View source for Legal case: New Haven, March 23, 1653

== "much wickedness in a filthy corrupting way" ==

{{Protected}}

The court records of the town of New Haven reported the sentencing of six young
males, and a servant, John Clarke, who was returned to his master for punishment.<ref>{{GLA}}, p.100, citing Franklin Bowditch Dexter,
ed., ''New Haven Town Records, 1649-1684'' (New Haven: New Haven Historical
Society, 1917), pp. 178-79.</ref>
<blockquote>
Upon a complaint made to the Governor of sundrie youths in the Town that
had committed much wickedness in a filthy corrupting way one with another,
they were called before the Governor and Magistrates.... [Those
charged were] Benjamin Bunill, Joshua Bradly, Joseph Benham, William
Trobridg, Thomas Tuttill & Thomas Kimberly. They were examined in a
private way, and their examinations taken in writing, which were of such a
filthy nature as is not fit to be made known in a public way: after which the
Court were called together, and the youths before them. Their examinations
were read and, upon their several confessions, the Court . . . sentenced the
youths above named to be whipped publicly. And whereas John Clarke,
servant to Jeremiah Whitnell, was questioned and charged by one of them
for some filthy carriage, he denied it, and another of the company in some
measure cleared him from that the other charged him with, whereupon he
was not sentenced to be corrected publicly, but the Court left it with his
master to give him that correction in the family which he should see meet
[proper], warning John Clarke that if ever any such carriage came forth
against him hereafter, the Court would call these miscarriages charged upon
him to mind again. </blockquote>


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== References ==
<references/>


{{Curated Exhibit|exhibit name and link=[[Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin|Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin]]|firstname=Jonathan Ned|lastname=Katz}}

[[Category:The Age of Sodomitical Sin]]
[[Category:Colonizing and Settling, 1585-1763]]
[[Category:1650-1659]]
[[Category:17th century]]
[[Category:New Haven Colony]]
[[Category:Connecticut - New Haven]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Sodomy Law]]
[[Category:Legal cases]]
[[Category:Servants]]