New Haven Town Records, 1649-1662 (Ancient Town Records, vol. 1, 1917)

The records of the New Haven town court. Read in the archive.org full text for research/mcmillan/Fairchild_Raymond_Woodworth.md (October 2026).

At a court held at New Haven, 6 March 1659/60 (pp. 442-443): “Mr Raymond being called was told that its comonly reported that he was drunke aboard ye shipp, wch ye Court was sorry to heare of, & ashamed that a man standing in relation to a church as he doth should be found to stand guilty of such a fact; concerning wch liberty being granted he declared that hee desired to bless God for the faithfulnes of the Court, & said that he was ashamed that he should be called before them as an euill dooer … & confessed yt he was exceedingly distempered, but withall alleadged & desired that it might be considered that he was very cold at that time, & his head weake, & haveing seuerall sorts of liquors was ouercome by it; he said he desired to bee humbled that he had so dishonoured God … who had abused his good blessings too much to gluttony, drunkenesse, & pride.” “The Court did not looke vpon him as a common drunkerd.” “Deacon Pecke said that he had knowne Mr Raymond long.” The sentence: “Mr Raymond for his drunkenesse is to pay according to the law 10s.” The editor’s note identifies him: “Richard Raymond, of Salem, Mass., the owner of a vessel then in New Haven harbor.”

Later (p. 494), John Browne, examined for drunkenness, “confessed that he had been an entertainer of loose persons, & yt once Mr Raymonds sonne bringing cards to his house, they two with two more playd at Cards, & sundry others sate by.”