Petition of Sarah Cyrus

To the Honorable General Assembly of the State of Connecticut Now Sitting at New Haven

The petition of Sarah Cyrus of Lyme in the County of New London humbly sheweth that early in life she was lawfully married to Daniel Cyrus, an Indian or Native of the country by the Reverend George Beckwith, with whom she lived several years and by whom she had three children, one of which died when a child, the other two1 were principally supported by the labor and industry of your petitioner when in their infancy and childhood, after the death of their father, which happened soon after the birth of the last, and when they arrived at a suitable age they were bound out for the purpose of learning trades and continued with their masters until the unhappy contest arose between Great Britain and these States at which time they entered into the service of their country and to the great grief of your petitioner in this service they lost their lives.2  And your petitioner would further inform Your Honors that the above named Daniel Cyrus was son to Cobcozen who owned a valuable tract of land of about twelve or thirteen acres3 on Thirty Mile Island in Haddam, four acres of which land was ever improved or let out by said Cyrus after the death of his father during his life, and since the death of Daniel Cyrus, the avails of said land have ever been for the support of his surviving family, and no person has ever disputed their right to the same, and your petitioner would further inform Your Honors that she is considerably advanced in life and stands in need of support and relief and fears that in her declining age, she shall be distressed with poverty and suffer by pinching hunger and the inclemency of the seasons.  And she would farther inform Your Honors that the family of Daniel Cyrus and Cobcozen are all extinct and that there is no surviving heir of said land, except your petitioner, she, therefore, prays Your Honors to take her unhappy case into your wise consideration and empower Ezra Brainerd, Esq., of Haddam or some other meet person to sell said four acres of land and give a good and valid title thereof and the avails arising from the sale of said land be deposited with some suitable person as trustee to be by him laid out for your petitioner as her necessity may require or in some other way grant relief as Your Honors in your wisdom think just and reasonable.

And your memorialist as in duty bound shall ever pray,

• 1. Daniel Wright and most likely Cuff Wright
• 2. The only service death known is for Cuff Wright, a private in Captain John Harmon's Company of the 4th Connecticut Regiment, who died August 4, 1778. Brown and Rose, Black Roots, 450.
• 3. Deleted Text: of Land
• 4. Most likely Jonathan Ingersoll of New Haven.