Inquest into the Death of Mary Hill (Mary Cann) Collection
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:21:37 PM
Added description
Description
Inquest into the Death of Mary Hill (Mary Cann) Collection
Overview
This is a digital collection of primary source materials documenting the 1763 inquest into the death of Mary Hill, also known as Mary Cann, an Indian Squaw found dead near a grist mill in Milford, Connecticut. The collection comprises the original inquest record, two high‑resolution scans (JPEG and TIFF), an OCR‑derived text file, and associated metadata. It is housed in the Connecticut State Library’s digital repository and is indexed in the New Haven County Superior Court project’s subject database for Black, African American, and Indigenous cases.Background
The inquest was held in Derby on February 4, 1763, following the discovery of Mary Hill’s body in the Milford area. The record was signed by thirteen local officials—James Wheter, Joseph Smith, Abraham Peirce, Joseph Johnson, Jonathan Hitchcock, Emos Bradley, Nicholas Johnson, Abraham Smith, Noah Brown, Samuel Talcott, William Burritt, and James Beare—who served as witnesses and jurors. The case is part of the New Haven County Superior Court Files – Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) initiative, which seeks to preserve and make accessible court documents involving Indigenous and people of color.Contents
- Inquest Document – the original paper record, now digitized.
- JPEG Scan (RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsWillCamMary003.jpg) – a color image with embedded OCR text.
- TIFF Scan (RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsWillCamMary003.tif) – a high‑resolution, lossless image.
- OCR Text – extracted from the JPEG, providing a searchable transcription.
- Metadata JSON – descriptive data linking the collection to the NHSCBAAICasesPapersSubject index.
Scope
The collection focuses exclusively on the 1763 inquest into Mary Hill’s death. It covers the legal record, the signatures of the attending officials, and the contextual details of the investigation. The materials are in English, dated February 4, 1763, and pertain to the geographic area of Milford and Derby within New Haven County, Connecticut. The collection does not include other court cases or broader archival holdings.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@mary_hill_inquest:collection {title: "Inquest into the Death of Mary Hill (Mary Cann) Collection", created: @date_1763_02_04, description: "Collection containing documents related to the inquest into the death of Mary Hill, also known as Mary Cann, an Indian Squaw found dead near a grist mill in Milford.", institution: @connecticut_state_library, subjects: ["Inquest","Death investigation","Mary Hill","Mary Cann","Indian Squaw","Milford","Derby","New Haven County"]}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {full_name: "Connecticut State Library"}
@inquest_document:document {title: "Inquest into the Death of Mary Hill (Mary Cann)", date: @date_1763_02_04, location: [@milford, @derby], description: "Legal record of the inquest held at Derby on February 4, 1763 concerning the death of Mary Hill, an Indian Squaw found near a grist mill in Milford."}
@milford:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@derby:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@new_haven_county:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@james_wheter:person {full_name: "James Wheter"}
@joseph_smith:person {full_name: "Joseph Smith"}
@abraham_peirce:person {full_name: "Abraham Peirce"}
@joseph_johnson:person {full_name: "Joseph Johnson"}
@jonathan_hitchcock:person {full_name: "Jonathan Hitchcock"}
@emos_bradley:person {full_name: "Emos Bradley"}
@nicholas_johnson:person {full_name: "Nicholas Johnson"}
@abraham_smith:person {full_name: "Abraham Smith"}
@noah_brown:person {full_name: "Noah Brown"}
@samuel_talcott:person {full_name: "Samuel Talcott"}
@william_burritt:person {full_name: "William Burritt"}
@james_beare:person {full_name: "James Beare"}
@mary_hill_inquest -> includes -> @inquest_document
@inquest_document -> signed by -> [@james_wheter, @joseph_smith, @abraham_peirce, @joseph_johnson, @jonathan_hitchcock, @emos_bradley, @nicholas_johnson, @abraham_smith, @noah_brown, @samuel_talcott, @william_burritt, @james_beare]
@file_pinax -> metadata for -> @mary_hill_inquest
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_003_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR", description: "Scanned image of the inquest record with OCR text."}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_003_tif:file {type: "Image/Asset", description: "High‑resolution TIFF image of the inquest record."}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_003_jpg -> depicts -> @inquest_document
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_003_tif -> depicts -> @inquest_document
@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.", project: @new_haven_county_superior_court_project}
@new_haven_county_superior_court_project:concept {title: "New Haven County Superior Court Files – Black, African American, and Indigenous (BAAI) Cases and Papers", sponsor: @connecticut_state_library, abbreviation: "NHSC_BAAI_Cases_Papers_Subject"}
@inquest_document -> indexed in -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subjectMetadata
Files (2)
RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_WillCamMary_003.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
We the subscribers being summoned and sworn as the law directs to make inquiry into the death of one Mary Hill otherwise called Mary Cann an Indian Squaw that was found dead near the grist mill on the highway in the bounds of Milford have searched and made diligent enquiry into the circumstances of the death of said Mary and considering all the circumstances are of opinion that she Mary died a natural death. Dated at Derby February 4th 1763 James Wheter Joseph Smith Abraham Peirce Joseph Johnson Jonathan Hitchcock Emos Bradley Nicholas Johnson Abraham Smith Noah Brown Samuel Talcott William Burritt James Beare
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:21:37 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:55:49 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:41:47 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:11 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Jury_Verdict"
Parent
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