RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_UnnamedMan_001.jpg

Inquest Documents for Unnamed Man, Milford, 1771

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:21:04 PM

Added description

Description

Inquest Documents for Unnamed Man, Milford, 1771

Overview

This collection comprises the official record of the 1771 inquest into the death of an unnamed Black man found drowned in Milford, Connecticut. It contains two primary images – a scanned photograph (JPEG) and a high‑resolution TIFF – of the jury’s certification and return, dated October 31, 1771. The documents are held by the Connecticut State Library and are part of the New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) archival project, which indexes court materials involving African American and Indigenous individuals.

Background

In the early colonial period, Milford was a small New Haven County community. The inquest was convened under the authority of the county court to determine the circumstances of the man’s death. The jury was chaired by John Merrin, with twelve other jurors: Jonas Green, Bergy Greene, Bory Bull, Joseph Bryan, Grace Smith, Ann Tomlinson, Wm. Con, Miles Merrin, Fitch Welch, Daniel Purn, and William Scott. The case was certified to David Ingersoll, the county clerk. The collection reflects the legal procedures of the time and provides insight into how colonial courts handled deaths of enslaved or free Black individuals.

Contents

  • Jury Certification (JPEG & TIFF) – The text reads: “We the subscribers being summoned as a Jury of Inquest… found & judge that he was Casually drowned.” It lists the jurors’ names and the date of certification.
  • Return (JPEG & TIFF) – The OCR text confirms the location (“Pond Point”) and the date, and records the jurors’ sworn statements.
  • Metadata – Includes creator names, institution, language, subjects (inquest, death investigation, drowning, African American history, Milford history), and place information.

Scope

The collection covers a single event: the inquest held on October 31, 1771, in Milford, New Haven County. It documents the legal process surrounding the death of an unnamed Black man and includes only the jury’s certification and return. The materials are relevant to scholars of colonial Connecticut, African American history, and legal history, but do not contain additional case files, witness statements, or subsequent court proceedings.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {type: "Metadata (PINAX)"}

@unnamed_man_inquest:collection {title: "Inquest Documents for Unnamed Man, Milford, 1771", creator: [@john_merrin, @jonas_green, @bergy_greene, @bory_bull, @joseph_bryan, @grace_smith, @ann_tomlinson, @wm_con, @miles_merrin, @fitch_welch, @daniel_purn, @william_scott], institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1771_10_31, language: "en", subjects: [@inquest, @death_investigation, @drowning, @african_american_history, @milford_history], description: "Documents related to the inquest of an unnamed Black man found drowned in Milford, Connecticut in 1771. Includes the jury's findings and certification.", place: [@milford, @new_haven_county]}

@connecticut_state_library:organization {type: "State Library"}

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

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

@connecticut:place {country: @united_states}

@john_merrin:person {role: "Foreman"}

@jonas_green:person {}

@bergy_greene:person {}

@bory_bull:person {}

@joseph_bryan:person {}

@grace_smith:person {}

@ann_tomlinson:person {}

@wm_con:person {}

@miles_merrin:person {}

@fitch_welch:person {}

@daniel_purn:person {}

@william_scott:person {}

@inquest:concept {}

@death_investigation:concept {}

@drowning:concept {}

@african_american_history:concept {}

@milford_history:concept {}

@unknown_black_man:person {status: "deceased", race: "African American"}

@jury_of_inquest:event {date: @date_1771_10_31, location: @milford}

@certification_document:document {title: "Jury of Inquest Certification", date: @date_1771_10_31, subject: @drowning}

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

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_001_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_002_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_001_tif:file {type: "Image/Asset"}

@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_002_tif:file {type: "Image/Asset"}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @unnamed_man_inquest

@unnamed_man_inquest -> created by -> @connecticut_state_library

@unnamed_man_inquest -> located at -> @milford

@unnamed_man_inquest -> indexed by -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject

@jury_of_inquest -> had member -> [@john_merrin, @jonas_green, @bergy_greene, @bory_bull, @joseph_bryan, @grace_smith, @ann_tomlinson, @wm_con, @miles_merrin, @fitch_welch, @daniel_purn, @william_scott]

@jury_of_inquest -> produced -> @certification_document

@certification_document -> depicted in -> @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_001_jpg

@unknown_black_man -> depicted in -> @file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_unnamedman_002_jpg

Metadata

Files (4)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_UnnamedMan_001.jpgJPEG
587.78 KB
OCR Text

We the subscribers being summoned as a Jury of Inquest, and duly sworn, to enquire how a Negro Man found dead in Milford at a Place called Pond Point (his Name unknown) came to his Death, do find & judge that he was Casually drowned. Certified for Dated at Milford Octob: 31: 1771. New Haven County of Milford Oct' 31 - 1771 Be it remembered that the above Jury of Inquest as their Names subscribed were duly sworn according to law, and return the above order to me David Ingersoll his Office, John Merrin Foreman Jonas Green Bergy Greene Bory Bull Joseph Bryan Grace Smith Ann Tomlinson Wm. Con Miles Merrin Fitch Welch Daniel Purn William Scott

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_UnnamedMan_002.jpgJPEG
417.82 KB
OCR Text

Lucy Ingram Return Unknown Negro Milford 1771

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:21:04 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:54:17 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:41:27 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:34:40 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Inquest_Documents_UnnamedMan_1771"

Parent

01KBKZYYNXMXHXJEENXEJQEAQK

No children (leaf entity)