RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_Jack_001.jpg

Inquest Documents for Jack, a Negro Servant, 1774

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:20:10 PM

Added description

Description

Jack Inquest Collection (1774)

Overview

The Jack Inquest Collection is a digitized set of two photographic reproductions of the original inquest record concerning the death of Jack, a Negro servant of William Johnson, dated 16 February 1774. The collection is held by the Connecticut State Library and is catalogued under the New Haven County Superior Court files for Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) cases. It is presented in English and includes metadata, OCR text, and a JSON file describing the entities and relationships within the record.

Background

In colonial Connecticut, an inquest was a formal legal proceeding to determine the cause of a death. The case of Jack, a servant in Wallingford, New Haven County, was examined by a jury of twelve local men. The Connecticut State Library’s New Haven County project focuses on preserving and contextualizing court documents that illuminate the experiences of African Americans and Indigenous peoples in the region. This collection is part of that broader effort, providing a primary source that illustrates the legal treatment of enslaved individuals in the 18th century.

Contents

  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsJack001.jpg – a high‑resolution image of the full inquest record, including the jury list, evidence summary, and the verdict that Jack died accidentally.
  • RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsJack002.jpg – a focused image of the jury heading and verdict statement.
  • Metadata JSON – lists creators (John Austin, Abraham Jones, James Joyce, etc.), subjects (Inquest, Death investigation, African American history, Slavery, Legal documents), and provenance information.
  • OCR Text – extracted from the images, confirming the details of the inquest and verdict.

Scope

The collection covers the specific event of the 1774 inquest in Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut. It documents the legal inquiry into the accidental death of a Negro servant and provides insight into colonial legal practices, slavery, and African American history. The collection does not include other court cases or broader judicial records beyond this particular inquest.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@jack:person {role: "Negro servant", died: @date_1774_02_16, death_location: @wallingford_ct}

@william_johnson:person {full_name: "William Johnson", occupation: "Landowner"}

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

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

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

@john_austin:person {full_name: "John Austin"}

@abraham_jones:person {full_name: "Abraham Jones"}

@james_joyce:person {full_name: "James Joyce"}

@nathl_jones:person {full_name: "Nathl Jones"}

@stephen_andrews:person {full_name: "Stephen Andrews"}

@hmos_rise:person {full_name: "Hmos Rise"}

@jemmisah_carle:person {full_name: "Jemmisah Carle"}

@nathl_carle:person {full_name: "Nathl Carle"}

@stephen_gale:person {full_name: "Stephen Gale"}

@aaron_cook:person {full_name: "Aaron Cook"}

@thomas_mannin:person {full_name: "Thomas Mannin"}

@john_hull:person {full_name: "John Hull"}

@inquest_jack_1774:event {date: @date_1774_02_16, location: @wallingford_ct, subject: "Death of Jack", verdict: "Accidental", jury: [@john_austin, @abraham_jones, @james_joyce, @nathl_jones, @stephen_andrews, @hmos_rise, @jemmisah_carle, @nathl_carle, @stephen_gale, @aaron_cook, @thomas_mannin, @john_hull]}

@jack_inquest_collection:document {title: "Inquest Documents for Jack, a Negro Servant, 1774", creator: [@john_austin, @abraham_jones, @james_joyce, @nathl_jones, @stephen_andrews, @hmos_rise, @jemmisah_carle, @nathl_carle, @stephen_gale, @aaron_cook, @thomas_mannin, @john_hull], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1774_02_16, language: "en", subjects: ["Inquest","Death investigation","African American history","Slavery","Legal documents","New Haven County","Wallingford"], description: "Documents related to the inquest into the death of Jack, a Negro servant to Mr. William Johnson of Wallingford, New Haven County, in 1774. The jury of inquest found that Jack's death was accidental and not caused by malice."}

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

@file_pinax -> documents -> @jack_inquest_collection

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_001_jpg -> depicts -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_002_jpg -> depicts -> @inquest_jack_1774:event

@jack -> servant of -> @william_johnson

@inquest_jack_1774:event -> took place in -> @wallingford_ct

@inquest_jack_1774:event -> part of -> @new_haven_county

@inquest_jack_1774:event -> recorded in -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@jack_inquest_collection -> includes -> @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_001_jpg

@jack_inquest_collection -> includes -> @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_jack_002_jpg

Metadata

Files (2)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_Jack_001.jpgJPEG
343.98 KB
OCR Text

Wallingford 16th Feby 1774 We the subscribers summoned as a jury of request to examine into the Reason & Cause of the Death of Jack a Negro, & servant to Mr. William Johnson of Wallingford in New Haven County being according to Law & having made Inquiry of the Evidence produced & from inspecting his Body do find that the aforesaid Jack came by his Death Casually and that there is not the least manner of Malice appearing whereby we can by any means suppose any one to be an accomplice to his Death but that the same happened according to the usual Dispositions of Divine Providence. John Austin Abraham Jones James Joyce Nathl Jones Stephen Andrews Hmos Rise Jemmisah Carle Nathl Carle Stephen Gale Aaron Cook Thomas Mannin John Hull

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_Jack_002.jpgJPEG
220.6 KB
OCR Text

Jury of Inquest, Verdict— Jack—Negro Servant to Philemon Johnson Wallingford 1774

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:20:10 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:50:49 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:40:46 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:12 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Inquest_Documents_Jack_1774"

Parent

01KBKZYYGGXCMF16VGRG096762

No children (leaf entity)