RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Brockway_016.jpg

Brockway Divorce Case Collection

PI

Version: 11 (current) | Updated: 12/15/2025, 4:13:30 PM | Created: 12/15/2025, 3:57:07 PM

Added description

Description

Brockway Divorce Case Collection

Overview - What this is (form, dates, scope)

This collection contains legal records from the 1758–1759 divorce case of Samuel Brockway and Margaret Smith in New Haven County, Connecticut. It includes depositions, court documents, marriage certificates, and procedural filings organized into thematic groups reflecting parties’ claims and legal processes. The materials span August 1758 to February 1759 and provide insight into 18th-century colonial divorce law, gender dynamics, and societal attitudes toward marital disputes, mental health, and racial issues.

Background - Relevant context about creation/provenance

Generated by the New Haven Superior Court and case participants, the records document Samuel Brockway’s petition for divorce, which alleged Margaret Smith’s mental instability, domestic violence, and infidelity. Testimonies from neighbors, relatives, and officials were compiled to support conflicting narratives, while court records track procedural steps. The collection is part of the Barbour Collection at the Connecticut State Library, preserved as historical legal documentation.

Contents - What's in it, key subjects and details

The collection is divided into four groups:
  • Depositions supporting Samuel Brockway: Testimonies describing Margaret’s erratic behavior, self-harm, and alleged infidelity with an enslaved man named Lot.
  • Depositions supporting Margaret Brockway: Contradictory accounts challenging Samuel’s claims, including evidence of his physical abuse.
  • Court documents and procedural filings: Summons, clerk notations, and records of court appearances.
  • Marriage certificate: Documentation of the 1743–1744 marriage between Samuel and Margaret.
Additional materials include an ungrouped deposition ("Mathews Dep 07") with ambiguous content. Themes include domestic violence, interracial relationships, mental health evaluations, and colonial legal protocols.

Scope - Coverage (dates, geography, topics, what's included/excluded)

Dates: August 1758–February 1759. Geography: New Haven County, Connecticut, with references to Waterbury, Hartford, and Brantford. Topics: Divorce law, marital misconduct, domestic violence, racial tensions, and 18th-century court procedures. Included: Depositions, court records, marriage documentation, and witness testimonies. Excluded: Personal correspondence, non-legal documents, or post-1759 developments. The collection focuses exclusively on judicial materials from the Superior Court process.

The collection is accessible online via PINAX (https://arke.institute/01KCHBNMK7RHY2ZWMKV87547W2) and is in the public domain.

Relationships

Extracted Entities (8)

Metadata

Title
Brockway Divorce Case Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
Samuel BrockwayMargaret SmithMary PondLucy PondElizabeth RoyceElizabeth BarnesHannah CookSarah NewellJosiah LewisBeck Moses BlackleyTimothy WoodHenry CookEbenezer CookSamuel CurtisElizabeth CurtisDeacon John WarnerJohn Warner juniorSarah WarnerCapt. Phineas RoyceJonathan CookLydia BarnesRachel BetsMoses FootAbel CurtisJoshua GravesSteven CurtisNathaniel BarnesJoseph BrockwayJosiah RogersGho: MatthewsG: PithinNew Haven Superior CourtBarbour Collection, Connecticut State LibraryNew Haven County Superior Court
Institution
New Haven Superior CourtBarbour Collection, Connecticut State LibraryNew Haven County Superior Court
Created
1758-02-28/1759-02-28
Language
en
Subjects
Divorce, Testimony, Domestic Violence, Racial Issues, 18th Century Legal Documents, Waterbury Connecticut, Depositions, Mental health, Marital disputes, Legal documents, Colonial America, Marriage, Adultery, Connecticut history, Testimonies, New Haven County
Rights
Public domain
Place
Waterbury, New Haven County, Hartford, New Cambridge, Farmington, Waterbury (Conn.), Farmington (Conn.), New Haven, Connecticut, Waterbury, Connecticut, Brantford, Connecticut, Brantford, North Brantford
Source
PINAX

Files (1)

RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Divorce_Brockway_016.jpgJPEG
340 KB
OCR Text

Mathews Dep 07

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v11 (current) · 12/15/2025, 4:13:30 PM
    "Added description"
  • v10 · 12/15/2025, 4:06:54 PM · View this version
    "Updated extracted entities list (20 new)"
  • v9 · 12/15/2025, 4:00:43 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v8 · 12/15/2025, 4:00:04 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 4 groups"
  • v7 · 12/15/2025, 4:00:02 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KCHBTYDPANN05ZMXZK8N39MD"
  • v6 · 12/15/2025, 4:00:00 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KCHBTX76JXZCQZNT4XNS4F9M"
  • v5 · 12/15/2025, 3:59:59 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KCHBTW33Y0E5095C04CPC8K7"
  • v4 · 12/15/2025, 3:59:58 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KCHBTTYZ9BFGYDT5XQY0FCSF"
  • v3 · 12/15/2025, 3:58:31 PM · View this version
    "OCR: Updated 28 refs"
  • v2 · 12/15/2025, 3:57:08 PM · View this version
    "Added to parent 01KCHBNMRN3CZ55TDEW78YD7JC"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were organized into four main groups based on their content and purpose: (1) Depositions supporting Samuel Brockway's claims about his wife's behavior and mental state, (2) Depositions supporting Margaret Brockway's position or contradicting Samuel's claims, (3) Court documents and procedural filings related to the divorce case, and (4) Marriage certificate documentation. One file (016) was ungrouped as its content ('Mathews Dep 07') was too ambiguous to categorize. The organizational strategy prioritizes thematic coherence while allowing files to appear in multiple groups when they genuinely belong to different contexts (e.g., marriage certificate appearing in both marriage and court documents groups).

## Groups Created

- **Depositions_supporting_Samuel_Brockway**: Depositions that support Samuel Brockway's claims about his wife's behavior and mental state
- **Depositions_supporting_Margaret_Brockway**: Depositions that support Margaret Brockway's claims or contradict Samuel's allegations
- **Court_documents_and_procedural**: Documents related to court proceedings, filings, and official actions
- **Marriage_certificate**: Documentation proving the marriage between Samuel and Margaret Brockway

Parent

↑ 01KCHBNMRN3CZ55TDEW78YD7JC

Children (4)