RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_MarksHopeLevi_002.jpg

Hope Marks vs. Lewi Marks Divorce Case, 1799

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:58 PM

Added description

Description

Hope Marks vs. Lewi Marks Divorce Case, 1799

Overview

This is a digital collection of primary legal documents from a 1799 divorce proceeding between Hope Marks and Lewi Marks in Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut. The collection comprises a petition for divorce, a court citation, and related images (JPEG and TIFF scans) of the original documents. It is housed by the Connecticut State Library and is part of the New Haven Superior Court Files, indexed under the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject field for Black, African American, and Indigenous cases.

Background

The case was filed on June 26, 1799, and was heard by the New Haven Superior Court. The petition was signed by Hope Marks (age 34) and the citation was issued by Justice Sam Woodruff, with attestation by Constable Ambrose Cooks. The documents reflect the legal procedures of late‑18th‑century Connecticut and illustrate the court’s handling of divorce petitions involving African American individuals, a topic of particular interest to the state’s Black, African American, and Indigenous History project.

Contents

  • Petition for Divorce – a written request by Hope Marks, dated June 26, 1799, asserting grounds for dissolution of marriage.
  • Citation – a summons directed to Lewi Marks, commanding his appearance before the Superior Court on the last Tuesday of July 1799.
  • Images – two sets of scanned images (JPEG and TIFF) of the petition and citation, including marginalia and signatures.
  • Metadata – descriptive fields such as parties, date, place, and subject headings (Divorce, Legal Documents, African American History).
  • Indexing – the collection is linked to the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject concept, indicating its relevance to the broader BAAI archival initiative.

Scope

The collection covers a single legal proceeding in 1799, situated in Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut. It documents the procedural steps of a divorce case involving African American parties, offering insight into early legal practices and social history. The collection does not include ancillary court records (e.g., transcripts, judgments) beyond the petition and citation, nor does it contain personal correspondence or other unrelated documents. It is intended for researchers interested in legal history, African American heritage, and the evolution of divorce law in colonial and early post‑colonial Connecticut.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case:document {source: "PINAX", created: @date_1799_06_26, title: "Hope Marks vs. Lewi Marks Divorce Case, 1799"}

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case:document {title: "Hope Marks vs. Lewi Marks Divorce Case, 1799", date: @date_1799_06_26, location: @wallingford, county: @new_haven_county, subjects: ["Divorce", "Legal Documents", "African American History"]}

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

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

@hope_marks:person {full_name: "Hope Marks"}

@lewi_marks:person {full_name: "Lewi Marks"}

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case -> parties -> [@hope_marks, @lewi_marks]

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case -> part of -> @new_haven_superior_court_files:collection

@new_haven_superior_court_files:collection {description: "New Haven County Superior Court Files (NHSC)"} 

@new_haven_superior_court:organization {type: "Superior Court", jurisdiction: @new_haven_county}

@new_haven_superior_court_files -> held by -> @new_haven_superior_court

@petition:document {type: "Petition for divorce", date: @date_1799_06_26, parties: [@hope_marks, @lewi_marks]}

@citation:document {type: "Citation", date: @date_1799_06_26, addressed_to: @sheriff_new_haven_county, command: "Summon Lew Marks to appear before the Honorable Superior Court"}

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case -> includes -> @petition:document

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case -> includes -> @citation:document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_markshopelevi_002_jpg -> depicts -> @petition:document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_markshopelevi_004_jpg -> depicts -> @citation:document

@ambrose_cooks:person {role: "Constable"}

@sam_woodruff:person {role: "Justice", title: "Just."}

@sam_woodruff -> signed -> @citation:document

@ambrose_cooks -> attested -> @citation:document

@sheriff_new_haven_county:person {role: "Sheriff of New Haven County"}

@citation -> addressed to -> @sheriff_new_haven_county

@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"}

@hope_marks_vs_lewi_marks_divorce_case -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_markshopelevi_002_jpg -> metadata -> {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_MarksHopeLevi_002.jpg.ref.json"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_markshopelevi_004_jpg -> metadata -> {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_MarksHopeLevi_004.jpg.ref.json"}

Metadata

Files (4)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_MarksHopeLevi_002.jpgJPEG
373.37 KB
OCR Text

Wallingford June 26th 1799 then I heard this Petition & Citation in the hearing of the within named Lewi Markhs attest Ambrose Cooks, Constable Thos O' 75 Hope Markhs vs - Lewi Markhs Petit. for divorce Hope Markhs 34, Lewi Markhs Petition for divorce High's court 1799 July 4 grand D. 23

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_MarksHopeLevi_004.jpgJPEG
334.26 KB
OCR Text

To the Sheriff of New Haven County, his Deputy or other constable of Wallingford in said County—Greeting. By authority of the State of Connecticut you are commanded to summon Lew Marks of said Wallingford to appear before the Honble Supr. Court to be held at New Haven within and for said County on the last Tuesday of July next there & there to show reason if any he have why the prayer of the before going Petition should not be granted—which Petition you are to read in his hearing as also this Citation or to leave a true & attested Copy thereof at his usual place of abode—Whereof fail not but make due return. Dated in Wallingford this 26th day of June D 1799— State duty of one Dollar is paid herein Sam' Woodruff Just. Peace

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:58 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:39:38 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:35 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:15 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Court_Citation_LeviMarks_1799"

Parent

01KBKZY6XMY35DXSQHZ4SRFE37

No children (leaf entity)