Inquest Documents for Jack, a Negro Servant, 1774 Collection

Version: 9 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:25:02 PM

Added description

Description

Jack Inquest Collection (1774)

Overview

The Jack Inquest Collection is a digitized set of two high‑resolution TIFF scans that reproduce the original inquest record concerning the death of Jack, a Negro servant of William Johnson, dated 16 February 1774. The collection is housed by the Connecticut State Library and catalogued under the New Haven County Superior Court Files Project (NHSC) with a focus on Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) history. All materials are in the public domain and are available for research and educational use.

Background

In colonial Connecticut, an inquest was a formal legal proceeding to determine the cause of a death. The case of Jack, a servant in Wallingford, New Haven County, was examined by a jury of twelve local men. The Connecticut State Library’s NHSC project, funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, seeks to preserve and contextualize court documents that illuminate the experiences of African Americans and Indigenous peoples in the region. This collection is part of that broader effort, providing a primary source that illustrates the legal treatment of enslaved individuals in the 18th century.

Contents

  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsJack001.tif – a full‑page scan of the inquest record, including the jury list, evidence summary, and the verdict that Jack died accidentally.
  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsJack002.tif – a focused scan of the jury heading and verdict statement.
  • Metadata JSON – lists creators (John Austin, Abraham Jones, James Joyce, etc.), subjects (Inquest, Death investigation, African American history, Slavery, Legal documents), and provenance information.
  • OCR Text – extracted from the images, confirming the details of the inquest and verdict.

Scope

The collection documents the specific event of the 1774 inquest in Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut. It provides insight into colonial legal practices, slavery, and African American history through the lens of a single inquest. The collection does not include other court cases, docket entries, or ancillary records beyond this particular inquest.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@connecticut:place {country: @united_states}

@file_pinax:file {title: "Inquest Documents for Jack, a Negro Servant, 1774 Collection", type: "Collection", creator: [@john_austin, @abraham_jones, @james_joyce, @nathl_jones, @stephen_andrews, @hmos_rise, @jemmisah_carle, @nathl_carle, @stephen_gale, @aaron_cook, @thomas_mannin, @john_hull, @new_haven_county_superior_court], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1774_02_16, language: "en", subjects: ["Inquest","Death investigation","African American history","Slavery","Legal documents","New Haven County","Wallingford","Black, African American, and Indigenous History"], description: "Documents and high-resolution scans related to the inquest into the death of Jack, a Negro servant to Mr. William Johnson of Wallingford, New Haven County, in 1774. The jury of inquest found that Jack's death was accidental and not caused by malice.", rights: "Public Domain", place: [@wallingford_ct, @new_haven_county, @connecticut]}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @jack_inquest_collection

@file_pinax -> uses -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@john_austin -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@abraham_jones -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@james_joyce -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@nathl_jones -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@stephen_andrews -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@hmos_rise -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@jemmisah_carle -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@nathl_carle -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@stephen_gale -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@aaron_cook -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@thomas_mannin -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@john_hull -> served on jury of -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@jack_inquest_collection -> part of -> @new_haven_county_superior_court_files_project

@jack_inquest_collection -> about -> @black_african_american_and_indigenous_history

@new_haven_county_superior_court_files_project -> uses -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@jack_inquest_collection -> includes -> [@rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_001, @rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_002]

Metadata

Version History (9 versions)

  • ✓ v9 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:25:02 PM
    "Added description"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 3:05:21 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:44:16 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:15 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 2 groups"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:14 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM116KKRR0P939MG462XZYZ"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:12 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM11564C2ZDAW2TW56WTKTZ"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:22:18 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:45 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:31 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped into two primary categories: (1) The actual inquest documents (both JPEGs and their JSON metadata) containing the historical record of Jack's death investigation, and (2) The high-resolution TIFF preservation copies of those same documents. This maintains both the working/access copies and preservation copies while keeping related versions together by format and purpose.

## Groups Created

- **Inquest_Documents_Jack_1774**: Files related to the 1774 inquest into the death of Jack, a Black servant in Wallingford, CT. These documents include the jury's verdict and examination records.
- **High_Resolution_Scans_Jack_Inquest**: High-resolution TIFF scans of the original inquest documents for preservation purposes.

Parent

01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T

Children (2)