RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Costs_Gaol_Breakers_001.jpg

Gaol Breakers Case Documents

Version: 5 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:58:45 PM

Manual edit to description.md

Description

Gaol Breakers Case Documents Collection

Overview

This is a digital collection of court documents from the New Haven County Superior Court concerning the 1709 “Gaol Breakers” case, a prison‑break investigation that took place in Derby, Connecticut. The collection comprises a bill of costs and examination records, both rendered as high‑resolution image files (JPEG and TIFF) with accompanying OCR text. It is catalogued by the Connecticut State Library and indexed under the NHSC_BAAI subject field for New Haven County Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals.

Background

The case arose in 1709 when an individual—identified in the records as a “Negro”—was examined for alleged involvement in a prison break. The proceedings were overseen by the New Haven County Superior Court and recorded in Derby. The documents were originally produced in English and were digitized as part of the Connecticut State Library’s New Haven County court project, which aims to preserve and make accessible early colonial legal records.

Contents

  • Bill of Costs – A detailed account of legal expenses incurred in the case, listing the names of examiners John Riggs and Riggs Esq'r, as well as Jos Trobridge and Jos Weed.
  • Examination Records – Transcripts of the examinations conducted before the court, including testimony concerning the “Negro” and the alleged prison break.
  • Metadata – Descriptive fields indicating the case title, subjects (Gaol Breakers, Legal Costs, Examinations, Prison Breaks), and provenance (New Haven County Superior Court, Connecticut State Library).

Scope

The collection covers the specific legal documentation related to the 1709 Gaol Breakers case. It includes only the bill of costs and examination records, not the full case file or ancillary documents such as indictments or court orders. Geographically, it is confined to Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut. The material focuses on legal procedures, cost accounting, and the examination of a Black individual implicated in a prison break, reflecting the broader historical context of early colonial criminal justice.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "Gaol Breakers Case Documents", type: "Metadata (PINAX)", created: @date_1709, language: "en"}

@gaol_breakers_collection:document {title: "Gaol Breakers Case Documents", creator: @new_haven_county_superior_court, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1709, description: "Collection of documents related to the Gaol Breakers case, including a bill of costs and examination records from the New Haven County Superior Court.", place: [@derby, @new_haven_county]}

@file_pinax -> describes -> @gaol_breakers_collection

@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {full_name: "New Haven County Superior Court"}

@connecticut_state_library:organization {full_name: "Connecticut State Library"}

@derby:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}

@new_haven_county:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}

@gaol_breakers_case:event {title: "Gaol Breakers", description: "Legal case concerning a prison break in Derby, New Haven County, 1709."}

@gaol_breakers_collection -> includes -> @gaol_breakers_case

@bill_of_costs:document {title: "Bill of Costs against Gaol Breakers", type: "Bill of Costs", related_case: @gaol_breakers_case}

@examination_record:document {title: "Examination Records", type: "Examination", related_case: @gaol_breakers_case}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_costs_gaol_breakers_001_jpg:file {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Costs_Gaol_Breakers_001.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_costs_gaol_breakers_001_jpg -> contains -> @bill_of_costs

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_costs_gaol_breakers_001_jpg -> contains -> @examination_record

@john_riggs:person {full_name: "John Riggs", role: "Examiner"}

@riggs_esqr:person {full_name: "Riggs Esq'r", role: "Examiner"}

@jos_trobridge:person {full_name: "Jos Trobridge"}

@jos_weed:person {full_name: "Jos Weed"}

@negro:concept {description: "Reference to an African American individual examined in the case"}

@bill_of_costs -> mentions -> [@john_riggs, @riggs_esqr, @jos_trobridge, @jos_weed, @negro]

@examination_record -> mentions -> [@john_riggs, @riggs_esqr, @negro]

@gaol_breakers_collection -> subject -> [@gaol_breakers:concept, @legal_costs:concept, @examinations:concept, @john_riggs:concept, @jos_trobridge:concept, @jos_weed:concept, @negro:concept, @prison_breaks:concept]

@gaol_breakers:concept {label: "Gaol Breakers"}

@legal_costs:concept {label: "Legal Costs"}

@examinations:concept {label: "Examinations"}

@prison_breaks:concept {label: "Prison Breaks"}

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {label: "NHSC_BAAI_Cases_Papers_Subject", description: "Subject-index field for New Haven County Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals."}

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject -> indexes -> @gaol_breakers_collection

Metadata

Files (2)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Costs_Gaol_Breakers_001.jpgJPEG
207.13 KB
OCR Text

Bill of Cost against Goal Breakers. Examinations before John Riggs Senr & Riggs Esq'r Court Held at Derby Examining ye Negro concerning his Breaking of Goal. Examining of Jos Trobridge & Jos Weed 0 = 16 - 0 1 = 09 = 0 2, 0, 0

Version History (5 versions)

  • ✓ v5 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:58:45 PM
    "Manual edit to description.md"
  • v4 · 12/4/2025, 3:13:00 PM · View this version
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:28:09 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:36:19 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:24:03 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Gaol_Breakers_Case_Documents"

Parent

01KBKZX7EJKV6TE0VAA40AZCS0

No children (leaf entity)