New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Case Witness Depositions
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:38 PM
Added description
Description
Knevel Divorce Depositions Collection
Overview
The Knevel Divorce Depositions Collection is a digitized set of witness depositions from a 1792 divorce proceeding in the New Haven County Superior Court. The collection comprises four scanned depositions (dated July 2, July 24, July 29, and July 24 1792) and their corresponding OCR‑extracted texts. It is part of the Connecticut State Library’s New Haven County Superior Court files, catalogued under the NHSC BAAI Cases Papers subject index.Background
In 1792, Hannah Knevel (also recorded as Hannah Lois, Hannah Howel, Hannah Throel, Hannah Lau, and Hannah Lops) was sued for divorce by her husband, Joseph Camp. The case alleged an interracial relationship between Knevel and an enslaved man named Jubal. The court required testimony from several witnesses residing in Durham, New Haven County. The depositions were recorded by court clerks Dan Parmelee and Dan Mowbray and later digitized by the Connecticut State Library as part of its New Haven County court records project.Contents
- Deposition 004 – Sarah Camp (Durham), July 2 1792, describing a nighttime encounter between Knevel and a “negro man” named Jules.
- Deposition 006 – Miranda Crane (Durham), July 24 1792, recounting daily interactions between Knevel and “Juba!” (Jubal).
- Deposition 008 – Sarah Hinman (Durham), July 24 1792, detailing an evening at Camp’s house where Knevel was found in bed with Jubal.
- Deposition 002 – Joseph Camp (Durham), July 29 1792, testifying to the presence of a “mulatto” child and denying any indecent conduct.
Each deposition is available as a high‑resolution JPEG image and a TIFF scan, accompanied by machine‑readable OCR text. The documents include court stamps, signatures, and the clerk’s notation of the deposition’s date and location.
Scope
The collection covers witness testimony from 1792 New Haven County, focusing on a divorce case involving interracial relations and slavery. It includes legal testimony, court procedures, and personal observations of the witnesses. The depositions are limited to the four documents listed above and do not contain any additional court filings or judgments. The material is relevant to scholars of 18th‑century legal history, African American and Indigenous studies, and the history of slavery in Connecticut.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@knevel_divorce_depositions:collection {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Case Witness Depositions", created: @date_1792, institution: @connecticut_state_library, subjects: ["Divorce","Witness Depositions","Interracial Relationships","Legal Testimony","New Haven County","18th Century Legal Cases"], description: "Collection of witness depositions from a divorce case in New Haven County Superior Court involving allegations of an interracial relationship between Hannah Knevel and an enslaved man named Jubal."}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @knevel_divorce_depositions
@knevel_divorce_depositions -> contains -> [@deposition_008, @deposition_004, @deposition_006, @deposition_002]
@deposition_008:document {date: @date_1792_07_24, location: @durham, deponent: @sarah_hinman, recorded_by: @dan_parmelee, ocr_text: "Sarah Hinman of Durham ... on or about the first of October 1792 ... Hannah Lois ... Jubal ..."}
@deposition_004:document {date: @date_1792_07_02, location: @durham, deponent: @sarah_camp, recorded_by: @dan_parmelee, ocr_text: "Sarah Camp of Durham ... first of July in the year 1791 ... Hannah Throel ... Jules ..."}
@deposition_006:document {date: @date_1792_07_24, location: @durham, deponent: @miranda_crane, recorded_by: @dan_mowbray, ocr_text: "Miranda Crane of Durham ... first of October in the year 1791 ... Hannah Lops ... Juba! ..."}
@deposition_002:document {date: @date_1792_07_29, location: @durham, deponent: @joseph_camp, recorded_by: @dan_parmelee, ocr_text: "I Joseph Camp of Durham ... never saw any indecent carriage ... Child appears to be a mulatto ..."}
@sarah_hinman:person {full_name: "Sarah Hinman", residence: @durham, role: "Witness"}
@sarah_camp:person {full_name: "Sarah Camp", residence: @durham, role: "Witness"}
@miranda_crane:person {full_name: "Miranda Crane", residence: @durham, role: "Witness"}
@joseph_camp:person {full_name: "Joseph Camp", residence: @durham, role: "Witness"}
@hannah_knevel:person {full_name: "Hannah Knevel", aliases: ["Hannah Lois","Hannah Howel","Hannah Throel","Hannah Lau","Hannah Lops"], role: "Defendant (wife)"}
@jubal:person {full_name: "Jubal", role: "Enslaved man", ethnicity: "African"}
@dan_parmelee:person {full_name: "Dan Parmelee", role: "Clerk"}
@dan_mowbray:person {full_name: "Dan Mowbray", role: "Clerk"}
