Inquest Documents Collection for Unnamed Black Man Found Drowned in Milford, 1771

Version: 10 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:25:32 PM

Added description

Description

Inquest Documents Collection for Unnamed Black Man Found Drowned in Milford, 1771

Overview

This collection is the digitized record of the 1771 inquest into the death of an unnamed Black man found drowned at Pond Point in Milford, Connecticut. It contains two primary images—a scanned JPEG and a high‑resolution TIFF—of the jury’s certification and return, both dated October 31, 1771. The materials are held by the Connecticut State Library and are part of the New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) archival project, which indexes court documents involving African American and Indigenous individuals.

Background

Milford was a small colonial community within New Haven County. The inquest was convened under the authority of the county court to determine the circumstances of the man’s death. The jury was chaired by John Merrin, with twelve other jurors: Jonas Green, Bergy Greene, Bory Bull, Joseph Bryan, Grace Smith, Ann Tomlinson, Wm. Con, Miles Merrin, Fitch Welch, Daniel Purn, and William Scott. The case was certified to David Ingersoll, the county clerk. The collection reflects the legal procedures of the time and provides insight into how colonial courts handled deaths of enslaved or free Black individuals.

Contents

  • Jury Certification (JPEG & TIFF) – The text reads: “We the subscribers being summoned as a Jury of Inquest… found & judge that he was Casually drowned.” It lists the jurors’ names and the date of certification.
  • Return (JPEG & TIFF) – The OCR text confirms the location (“Pond Point”) and the date, and records the jurors’ sworn statements.
  • Metadata – Includes creator names, institution, language, subjects (inquest, death investigation, drowning, African American history, Milford history), and place information.

Scope

The collection covers a single event: the inquest held on October 31, 1771, in Milford, New Haven County. It documents the legal process surrounding the death of an unnamed Black man and includes only the jury’s certification and return. The materials are relevant to scholars of colonial Connecticut, African American history, and legal history, but do not contain additional case files, witness statements, or subsequent court proceedings.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {type: "Metadata (PINAX)", title: "Inquest Documents Collection for Unnamed Black Man Found Drowned in Milford, 1771", creator: [@john_merrin, @jonas_green, @berg_y_greene, @bory_bull, @joseph_bryan, @grace_smith, @ann_tomlinson, @wm_con, @miles_merrin, @fitch_welch, @daniel_purn, @william_scott, @new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest, @lucy_ingram], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1771_10_31, language: "en", subjects: [@inquest, @death_investigation, @drowning, @african_american_history, @milford_history, @legal_documents, @unknown_black_man, @negro], description: "Collection of documents related to the inquest of an unnamed Black man found drowned in Milford, Connecticut in 1771. Includes the jury's findings, certification, and related legal documents.", place: [@milford, @new_haven_county]}

@file_pinax -> metadata for -> [@unnamed_man_inquest, @inquest_jury_list_1771, @inquest_return_collection]

@bergy_greene:person {full_name: "Bergy Greene"} 

@berg_y_greene:person {full_name: "Bergy Greene", role: "juror"}

@bergy_greene -> same as -> @berg_y_greene

@unknown_black_man:person {status: "deceased", race: "African American"}

@unnamed_negro_man:person {description: "Unnamed Black man who drowned at Pond Point, Milford in 1771"}

@unnamed_negro:person {description: "Unnamed Negro man referenced in a 1771 inquest in Milford"}

@unknown_black_man -> same as -> @unnamed_negro_man

@unknown_black_man -> same as -> @unnamed_negro

@certification_document:document {title: "Jury of Inquest Certification", date: @date_1771_10_31, subject: @drowning}

@inquest_document:document {type: "court record", content: "We the subscribers being summoned as a Jury of Inquest, and duly sworn, to enquire how a Negro Man found dead in Milford at a Place called Pond Point (his Name unknown) came to his Death, do find & judge that he was Casually drowned. Certified for Dated at Milford Octob: 31: 1771. New Haven County of Milford Oct' 31 - 1771 Be it remembered that the above Jury of Inquest as their Names subscribed were duly sworn according to law, and return the above order to me David Ingersoll his Office."}

@certification_document -> part of -> @inquest_document

@inquest_return_document:document {title: "Return Unknown Negro Milford 1771", creator: @lucy_ingram, date: @date_1771, location: @milford}

@inquest_return_document -> related to -> @certification_document

@inquest_return_document -> indexed by -> @subject_field

@david_ingersoll:person {full_name: "David Ingersoll", role: "clerk"}

@david_ingersoll -> clerk for -> @inquest_document

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest:organization {full_name: "New Haven County Jury of Inquest", jurisdiction: @new_haven_county}

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @john_merrin

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @jonas_green

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @berg_y_greene

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @bory_bull

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @joseph_bryan

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @grace_smith

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @ann_tomlinson

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @wm_con

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @miles_merrin

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @fitch_welch

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @daniel_purn

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> member -> @william_scott

@new_haven_county_jury_of_inquest -> created -> @inquest_jury_list_1771

@jury_of_inquest:event {date: @date_1771_10_31, location: @milford}

@jury_of_inquest -> had member -> [@john_merrin, @jonas_green, @bergy_greene, @bory_bull, @joseph_bryan, @grace_smith, @ann_tomlinson, @wm_con, @miles_merrin, @fitch_welch, @daniel_purn, @william_scott]

@jury_of_inquest -> produced -> @certification_document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_001_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_001_jpg -> depicts -> @inquest_document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_002_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_002_jpg -> depicts -> @inquest_return_document

@legal_documents:concept {full_name: "Legal documents"}

@subject_field:concept {name: "Subject", description: "Controlled terms or subject phrases assigned to each case/paper"}

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

@unnamed_man_inquest -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@inquest_jury_list_1771 -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@inquest_return_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v10 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:25:32 PM
    "Added description"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 3:07:00 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:44:49 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:45 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 3 groups"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:43 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13Y783A3AWGK93PHETVXY"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:42 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13WXR604Q1EDB4NK154V0"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:41 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13VN5E4TB4WMB35W9R472"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:23:00 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 2 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:50 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

The files were grouped based on their content and relationship to the 1771 inquest into the death of an unnamed Black man in Milford, CT. The primary grouping is by document type (full inquest documents, jury list, and return document), with all reference files kept with their corresponding original files. This maintains the contextual relationship between documents while allowing for specific sub-groupings when needed.

## Groups Created

- **Inquest_Documents_UnnamedMan_1771**: Files related to the 1771 inquest into the death of an unnamed Black man in Milford, CT. Includes both the original documents and their reference files.
- **Inquest_Jury_List_1771**: Files containing the list of jurors sworn for the 1771 inquest into the unnamed Black man's death.
- **Inquest_Return_Document_1771**: Files containing the 'Return' document related to Lucy Ingram and the 1771 inquest.

Parent

01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T

Children (3)