Hi Alison, I think your question is answered on the website, after the list of names: "The following is from Governor Hutchinson's Collection of Original Papers and may furnish some light in respect to the above mentioned prisoners sent to this country and sold for slaves, no doubt, by order of the English Government, as a sort of banishment for their rebellion. It is probable that some of them were sent to Barbadoes, as all their names do not seem to appear in any other way in this country, except on this list. Extract from a Letter written by Rev. John COTTON to Lord General CROMWELL, dated at "Boston in N. E. 28 of 5th 1651," respecting som prisoners of the same class of persons included in the above list sent over before these arrived. The all probably were taken at the battle of Dunbar, 3 Sep 1650, when Cromwell was victorious and four thousand were slain and ten thousand made prisoners. "The Scots, whom God delivered into your hands at Dunbarre, and whereof sundry were sent hither, we have been desirous (as we could) to make their yoke easy. Such as were sick of the scurvy or other diseases have not wanted physick and chyrugery. They have not been sold for slaves to perpetual servitude, but for 6 or 7 or 8 yeares, as we do our owne; and he that bought the most of them (I heare) buildeth houses for them, for every four a house, layeth some acres of ground thereto, which he giveth them as their owne, requiring three dayes in the weeke to worke for him (by turnes) and 4 dayes for them themselves, and promiseth, as soone as they can repay him the money he layed out for them, he will set them at liberty." " ----- Original Message ----- From: Roland and Alison deCaen <decaenr@shaw.ca> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 9:19 AM Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Scotch Prisoners Sent to Massachusettts, 1652 > Fascinating ---------What happened at this time to warrent their being sent > or is it just a collection of rag, tag and bobtail ? > Alison in Calgary