RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Clinton_002.jpg

Sheriff Return Documents for Freeman P. Clinton Divorce Case

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:03 PM

Added description

Description

Sheriff Return Documents for Freeman P. Clinton Divorce Case (1859)

Overview

This collection comprises the sheriff’s return and associated scanned images documenting the service of notice for the divorce case of Freeman P. Clinton, held in Woodbridge, New Haven County, Connecticut, on December 8, 1859. The material includes a high‑resolution TIFF scan and a JPEG image of the original return, as well as an OCR‑derived text transcription. The collection is catalogued under the Connecticut State Library’s digitization program for New Haven County Superior Court files and is indexed in the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers subject field, indicating its relevance to Black, African American, and Indigenous legal history.

Background

The return was prepared by Sheriff David S. Bowen, a municipal officer in Woodbridge, and reflects the court’s procedural record for a divorce petition filed by John C. Clark against Freeman P. Clinton. The document illustrates the sheriff’s attempt to serve the defendant, noting that he could not locate Clinton and therefore left a copy of the petition at Clinton’s usual place of abode. The case was recorded in the New Haven County Superior Court, a repository that the Connecticut State Library has been systematically digitizing under the NHPRC grant to preserve 19th‑century legal documents.

Contents

  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSDivorceClinton002.tif – a 56‑MB TIFF scan of the original sheriff’s return.
  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSDivorceClinton002.jpg – a 286‑KB JPEG image of the same document.
  • OCR text extracted from the JPEG, reproducing the full content of the return, including the sheriff’s signature and the names of the parties.
  • Metadata linking the return to the divorce case event and to the NHSC BAAI subject index.

Scope

The collection covers a single legal event: the divorce proceeding between Freeman P. Clinton and John C. Clark, dated December 8, 1859, in Woodbridge, New Haven County, Connecticut. It includes only the sheriff’s return and its scanned representations; no additional court filings, transcripts, or related documents are present. The material is relevant to researchers of 19th‑century Connecticut legal history, divorce law, and the administrative practices of county sheriffs.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "Sheriff Return Documents for Freeman P. Clinton Divorce Case", creator: @david_s_bowen, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1859_12_08, subjects: ["Divorce","Legal Documents","Sheriff Returns","Woodbridge","New Haven County"]}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_002_jpg:file {type: "Image", description: "OCR of sheriff return document for Freeman P. Clinton divorce case"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_002_tif:file {type: "Image", description: "Scanned image of sheriff return document for Freeman P. Clinton divorce case"}

@david_s_bowen:person {full_name: "David S. Bowen", role: "Sheriff"}

@freeman_p_clinton:person {full_name: "Freeman P. Clinton", role: "Defendant"}

@john_c_clark:person {full_name: "John C. Clark", role: "Petitioner"}

@connecticut_state_library:organization {type: "State Library"}

@connecticut:place {country: @united_states}

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

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

@sheriff_return_document:document {title: "Sheriff Return for Freeman P. Clinton Divorce Case", date: @date_1859_12_08, creator: @david_s_bowen, location: @woodbridge}

@clinton_divorce_case:event {type: "Divorce", parties: [@freeman_p_clinton, @john_c_clark], date: @date_1859_12_08, location: @woodbridge}

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

@file_pinax -> contains -> @sheriff_return_document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_clinton_002_jpg -> depicts -> @sheriff_return_document

@sheriff_return_document -> about -> @clinton_divorce_case

@clinton_divorce_case -> indexed in -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

Metadata

Files (2)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Clinton_002.jpgJPEG
278.93 KB
OCR Text

New Haven County Woodbridge Dec 8, 1859 I have this day made diligent search for the within named Defendant, as whom to serve notice of this Petition, but could not find him. I therefore left at his usual place of abode in said town of Woodbridge, a true and attested copy of this Petition. Attest David S. Bowen Sheriff Freeman P. Clinton John C. Clark David S. Bowen Sheriff

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:03 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:36:07 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:07 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:26:53 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Sheriff_Return_Documents"

Parent

01KBKZX9NB5GKA7SMNZBBAK3JJ

No children (leaf entity)