Mary Will (Mary Cams) Inquest Case Collection

Version: 11 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:25:45 PM

Added description

Description

Mary Will (Mary Cams) Inquest and Jury Documents Collection, 1763

Overview

This collection is a digitized assemblage of primary legal documents from February 1763 that record the inquest into the death of Mary Will—also known as Mary Cams or Mary Hill—an Indigenous woman found dead in the township of Derby or Milford, Connecticut. It includes the original inquest record, a summons to the sheriff, a jury summons return, and accompanying high‑resolution scans (JPEG and TIFF) and OCR‑derived text files. The materials are housed by the Connecticut State Library and are indexed in the New Haven County Superior Court project’s “Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI)” subject database.

Background

During the mid‑18th century, New Haven County courts routinely convened inquests to investigate deaths that raised legal or moral questions. Justice of the Peace Charles French drafted the summons to compel a jury of twelve “able and discreet men” to examine Mary Will’s death, directing the jury to meet at the Old Tullingmill in Derby or the Indian Fields in Milford. The summons was issued to the Sheriff of New Haven County, and a subsequent jury summons return was prepared by Captain Oliver Curtis, Sheriff’s Deputy. The case illustrates early colonial legal procedures concerning Native American persons and the use of jury inquests.

Contents

  • Inquest Record (1763‑02‑04) – the original paper document signed by thirteen local officials.
  • Summons (1763‑02‑24) – handwritten notice issued by Charles French to the sheriff.
  • Jury Summons Return (1763‑02‑05) – list of twelve jurors summoned from Derby, Ipswich, and Milford.
  • Digital Reproductions – high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF images of each document, with embedded OCR text for searchability.
  • Metadata – JSON files detailing creator, institution, subjects, place, and provenance, linking the collection to the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers Subject index.

Scope

The collection focuses exclusively on the 1763 legal proceedings surrounding Mary Will’s death. It is geographically limited to Derby, Milford, and the broader New Haven County, Connecticut, and temporally confined to February 1763. The materials are in English and pertain to legal documentation, Native American history, and colonial inquest practices. The collection does not include subsequent trial records, transcripts, or other court proceedings beyond the summons and jury return.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @mary_will_inquest_collection

@mary_will_inquest_collection:collection {date_range: {start: @date_1763_02_04, end: @date_1763_02_24}}

@mary_will_inquest_collection -> creators -> [@charles_french, @oliver_curtis, @james_wheter, @joseph_smith, @abraham_peirce, @joseph_johnson, @jonathan_hitchcock, @emos_bradley, @nicholas_johnson, @abraham_smith, @noah_brown, @samuel_talcott, @william_burritt, @james_beare, @derby_jury]

@summoning_of_jury:concept {definition: "Legal notice summoning a jury to convene for an inquest or trial"}

@jury_returns:concept {definition: "Document recording the outcome and decisions of a jury"}

@native_american_history:concept {definition: "Historical study of Native American peoples and events"}

@death_investigation:concept {definition: "Legal inquiry into the circumstances of a death"}

@mary_will_inquest_collection -> subjects -> [@inquest, @summoning_of_jury, @jury_summons, @jury_returns, @legal_documents, @native_american_history, @indigenous_people, @death_investigation, @new_haven_county, @derby, @milford, @indian_fields, @eighteenth_century]

@mary_will_inquest_collection -> places -> [@derby, @milford, @new_haven_county, @ipswich]

@mary_will_inquest_collection -> indexed in -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@mary_hill_inquest -> related_to -> @mary_will_inquest_collection

@oliver_curtis -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@charles_french -> co_creator -> @oliver_curtis

@james_wheter -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@joseph_johnson -> co_creator -> @oliver_curtis

@jonathan_hitchcock -> co_creator -> @oliver_curtis

@abraham_smith -> co_creator -> @oliver_curtis

@joseph_smith -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@abraham_peirce -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@emos_bradley -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@nicholas_johnson -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@noah_brown -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@samuel_talcott -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@william_burritt -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@james_beare -> co_creator -> @charles_french

@derby_jury -> co_creator -> @charles_french

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v11 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:25:45 PM
    "Added description"
  • v10 · 12/4/2025, 3:07:00 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v9 · 12/4/2025, 6:45:06 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v8 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:15 AM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 4 groups"
  • v7 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:13 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM14VB1BTPXQTHJ3D0QA8A3"
  • v6 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:12 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM14T0D8CQNMTQ6RTN1C8D1"
  • v5 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:11 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM14RKJZTS22PW7WH599J7P"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:09 AM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KBM14QAJ3KE8PM3MY4H1PZ1G"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 6:23:15 AM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 4 files"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:14:50 AM · View this version
    "Set parent to 01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were grouped chronologically by their role in the legal process of the inquest into Mary Will/Cam's death. Each group represents a distinct stage in the proceedings: (1) the initial writ summoning the jury, (2) the sheriff's return confirming jury summons, (3) the jury's verdict, and (4) the official return document. Each original document and its corresponding reference/alternate format files were kept together in these groupings.

## Groups Created

- **Inquest_Writ_Summoning_Jury**: Documents related to the initial writ summoning a jury for the inquest into Mary Will/Cam's death
- **Jury_Summons_Return**: Documents showing the sheriff's return confirming jury summons and associated costs
- **Jury_Verdict**: Documents containing the jury's final verdict on Mary Will/Cam's death
- **Jury_Return_Document**: The official return document summarizing the inquest

Parent

01KBKZYT0EP3B3FKJHAY6X008T

Children (4)