History

Plymouth’s problems with the Barbary Corsairs

When the Vikings raided up the Tamar in 997AD, they ignored the tiny fi shing village of Sutton Harbour. They headed up to loot Tavistock Abbey and rob the King’s mint at Lydford. Ron Smith recounts the tale.

In the 1600s the Barbary Corsairs were after White Gold, but not loot - White Christians were highly valued in the slave markets of North Africa. There was a particular explosion of activity when a new Admiral took over a fl eet from Salé, a settlement by Rabat in Morocco. They became known as the Salé Rovers. Murad Reis was a renegade Dutchman and a really inspired leader and organiser. In 1627 he took over Lundy as a base for raids all along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, across to Ireland and up as far as Iceland. Villages were raided for their inhabitants, fi shing vessels were left drifting with their crew abducted, trading vessels were taken into Algiers and the crew enslaved there. Our profi table trade taking pilchards to Italy, bringing From Whitehall May 1633: After commandment of his Majesty, having been pleased to take into his Princely consideration a petition lately delivered unto him in the name of the inhabitants of the Western ports of this kingdom, complaining of divers spoils and outrages done unto them and their goods by the Turkish pirates, hath referred the further consideration thereof to this board, to the end some speedy route might be taken for their relief and safeties, whereupon we have called and hearde the Persons who delivered the said petition… and fl annel on!

Above: Slave trading in Algiers Right: Part of the original letter

olive oil back, simply ground to a halt. What merchant would risk his ship, or mariner to risk sailing in one? For two centuries collectors went round the villages and towns with pathetic appeals. The monies were sent over as ransom; a small proportion of the slaves did get home to tell their tale. Many converted to Islam for better food and treatment, though this prevented them from being eligible for ransom. Many were worked to death within a year or two, especially the older men. Women who were captured became maidservants or concubines, used for breeding. Of the 400 taken from Iceland in a 1627 raid, ten got home a decade later. In 1633 the Mayor of Plymouth sent a written petition to Charles I’s Privy Council in Whitehall, London. This was on behalf of all the South West ports and merchants. The Record Offi ce at The Box holds three replies: A Five signatures were collected from Francis Cottington, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Francis Windlesham, Secretary of State. And so it went on until an Admiralty Fleet commanded by Cornishman Lord Exmouth bombarded Algiers into submission in 1816, nearly 200 hundred years later. Any group who would like a presentation about the whole matter, contact ronaldfwsmith@gmail.com Post Script: Oxford don Morgan Godwyn in 1680 ‘If someone of this island going for England should happen to be snapped up by an Algerine or Corsair of Barbary; and there to be set on shore and sold; doth he thereupon become a brute? If not, why should an African (suppose of that or any remote part) suff er a greater alteration than one of us?’ n Ron Smith