Mathewson vs. Wakelee Demurrer Documents

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

Added description

Description

Mathewson vs. Wakelee Demurrer Documents Collection

Overview

This collection comprises the original New Haven County Superior Court filings related to the 1909 demurrer in the case of A. McClellan Mathewson, Overseer, v. Eunice A. Wakelee, et al. The material was created on 8 October 1909 and includes the demurrer, defendants’ brief, court orders, and ancillary documents. It is part of the Connecticut State Library’s digitization of New Haven County Superior Court records, specifically the NHSC BAAI (Black, African American, and Indigenous) subject‑index series.

Background

The case concerns a disputed trust fund derived from the sale of property belonging to an Indian tribe in 1871. Mathewson, the overseer, alleged that the fund was held in trust for the tribe’s beneficiaries, while the Wakelee family contested the claim, arguing that the trust had lapsed and that the claim was barred by laches. The documents illustrate the procedural posture of the case, the legal arguments presented, and the court’s ruling that the demurrer was sustained.

Contents

The collection contains 15 scanned images (JPEG and TIFF) of the original documents, each accompanied by OCR text. Key items include:
  • The demurrer filed 8 Oct 1909.
  • The defendants’ brief filed 15 Oct 1909.
  • The court’s order sustaining the demurrer dated 27 Oct 1909.
  • Supporting affidavits and legal citations discussing laches, trust law, and Indian‑tribe oversight.
All documents are in English and are in the public domain.

Scope

The collection covers the legal proceedings of the 1909 case, with references to events dating back to 1871. It is limited to the New Haven County Superior Court record of this particular demurrer and its related filings. The material is relevant to researchers of early 20th‑century Connecticut law, trust and equity practice, and the legal history of Indigenous and African‑American communities in New Haven County.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

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

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

@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {location: @new_haven_county, type: "Superior Court"}

@mathewson:person {full_name: "A. McClellan Mathewson", role: "Overseer"}

@wakelee:person {full_name: "Eunice A. Wakelee", role: "Defendant"}

@watrous_c_wakelee:person {full_name: "Watrous C. Wakelee", role: "Former Overseer"}

@milton_c_schell:person {full_name: "Milton C. Schell", role: "Attorney for Defendants"}

@milton_c_isbell:person {full_name: "Milton C. Isbell", role: "Attorney for Defendants"}

@wilton_g_shell:person {full_name: "Wilton G. Shell", role: "Attorney for Defendants"}

@demurrer:concept {definition: "A pleading that objects to the legal sufficiency of a complaint"}

@laches:concept {definition: "A doctrine barring claims where there has been an unreasonable delay"}

@trust_fund:concept {definition: "Funds held in trust for a beneficiary"}

@mathewson_vs_wakelee:event {type: "Demurrer", when: @date_1909_10_08, where: @new_haven_county_superior_court, parties: [@mathewson, @wakelee]}

@demurrer_document:document {title: "Demurrer", date: @date_1909_10_08, case: @mathewson_vs_wakelee, filed_by: @mathewson, filed_at: @new_haven_county_superior_court}

@defendants_brief:document {title: "Defendants' Brief on Demurrer", date: @date_1909_10_15, case: @mathewson_vs_wakelee, author: @milton_c_schell, filed_at: @new_haven_county_superior_court}

@mathewson_wakelee_collection:document {title: "Mathewson vs. Wakelee Demurrer Documents", creator: [@mathewson, @milton_c_schell, @milton_c_isbell], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1909_10_08, subjects: ["Demurrer","Legal Documents","Indigenous Cases","New Haven County Superior Court","Trust Funds","Laches"]}

@file_pinax -> describes -> @mathewson_wakelee_collection

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_007_jpg -> depicts -> @demurrer_document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_008_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_009_jpg -> depicts -> @demurrer_document

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_010_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_011_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_012_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_013_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_014_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_015_jpg -> depicts -> @defendants_brief

@mathewson_vs_wakelee -> involves -> @trust_fund

@mathewson_vs_wakelee -> raises -> @laches

@mathewson_vs_wakelee -> raises -> @demurrer

@new_haven_county_superior_court -> has index field -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject terms for New Haven County Superior Court files involving Black, African American, and Indigenous cases"}

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:12:38 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:26:44 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:36:10 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:57 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Demurrer_Documents"

Additional Components (18)

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Parent

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