Aha, I misinformed you about the levels of white slavery. See: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q16321013 I misunderstood from the programme that 35000 slaves per year were captured, but the actual figure was 35000 slaves around at any one time, needing about 8,500 slaves annually to replenish stocks. That sounds a lot more believable. The website also quotes a figure that 160 British ship were taken 1677-80 - meaning that about 7000-9000 Brits were captured. I wonder how much that was to do with piracy in the English Channel; or rather with the interception of British ships trading with the Levant (big business then), or slaving down the West African coast. Whatever, that level of ship loss must have included a significant number of Cumbrian vessels. I'm now thinking more seriously that quite a few of the individuals who disappear in my records didn't migrate to Ireland or America, but plied the oars as captives on Moorish ships! Chris chris@dickinson.uk.net

In message <008601c2ba95$31a22ac0$79987ad5@system1>, Chris Dickinson <chris@dickinson.uk.net> writes >I misunderstood from the programme that 35000 slaves per year >were captured, but the actual figure was 35000 slaves around at >any one time, needing about 8,500 slaves annually to replenish >stocks. > >That sounds a lot more believable. > >The website also quotes a figure that 160 British ship were taken >1677-80 - meaning that about 7000-9000 Brits were captured. > >I wonder how much that was to do with piracy in the English >Channel; or rather with the interception of British ships trading >with the Levant (big business then), or slaving down the West >African coast. > >Whatever, that level of ship loss must have included a >significant number of Cumbrian vessels. I'm now thinking more >seriously that quite a few of the individuals who disappear in my >records didn't migrate to Ireland or America, but plied the oars >as captives on Moorish ships! > >Chris >chris@dickinson.uk.net Hi Chris I haven't watched the programme yet, but have taped it. It sounds really interesting. Lancaster, an important maritime centre, recruited a number of Ulverston men during the mid-18thC to captain vessels engaged in a growing slave trade. Richard MILLERSON & Robert DODSON, both of Ulverston, owned between them, 6 Lancaster slavers. John BOLTON was born in Ulverston in 1756. He made his fortune from the West India trade, dealing in slaves, rum & sugar. It's said that some slaves were unloaded at Penny Bridge wharf, from where they were taken to Storrs Hall on the shores of Windermere, to await allocation to other areas. Carol -- Carol Bennett Administrator, UK-ULVERSTON-FHS-L Ulverston Heritage Centre: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukuhc/ Co-ordinator, EnglandGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~engwgw

The Neville Rigg book on Cumbria, Slavery and the Textile Industrial Revolution has a Section devoted to Ulverston Merchants in Liverpool with subsections for James Penny, John Bolton, and Moses Benson. This section is over 40 pages in length and contains over 100 citations -- very helpful for verification or cross referencing. Tim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Bennett" <carol@tower-house.demon.co.uk> To: <ENG-CUL-COPELAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 2:59 PM Subject: Re: [CUL-COP] White Slavery - correction > Hi Chris > > I haven't watched the programme yet, but have taped it. It > sounds really interesting. > > Lancaster, an important maritime centre, recruited a number > of Ulverston men during the mid-18thC to captain vessels > engaged in a growing slave trade. > > Richard MILLERSON & Robert DODSON, both of Ulverston, > owned between them, 6 Lancaster slavers. > > John BOLTON was born in Ulverston in 1756. He made his > fortune from the West India trade, dealing in slaves, rum & sugar. > > It's said that some slaves were unloaded at Penny Bridge wharf, from > where they were taken to Storrs Hall on the shores of Windermere, to > await allocation to other areas. > > > Carol > -- > Carol Bennett > Administrator, UK-ULVERSTON-FHS-L > Ulverston Heritage Centre: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukuhc/ > > Co-ordinator, EnglandGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~engwgw > > ______________________________