Jury Return Document Collection
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:21:22 PM
Added description
Description
Jury Return Document Collection (Derby, Connecticut, 1763)
Overview
The Jury Return Document Collection is a digitized record of a single colonial-era jury return from Derby, Connecticut, dated February 4, 1763. The collection is held by the Connecticut State Library and was created by the Derby Jury. It includes high‑resolution reproductions of the original parchment in both JPEG and TIFF formats, along with a concise metadata record that identifies the document’s title, date, creator, and subjects.Background
In the early 18th century, colonial Connecticut juries were convened to conduct inquests into deaths, disputes, and other matters of public concern. The Derby Jury’s return concerns Mary Will, an Indian Squaw, reflecting the legal interactions between colonial authorities and Indigenous peoples in the region. The Connecticut State Library acquired the record as part of its broader effort to preserve early legal documents and to support research into colonial legal practices and Indigenous history.Contents
The collection contains:- JPEG image (RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsWillCamMary004.jpg) and TIFF image (RG003NHSCBAAIPSInquestsWillCamMary004.tif) of the original jury return.
- A metadata record that lists the document’s title (“Return of the Jury of Derby”), date, creator (Derby Jury), location (Derby, Connecticut), and subject (“Inquest of Mary Will”).
- Controlled subject headings: Inquests, Indigenous People, Legal Documents, Jury Returns.
- A brief description noting that the document records an inquest involving Mary Will, an Indian Squaw, on February 4, 1763.
Scope
The collection covers a single legal event: the Derby inquest into Mary Will. It is limited to the jury return itself and does not include related case files, transcripts, or subsequent court proceedings. The material is relevant for scholars of colonial Connecticut law, Indigenous history, and early American court records, but it does not represent a comprehensive record of all Derby inquests or of the broader New Haven County Superior Court files.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@file_pinax -> documents -> @jury_return_document_collection:collection {title: "Jury Return Document Collection", creator: "Derby Jury", institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1763_02_04, language: "en", subjects: ["Inquests", "Indigenous People", "Legal Documents", "Jury Returns"], description: "Collection containing a jury return document from Derby, Connecticut, regarding Mary Will, an Indian Squaw, dated February 4, 1763.", place: [@derby]}
@jury_return_document_collection -> contains -> @jury_return_document:document {title: "Return of the Jury of Derby", date: @date_1763_02_04, creator: @derby_jury, location: @derby, subject: "Inquest of Mary Will"}
@jury_return_document -> about -> @mary_will:person {role: "Indian Squaw"}
@mary_will -> ethnicity -> @indigenous_people:concept {description: "Indigenous People"}
@derby -> type -> @place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@connecticut -> type -> @place {country: @united_states}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {name: "Connecticut State Library"}
@derby_jury:organization {name: "Derby Jury"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_004_jpg -> depicts -> @jury_return_document
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_inquests_willcammary_004_tif -> related to -> @jury_return_document
@nhsc:collection {full_name: "New Haven County Superior Court Files", abbreviation: "NHSC", record_group: 3, institution: @connecticut_state_library}
@baai:concept {full_name: "Black, African American, and Indigenous", abbreviation: "BAAI"}
@cases_papers:concept {description: "Case files and related papers of New Haven County Superior Court"}
@subject_field:concept {description: "Subject-heading field for controlled terms"}
@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject column for BAAI cases and papers in NHSC"}
@nhsc_baai_project:project {description: "CT State Library project to index Black, African American, and Indigenous cases and papers from New Haven County Superior Court", components: [@nhsc, @baai, @cases_papers, @subject_field]}
@nhsc -> includes -> @baai
@nhsc -> includes -> @cases_papers
@cases_papers -> indexed by -> @subject_field
@subject_field -> used in -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subjectMetadata
Files (2)
RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Inquests_WillCamMary_004.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Return of the Jury of Derby Mary Will An Indian Squaw Derby Feb. 4, 1763
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:21:22 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:55:48 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:41:35 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:35:13 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Jury_Return_Document"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)