@durham:place {county: @new_haven_county, state: @connecticut}
@new_haven_county:place {state: @connecticut}
@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {location: @new_haven_county, type: "Court"}
@knevel_divorce_case:event {type: "Divorce", year: @date_1792, parties: [@hannah_knevel, @joseph_camp], court: @new_haven_county_superior_court, description: "Divorce case alleging interracial relationship between Hannah Knevel and enslaved man Jubal."}
@knevel_divorce_case -> has deposition -> [@deposition_008, @deposition_004, @deposition_006, @deposition_002]
@knevel_divorce_case -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject index field for New Haven County Superior Court files concerning Black, African American, and Indigenous individuals."}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {full_name: "Connecticut State Library"}Metadata
Files (8)
OCR Text
I Joseph Camp of Durham in the County of New Haven Being Summoned to Speak in the Case of Joseph Henevel & his Wife, I must truly declare that I never saw any indecent carriage passed or practised between the P. Henevel's wife and my Negro. In my life all I can say is that the Child appears to be a mulatto. Joseph Camp Durham July 29th 1792 Question put by Joseph Henevel Did you not think that Hannah and your Negro was for together. Answer no I did not Question Did not your wife tell you that she found them in bed together. Answer yes New Haven County for Durham July 25th 1792 My Personally appeared Joseph Camp signer to the above Proposition, and being duly cautioned made solemn oath to the same before me Dan Parmelee just Deacon the above Partie notified and present per Dan Parmelee just man New Haven Supt Court July 1792 Open'd in Court of Githin Clerk
OCR Text
Sarah Camp of Durham in the County of New Haven of Lawfull age, Testifies and says that some time about the first of July in the year 1791 I got up one morning and called for Hannah Throel which was then Hannah Lau and lived at our house. I called for the P. Hannah sundry times to get up; she not answering I went up into the chamber where the P. Hannah slept and there to my great surprise I found her the P. Hannah in bed with an negro man Jules they were both undressed in bed and fast to sleep and the Deponant further saith not. Durham July 2th - 1792 Sarah Campher X mark New Haven County & Durham July 2th - 1792 Personally appeared Sarah Camp signer to the above Deposition and being duly cautioned made solemn oath to the same before me the adverse party being notified and present Dan Parmelia Just Deaue New Haven Judge 1 July 1792 Open in Court of Justice Book
OCR Text
Miranda Crane of Durham in the County of New Haven of lawfull age testifies and says on or about the first of October in the year 1791 I lived at Mr. Joseph Camp's at that time Hannah Lops she that is now Hannah Knevels was very free in conversation with Juba! Mr. Joseph Camp's Negro man and she would often set before the fire another Negro on the hearth with his hand under her peticoats and further the deponent saith not. Durham July 24th AD 1792 Miranda Crane New Haven County Jr Durham July 24th 1792 Personally appeared Miranda Crane signes to the above Deposition and being duly cautioned made solemn oath thereupon before me the above being notified and present Dan Mowbray Just Deem This town Sept Comt July 1792 Open'd in Comt of Durham County
OCR Text
Sarah Hinman of Durham in the County of New Haven of Lawfull age testifies and says that on or about the first of October 1792 I was at the house of Mr. Joseph Camp's one evening and was about going to bed with Hannah Lois she that is Hannah Howel and after I had partly on dress she told me that she was going to stay with Jubal Mr. Joseph Camp's Negro man I told her that I would go home she replied no and said you may go into the other chamber and sleep there and I did and in Morning I got up and looked into her chamber and saw Hannah in bed with Jubal Mr. Camp Negro man and the Deponant further saith not Durham July 24th 1792 Question put by Joseph Howell Sarah Hinman Did Hannah ever tell you that she had been with Jubal at any other time Answered by the Deponant she said it was not the first time New Haven County ss Durham July 24th 1792 Personally appeared Sarah Hinman, signed to the above Deposition and being duly cautioned made solemn oath to the same before me the above party notified and present Dan Parmelee Just Peace New Haven County Court July 1792 Gund in Court of Durham Clerk
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:38 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:39:39 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:27 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:28:29 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Witness_Depositions"
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