The new Lecture Series from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall features three leading academics covering the realities behind female pirates, the horrors of the infamous ‘Barbary’ pirates, and the myths and truths behind the pirate image.

The Lamentable Cries of at least 1500 Christians

Thursday 12 October, 7.30pm

Dr Jo Esra explores the experiences of those effected by the 'Barbary' pirates of North Africa, who became notorious for their taking of people rather than goods.

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.

Tickets  Book Tickets - Museum

£8 per person, £5 students.

National Maritime Museum Cornwall Members receive a 10% discount on in person tickets. Find out more about Membership.

Tickets Book Tickets - Online

£6 for the live online webinar.

Other lectures in this series include:

• Did Pirates Bury Their Treasure? with Dr Richard Blakemore, Thursday 9 November. Myths and reality in the history of piracy.