New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Documents
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:02 PM
Added description
Description
New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Documents Collection
Overview
This collection comprises the complete set of documents related to a 1859 divorce petition filed in the New Haven County Superior Court. The materials include the original petition, court notices, and the judge’s order, all preserved in both photographic (JPEG) and archival (TIFF) formats. The collection is catalogued by the Connecticut State Library and is part of the New Haven County court records series.Background
The petition was submitted by Sarah Clinton of Woodbridge, New Haven County, against her husband, Freeman Clinton. The case was processed on December 3, 1859, under the jurisdiction of the New Haven Superior Court. The petition was drafted by attorney Milson P. Clark and was overseen by Justice of the Peace Milson M. Clark. The documents reflect the legal procedures of mid‑19th‑century Connecticut, including the requirement for a sheriff’s notice and publication of the court order in a local newspaper.Contents
- Petition for Divorce (1859‑12‑03) – A formal statement of grounds for divorce, alleging desertion, adultery, intemperance, and cruelty. The petition lists the petitioner’s three minor children, Charles Wilson and Lawrence Willey Clinton.
- Sheriff’s Notice – Instructions to summon Freeman Clinton to appear before the court.
- Court Order of Notice – Publication details and legal directives for serving the respondent.
- Photographic Records – A high‑resolution JPEG and a TIFF scan of the original petition, preserving the handwritten signatures, dates, and legal formatting.
- Metadata – PINAX JSON metadata detailing creator names, subjects, place, and institutional provenance.
Scope
The collection focuses exclusively on the 1859 divorce petition of Sarah Clinton. It covers the legal narrative of the case, the procedural steps taken by the court, and the social context of marital dissolution in 19th‑century New Haven County. The collection does not include other divorce petitions, unrelated court filings, or subsequent proceedings beyond the initial order. It is a valuable resource for researchers studying family law, gender relations, and local legal history during this period.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@new_haven_county_superior_court_divorce_petition_documents:collection {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Documents", creator: [@sarah_clinton, @freeman_clinton], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1859_12_03, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce","Legal documents","Marriage","Adultery","Domestic relations","New Haven County","Woodbridge"], description: "Collection of divorce petition documents from the New Haven County Superior Court, including a petition for divorce filed by Sarah Clinton against Freeman Clinton in 1859.", place: [@new_haven, @woodbridge, @new_haven_county]}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {type: "State Library"}
@new_haven:place {}
@woodbridge:place {}
@new_haven_county:place {}
@sarah_clinton:person {role: "Petitioner"}
@freeman_clinton:person {role: "Respondent"}
@milson_p_clark:person {full_name: "Milson P. Clark", role: "Attorney"}
@milson_m_clark:person {full_name: "Milson M. Clark", role: "Justice of the Peace"}
@new_haven_superior_court:organization {type: "Superior Court", location: @new_haven, jurisdiction: @new_haven_county}
@charles_wilson:person {}
@lawrence_willey_clinton:person {}
@divorce_petition_clinton:document {title: "Petition for Divorce", petitioner: @sarah_clinton, respondent: @freeman_clinton, date_filed: @date_1859_12_03, location_filed: @new_haven, allegations: ["desertion","adultery","intemperance","cruelty"], children: [@charles_wilson, @lawrence_willey_clinton]}
@file_pinax:file {type: "metadata", format: "PINAX"}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @new_haven_county_superior_court_divorce_petition_documents
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_001_jpg:file {type: "image", format: "jpg"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_001_jpg -> depicts -> @divorce_petition_clinton
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_001_tif:file {type: "image", format: "tif"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_001_tif -> depicts -> @divorce_petition_clinton
@divorce_petition_clinton -> filed in -> @new_haven_superior_court
@divorce_petition_clinton -> signed by -> @sarah_clinton
@divorce_petition_clinton -> represented by -> @milson_p_clark
@divorce_petition_clinton -> ordered by -> @milson_m_clark
@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject-index field for New Haven County Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals"}Metadata
Files (2)
OCR Text
Petition for Divorce. Sold by Geo. B. Bassett & Co., 115 Chapel st, New Haven. To the Hon. Superior Court, to be held at New Haven, in and for New Haven County, on the 3d Tuesday of December A.D. 1859 The Petition of Sarah Clinton of the Town of Woodbridge in New Haven County, humbly showeth, that on or about the 12th day of July 1836 your petitioner was lawfully married to Freeman Clinton of said town with whom your petitioner lived in the performance of all the duties of the marriage covenant on her part to be performed, until on or about the first day of June A.D. 1854 when the said Respondent willfully deserted your petitioner, and has continued his said desertion with total neglect of all the duties of the marriage covenant on his part to be performed, from thence hitherto, and for a period of more than three years last past. And your petitioner further shows that the said Respondent has at divers times during said period committed adultery with and with divers others lewd persons to your petitioner unknown. And your petitioner further shows that the said Respondent for a period of a more than 3 year last past has been and now is habitually intemperate. And your petitioner further shows that the said Respondent for a period of more than 3 years last past has been continually guilty of intolerable cruelty towards the petitioner. And your petitioner further shows that the said Respondent for a period of more than 3 years last past has been guilty of such misconduct as permanently destroys the happiness of the petitioner, and defeats the purposes of the marriage relation. And your petitioner further shows that she has three minor children, the issue of said marriage, viz. Charles Wilson and Lawrence Willey Clinton. Wherefore your petitioner prays the Court to inquire into the truth of the allegation aforesaid, and on finding them true, to grant her a divorce, and award the charge and custody of said minor children to your petitioner, and order and decree that your petitioner's name be changed to that of pursuant to the statute in such cases provided. Dated at New Haven this 3d day of December A.D. 1859 Sarah Clinton By her atty Milson P. Clark To the Sheriff of New Haven County, his Deputy, or either Constable of Woodbridge in said County—Greeting. BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, you are hereby commanded to summon said Freeman F. Clinton to appear before the Superior Court to be held at New Haven in and for New Haven County, on the 3d Tuesday of December A.D. 1859; then and there to show cause if any he should not be granted. Hereof fail not, &c. Dated at New Haven this 3d day of December A.D. 1859 Milson M. Clark Justice of the Peace. ORDER OF NOTICE. State of Connecticut, ss. NEW HAVEN COUNTY, A.D. 18 Upon the Petition of the said praying for reasons therein set forth for a divorce, now pending before the Superior Court in and for New Haven County, to be held on the Tuesday of A.D. 18 It appearing to, and being found by, the subscribing authority, that the said respondent is residing in and absent from this State—gone to parts unknown Therefore, ordered, that notice of the pendency of said petition be given by publishing this order in the a newspaper printed in weeks successively, commencing on or before the day of A.D. 18 by leaving a copy of said petition, citation, and order of notice, with the respondent on or before the day of A.D. 18 , by depositing a copy of said petition, citation, and order of notice, directed to said respondent, at on or before the day of A.D. 18 Clerk of the Superior Court for New Haven County.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:02 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:36:02 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:08 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:51 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Divorce_Petition_Documents"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)