New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Decree Documents
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:16:22 PM
Added description
Description
New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Decree Documents (Freeman v. Freeman, 1850)
Overview
This collection comprises scanned images of the divorce decree and related documents issued by the New Haven County Superior Court in October 1850. It includes the petitioner’s complaint, the court’s findings, and the clerk’s certification. The materials are in English, dated 1850, and are part of the Connecticut State Library’s digitization of New Haven court records, specifically the “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) retrospective.Background
The case involves John Freeman and Augusta Freeman, who were married on 19 July 1846. The petition was filed on 27 August 1850, alleging that Augusta deserted John on 1 May 1848 and committed adultery on or about the 18th day of an unspecified month. The Superior Court adjudicated the divorce in October 1850. The documents were originally handwritten on parchment and later digitized by the Connecticut State Library; they are catalogued under the New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) records and the BAAI project.Contents
The collection contains four image files: two JPEGs and two TIFFs of the decree. The OCR text reproduces the full decree, including the grounds for divorce, the court’s findings, and the clerk’s certification. Metadata files (JSON) and the source PINAX record accompany the images. The images capture the original parchment, court seal, and handwritten signatures, providing a primary source for 19th‑century Connecticut law and social history.Scope
The collection covers a single divorce case from the New Haven County Superior Court in 1850. It includes documents in English, located in New Haven, Connecticut, and is relevant to researchers of 19th‑century Connecticut law, divorce proceedings, and the BAAI project. It does not include other court cases, other legal document types, or later legal reforms. The collection is accessible through the Connecticut State Library’s digital repository.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@new_haven_ct:place {city: "New Haven", state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@connecticut:place {type: "state", country: @united_states}
@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {type: "court", location: @new_haven_ct}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {type: "library", location: @new_haven_ct}
@nhsc_divorce_decree_collection:collection {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Divorce Decree Documents", creator: @new_haven_county_superior_court, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1850_10, language: "en", subjects: ["Divorce","Legal documents","Marriage","Adultery","Desertion","Black, African American, and Indigenous History"], place: @new_haven_ct}
@divorce:concept {full_name: "Divorce"}
@legal_documents:concept {full_name: "Legal documents"}
@marriage:concept {full_name: "Marriage"}
@adultery:concept {full_name: "Adultery"}
@desertion:concept {full_name: "Desertion"}
@baai_subject:concept {full_name: "Black, African American, and Indigenous History"}
@nhsc_divorce_decree_collection -> subject -> [@divorce, @legal_documents, @marriage, @adultery, @desertion, @baai_subject]
@john_freeman:person {full_name: "John Freeman", residence: @new_haven_ct}
@augusta_freeman:person {full_name: "Augusta Freeman", residence: @new_haven_ct}
@freeman_divorce_case:event {case_type: "Divorce", parties: [@john_freeman, @augusta_freeman], filed: @date_1850_08_27, decision: @date_1850_10, location: @new_haven_ct, marriage_date: @date_1846_07_19, desertion_date: @date_1848_05_01, adultery_note: "committed adultery on or about the day of 18"}
@divorce_decree_freeman:document {type: "Divorce Decree", case: @freeman_divorce_case, date: @date_1850_10, location: @new_haven_ct, grounds: [@desertion, @adultery]}
@divorce_decree_freeman -> filed by -> @john_freeman
@divorce_decree_freeman -> respondent -> @augusta_freeman
@divorce_decree_freeman -> part of -> @nhsc_divorce_decree_collection
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_003_jpg:file {format: "jpg"} {related_document: @divorce_decree_freeman}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_004_jpg:file {format: "jpg"} {related_document: @divorce_decree_freeman}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_004_tif:file {format: "tif"} {related_document: @divorce_decree_freeman}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_divorce_freemanjohnaugusta_003_tif:file {format: "tif"} {related_document: @divorce_decree_freeman}Metadata
Files (4)
OCR Text
At a Superior Court held at New Haven, in and for the County of New Haven, on the Second Tuesday of October A.D. 1850 Upon the Petition of John Freeman of New Haven in New Haven County SHEWING that on or about the 19th day of July A.D. 1846 he was lawfully married to Augusta Freeman of said town with whom the petitioner lived, in the performance of all the duties of the marriage covenant, on his part to be performed, until on or about the 1st day of May A.D. 1848 when the said respondent wilfully deserted the petitioner, and has continued said desertion, with total neglect of all the duties of the marriage covenant, on her part to be performed, from thence hitherto, for a period of more than three years last past. And further showing that the said respondent, has at divers times during said period, viz. on or about the day of 18 at committed adultery with and with divers lewd persons, to the Petitioner unknown. PRAYING for a Divorce as by said petition on file, dated the 27th day of August A.D. 1850 more fully appears. This petition came to the present term of this Court. The Court find that said petition has been duly served on the respondent, pursuant to an order of notice made therein by us officers by the officers return thereon endorsed. Court: And now the petitioner appeared to prosecute said petition; and the respondent being called, appeared not. WHEREUPON, the allegations in said petition having been proved and found true, it is adjudged, ordered, and decreed, by this Court, that the said John Freeman be, and he is hereby divorced from the said Augusta Freeman and discharged from all the duties and covenants to her by reason of the marriage aforesaid. And the said John Freeman is hereby declared to be single and unmarried, I, Clerk of the Superior Court within and for said County, hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of record. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of said Court, this day of A.D. 18
OCR Text
John Freeman vs Augusta Freeman Deerree
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:16:22 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:37:15 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:38:16 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:29:03 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Divorce_Decree_Documents"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)