was heard on the last Tuesday of July 1799, resulting in a decree of divorce. The documents reflect the procedural norms of the period and provide insight into the legal treatment of African American parties in early Connecticut.

Contents

  • Divorce Petition (1799‑06‑26): Written by Hope Marks, detailing the grounds of adultery and desertion.
  • Court Record (1799‑07‑31): Clerk A. Wm Bishop’s official entry recording the court’s decision.
  • Petition Letter (1791‑06‑26): An earlier appeal to the Superior Court outlining the same accusations.
  • Scanned Images: High‑resolution JPEG and TIFF scans of the original paper documents, each accompanied by OCR‑derived text for searchability.
  • Metadata: Structured records identifying creator, dates, subjects, and place (New Haven, Wallingford, Connecticut).

Scope

The collection covers the period from 1791 to 1799, focusing on a single divorce case in New Haven County. It is geographically limited to Connecticut, specifically the towns of New Haven and Wallingford. The materials illuminate 18th‑century legal practices concerning marriage, divorce, and allegations of adultery, and they serve as a primary source for scholars of early American legal history, gender studies, and African American heritage.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "pinax.json", type: "Metadata (PINAX)"}


@pinax_collection:collection {title: "Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks Divorce Case Collection", creator: [@hope_marks, @levi_marks], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1799, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce","Adultery","New Haven County Superior Court","Legal Documents","Marriage","18th Century","African American History"], description: "Collection of legal documents related to the divorce case of Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks, filed in the New Haven County Superior Court in 1799."}


@file_pinax -> documents -> @pinax_collection:collection


@pinax_collection -> contains -> @divorce_petition_1799


@pinax_collection -> contains -> @court_record_001


@pinax_collection -> contains -> @petition_letter_003


@pinax_collection -> contains -> @petition:document


@pinax_collection -> contains -> @citation:document


@pinax_collection -> parties -> [@hope_marks, @levi_marks]


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


@pinax_collection -> held by -> @new_haven_county_superior_court:organization


@pinax_collection -> related collection -> @hope_marks_divorce_petition_collection:collection


@date_1799 { }

Metadata

Title
Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks Divorce Case Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
Hope MarksLevi Marks
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1799
Language
en
Subjects
Divorce, Adultery, New Haven County Superior Court, Legal Documents, Marriage, 18th Century, African American History
Place
New Haven, Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v10 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:23:34 PM
    "Added description"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 3:00:48 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:43:09 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:17 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:16 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0R3MD1TJHVCG9EW0JQA3K"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:14 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM0R22D4FJ5C78D4H4HG1B7"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:19:08 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:18:57 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:50 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 grouped based on their content and context within the divorce case of Hope Marks vs. Levi Marks in 1799. The first group contains documents related to Hope Marks' petition for divorce, including the formal petition text and court resolution. The second group contains documents related to the court citation summoning Levi Marks. Each group includes both the original image files and their corresponding reference files in both JPEG and TIFF formats. The grouping reflects the two main document types in this legal proceeding.

## Groups Created

- **Divorce_Petition_HopeMarks_1799**: Documents related to Hope Marks' petition for divorce from Levi Marks in 1799, including the petition text and related court documents.
- **Court_Citation_LeviMarks_1799**: Documents related to the court citation summoning Levi Marks to appear in court regarding the divorce petition.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0E4WN250H1RKB10E89

Children (2)