Piracy was rife in the early modern Mediterranean, with the so-called ‘Barbary’ pirates of North Africa becoming notorious for their taking of people rather than goods. Captives were held for ransom or enslaved in the Islamic worlds of Morocco or Ottoman Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers. From the 1620s, North African pirates extended their activities out of the Mediterranean and preyed upon the coasts of the West Country. Focusing on documentation within British archives, this talk will explore the experiences of captives, their families, and their communities, in addition to looking at the wider cultural and political impact of this form of piracy during the 17th century.
Dr Jo Esra is a Lecturer at the University of Exeter, specialising in 16th- and 17th-century maritime literature and culture.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall Members receive a 10% discount on in person tickets.
