New Haven County Superior Court Inquest Records for Indigenous Individuals

Version: 10 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:25:33 PM

Added description

Description

New Haven County Superior Court Inquest Records for Indigenous Individuals

Overview

This collection comprises digitized inquest records from the New Haven County Superior Court that investigate the deaths of Indigenous individuals in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The files include the 1771 inquest of Joseph Limon, the 1773 inquest of Joseph Simon, and the 1801 inquest of the same Joseph Simon. Each record is preserved in high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF formats and accompanied by metadata that identifies the case, participants, and subject headings. The collection is housed by the Connecticut State Library and is part of the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers Subject database, which indexes court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous peoples.

Background

The inquests were convened by the New Haven Superior Court to determine the circumstances of the deaths of Indigenous men found in Guilford, Connecticut. The proceedings were recorded by court clerks such as Josiah Migges and by the juries that served in each case. The collection reflects early colonial legal practices and the judicial treatment of Indigenous peoples within Connecticut’s jurisdiction. It also illustrates the library’s broader Black, African American, and Indigenous History (BAAI) project, which seeks to make accessible court records that illuminate the experiences of marginalized groups.

Contents

  • Original Inquest Documents – transcripts, returns, and verdicts for the 1771, 1773, and 1801 cases.
  • Digital Reproductions – JPEG and TIFF images of each document, suitable for viewing and archival preservation.
  • Metadata – includes creation dates, creators, institution, language, and subject terms such as Inquest, Death investigation, Indigenous people, Alcohol intoxication, and New Haven County.
  • Juror Lists – names of the twelve jurors and clerks involved in each inquiry.

Scope

The collection covers three discrete legal events that occurred between 1771 and 1801 in Guilford and New Haven, Connecticut. It is limited to the primary inquest documents and their digital copies; no subsequent legal actions, personal correspondence, or broader court records are included. The materials are valuable for researchers of colonial legal history, Indigenous studies, and the early judicial record‑keeping practices of New Haven County.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {filename: "pinax.json"}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @joseph_simon_inquest_collection

@file_pinax -> documents -> @joseph_limon_inquest_collection

@file_pinax -> created by -> [@new_haven_county_superior_court, @josiah_migges, @simon_jury_of_inquest]

@file_pinax -> institution -> @connecticut_state_library

@file_pinax -> created {start: @date_1771_08, end: @date_1801_04_01}

@file_pinax -> language -> "en"

@file_pinax -> subjects -> ["Inquest","Death investigation","Indigenous people","Native American history","Legal documents","Alcohol intoxication","Guilford","New Haven County"]

@file_pinax -> about place -> [@guilford, @new_haven, @new_haven_county]

@joseph_simon -> appears in -> @joseph_simon_inquest_collection

@joseph_limon -> appears in -> @joseph_limon_inquest_collection

@joseph_simon_inquest_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@joseph_limon_inquest_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@new_haven_county_superior_court -> part of -> @baai_project

@baai_project -> focuses on -> [@indigenous_people, @black_people, @african_american]

@inquest_1801_04_01:event -> related collection -> @joseph_simon_inquest_collection

@inquest_document -> related collection -> @joseph_limon_inquest_collection

@joseph_simon_inquest_collection -> shares court -> @new_haven_county_superior_court

@joseph_limon_inquest_collection -> shares court -> @new_haven_county_superior_court

@joseph_simon_inquest_collection -> shares library -> @connecticut_state_library

@joseph_limon_inquest_collection -> shares library -> @connecticut_state_library

@joseph_simon_inquest_collection -> shares subject index -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@joseph_limon_inquest_collection -> shares subject index -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@file_pinax -> aggregates -> @indigenous_inquest_records:collection {title: "Indigenous Inquest Records", description: "Aggregated collection of inquest records for Indigenous individuals from New Haven County Superior Court, including Joseph Simon and Joseph Limon.", created: @date_1771_08, institution: @connecticut_state_library, subjects: ["Indigenous people","Inquest","Legal documents"]}

Metadata

Title
New Haven County Superior Court Inquest Records for Indigenous Individuals
Type
Collection
Creator
New Haven County Superior CourtJosiah MiggesSimon, Jury of Inquest
Institution
Connecticut State Library
Created
1771-08/1801-04-01
Language
en
Subjects
Inquest, Death investigation, Indigenous people, Native American history, Legal documents, Alcohol intoxication, Guilford, New Haven County
Place
Guilford, Connecticut, New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v10 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:25:33 PM
    "Added description"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 3:05:27 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:44:48 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:34 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 3 groups"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:33 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13KP0S7FTKQG3RAAC9VSE"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:31 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13JC88YJGK9QH745HQ82Z"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:29 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM13G7FCX7M5SRG5XGTV0HM"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:22:45 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 3 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:50 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:34 AM · View this version
    "Initial snapshot"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were grouped chronologically by event (1771, 1773, and 1801 inquests) based on both filename patterns and OCR content analysis. Each group pairs the JPEG reference file with its corresponding TIFF master. The 1771 documents show a name variation (Limon/Simon) but clearly reference the same case. No ungrouped files remain as all were matched to their respective inquest events.

## Groups Created

- **Joseph_Simon_Inquest_1801**: Documents related to the inquest into the death of Joseph Simon (Indian man) in April 1801, including jury findings.
- **Joseph_Simon_Inquest_1773**: Documents related to the 1773 Superior Court submission regarding Joseph Simon's death, including Josiah Migges' letter.
- **Joseph_Limon_Inquest_1771**: Documents referencing Joseph Limon (likely same individual as Joseph Simon) from 1771 Guilford inquest.

Parent

↑ 01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T

Children (3)