RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Knevel_010.jpg

New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Collection

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:38 PM

Added description

Description

New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Collection

Overview

This collection comprises the original legal documents of a divorce petition filed in 1792 by Joseph Thomas of Durham, Connecticut, against Hannah Howell (alias Hannah). The materials include the petition, a related citation, and ancillary affidavits, all preserved as high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF images. The collection is housed by the Connecticut State Library and is part of the New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) files focused on Black, African American, and Indigenous history (NHSC_BAAI).

Background

The petition was submitted on July 4, 1792, to the New Haven Superior Court, with the case recorded in Durham, Connecticut. The filing reflects 18th‑century legal practice in the state, where petitions were often accompanied by affidavits and delivered by constables. The case is notable for its reference to Hannah Howell’s pregnancy by Joseph Camp’s negro servant, illustrating the intersection of family law and race relations in colonial Connecticut.

Contents

  • Petition (RG003NHSCBAAIPSDivorceKnevel013) – The primary document requesting a divorce, signed by petitioner Joseph Thomas and signed by Dan Barnder, a signer.
  • Citation (RG003NHSCBAAIPSDivorceKnevel012) – A formal citation dated July 9, 1792, delivered by Constable Jeff John Johnson Jnr.
  • Supporting affidavits (RG003NHSCBAAIPSDivorceKnevel010 & 011) – Documents detailing the alleged pregnancy and marital circumstances, including statements about the alleged child’s paternity.
  • Metadata and OCR text – Digital transcriptions of the images, providing legible excerpts of the original Latin‑style script.
The collection is indexed under the NHSCBAAICases_Papers subject field, linking it to broader research on African American legal history in New Haven County.

Scope

The collection covers a single divorce case from 1792, situated in Durham and New Haven, Connecticut. It focuses on legal petitions, marriage dissolution, and related affidavits, with a particular emphasis on race‑related allegations. The materials are relevant to scholars of 18th‑century Connecticut law, African American history, and the legal treatment of interracial relationships. The collection does not include subsequent court rulings or later correspondence beyond the initial petition and citation.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@joseph_thomas:person {full_name: "Joseph Thomas", role: "Petitioner"}

@hannah_howell:person {full_name: "Hannah Howell", alias: "Hannah", role: "Respondent"}

@dan_barnder:person {full_name: "Dan Barnder", role: "Signer of petition"}

@jeff_johnson_jnr:person {full_name: "Jeff John Johnson Jnr", role: "Constable"}

@thos_thewell:person {full_name: "Thos Thewell", role: "Collector"}

@joseph_camp:person {full_name: "Joseph Camp", role: "Negro servant"}

@durham_ct:place {city: "Durham", state: "Connecticut", country: @united_states}

@new_haven_ct:place {city: "New Haven", state: "Connecticut", country: @united_states}

@new_haven_county:place {name: "New Haven County", state: "Connecticut", country: @united_states}

@new_haven_superior_court:organization {name: "New Haven County Superior Court", jurisdiction: @new_haven_county}

@nhsc_baai_cases_papers:concept {description: "New Haven County Superior Court Files – Black, African American, and Indigenous cases and papers"}

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

@divorce_petition_collection:document {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Petition Collection", creator: [@joseph_thomas, @hannah_howell], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1792_07_04, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce", "Marriage", "Legal Petitions", "18th Century Legal Documents", "New Haven County Court Records", "African American History"], place: [@durham_ct, @new_haven_ct]}

@divorce_petition_collection -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers

@divorce_petition_collection -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@petition_knevel:document {type: "Divorce Petition", petitioner: @joseph_thomas, respondent: @hannah_howell, filed_date: @date_1792_07_04, location_filed: @durham_ct, court: @new_haven_superior_court}

@citation_knevel:document {type: "Citation", related_to: @petition_knevel, date: @date_1792_07_09}

@allegation_pregnancy:concept {description: "Hannah Howell pregnant by the negro servant of Joseph Camp"}

@petition_knevel -> contains allegation -> @allegation_pregnancy

@petition_knevel -> signed by -> @dan_barnder

@petition_knevel -> delivered by -> @jeff_johnson_jnr {role: "Constable"}

@petition_knevel -> copied to -> @thos_thewell {role: "Collector"}

@hannah_howell -> pregnant by -> @joseph_camp

@file_pinax -> documents -> @divorce_petition_collection

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_013_jpg:file {type: "image", format: "jpg", related_document: @petition_knevel, ocr_text: "End Post—Therupon your O'ff hereby pray your Honours to grant & give a Bill of divorce ... Durham Sept 4th 1792"} 

