Born in Hamden in 1795 just after it separated from New Haven, Cyrus was the son of a woman named Rose and possibly a man named Isaac, who was enslaved in Wallingford. According to Hamden vital records, both Rose and Cyrus were enslaved by Judge Simeon Bristol, a prominent town leader. Because he was born after the passage of the Gradual Emancipation Act in Connecticut, Cyrus would legally gain his freedom at the age of 21. However, there is evidence that suggests he may have gained it earlier. An 1812 Seaman’s Protection certificate shows an 18-year-old mariner named Cyrus Gibson who was born in Hamden and was now living in New Haven. There is no description of him, but a short time later a Cyrus Gibson appears on a U.S., Citizenship Affidavit of US-born Seamen from the City of Philadelphia. On this document, Cyrus Gibson of New Haven is described as 5 feet 6 and a half inches tall. He has “Black curly hair” and a “Black complexion.” He also has a “small cut over his eye.” No additional information has been found.