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_010_jpg:file {type: "image", format: "jpg", related_document: @petition_knevel, ocr_text: "To the Hon. Superior Court to be held at New Haven ... That on the 25th day of Dec. A.D. 1791 Marriage with Hannah Lewis ... negro servant of Joseph Camp"} 

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_012_jpg:file {type: "image", format: "jpg", related_document: @citation_knevel, ocr_text: "New Haven County, (Darham July 9th, 1792) I then left a true and attested copy of the foregoing petition ... Jeff John Johnson Jnr Constable"} 

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_011_jpg:file {type: "image", format: "jpg", related_document: @petition_knevel, ocr_text: "confided herself as the wife of your T.B.W. ... child of T.Negs ... fraudulent Contract"} 

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_013_tif:file {type: "image", format: "tif", related_document: @petition_knevel}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_010_tif:file {type: "image", format: "tif", related_document: @petition_knevel}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_011_tif:file {type: "image", format: "tif", related_document: @petition_knevel}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_knevel_012_tif:file {type: "image", format: "tif", related_document: @citation_knevel}

Metadata

Files (8)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Knevel_010.jpgJPEG
487.05 KB
OCR Text

To the Hon. Superior Court to be held at New Haven within and for New Haven County on the first Tuesday of August next. The Petition of Joseph Thomas of Durham in S. County humbly sheweth— That on the 25th day of Dec. A.D. 1791 Marriage with Hannah Lewis of said Durham with whom your petitioner has flattered himself with the pleasing expectation of spending the remainder of his life in the enjoyment of conjugal bliss but to the great surprise of your petitioner in about six months after marriage his said wife was brought to bed of a child which was begotten on her body by the negro servant of Joseph Camp—and that is a very great aggravation to the feelings of your petitioner is that she in criminal connection with your petitioner & wife had with said negro was after your PETT and his & wife had plighted their most solemn vows of Marriage to each other and after that had engaged the tender affections of your PETT—and your PETT would further allege that at the time of the intermarriage of your PETT and his & wife he well knew she was pregnant by a negro yet he pretended that she

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Knevel_011.jpgJPEG
483.75 KB
OCR Text

confided herself as the wife of your T.B.W. in compliance of the Pleasur Words which they had agreed to each other and that she confided your T.B.W. as being her lawful Husband tho the Marriage ceremony had not been performed and that she has never had any unlawful connexion with any other man and that the child of which she supposed herself pregnant was the child of your T.B.W. - &T your T.B.W. in faith says that Hannah will know at the time of Intermarriage that the child of which she was then pregnant was not the child of your T.B.W. Child of T.Negs and she then said there by found an Obligie prevail upon & profess your T.B.W. to Mary Neg said Hannah and fair Marriage Contract was a fraudulent and dishonest contract and if it do avail as forgiveness in Law, and is just a fraudulent Contract as well in the eyes of a bill of Divorce agreed to as at entitled an Act relating to Bill of Divorce - and yours T.B.W. in faith says that fair Marriage Contract is agreeable to the provisions of Act altogether fraudulent

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Knevel_012.jpgJPEG
399.98 KB
OCR Text

New Haven County, (Darham July 9th, 1792) I then left a true and attested copy of the foregoing petition and citation with Hannah Thewell alias Hannah Dow, at her usual place of abode. Jeff John Johnson Jnr Constable of Darham for 9/0 Signed Thos Thewell Collector 1792

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Knevel_013.jpgJPEG
486.91 KB
OCR Text

End Post—Therupon your O'ff hereby pray your Honours to grant & give a Bill of divorce agreeable to the Act of our Law the way you shall think fit & so as in God's name shall ever pray. Durham Sept 4th 1792 To the Sheriff of the County of the Haven his Deputy or other Constable of the Durham in said County Greeting— By Authority of this State of Connecticut you are hereby required to summon Hannah Howell alias Hannah of Durham to appear at the first course of the Haven & Suffolk Courts to be holden at the Haven on the first Monday of September next and there to show reason if any she has why the prayer of the foregoing Pet. should not be granted and you are to have a true & authentic copy of the foregoing Petition together with this Statute & the R. Hannah as at her request plan of Abode at the twelve last Baptist quarterly days before the fall Tuesday of August next and fail not make the return dated at Durham the 4th day of July 1792 &c. This duty paid on certifying signed by Dan Barnder for Dan

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:38 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:38:06 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:26 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:27 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Divorce_Petition"

Parent

01KBKZYEVDDCW4V50QC3A3P0GX

No children (leaf entity)