Hi Folks, There were Algerian pirates operating out of North Africa who would capture British and European shipping and sell the Christians into slavery. These slaves could be redeemed by their families. I know William Harris, one of the founders of Rhode Island was captured in 1680, he was later redeemed but died at the home of John Stokes in London. Harris was captured while going to London to reaffirm his claim to his land in Rhode Island. This was a question of Muslims capturing Christians which may have motivated Valentine Goodman to leave money for their redemption. While the well-to-do could finance their own redemption, for the poor sailors on those ships they were destined to be slaves the rest of their lives. Jim ----- Original Message ---- From: JOHN RILEY <john.riley29@btopenworld.com> To: leicestershire-plus@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 4:45:06 PM Subject: Re: [LEI] Turkish captives, 1684 Hi Jim The way I read it is that the funds would go towards paying ransoms on people taken prisoner by the Turks (perhaps a generic term for non-Christians), not Turkish people taken prisoner. I don't imagine there were any Turks (or Turkish sympathisers) in Leicestershire in the 17th century - unless someone knows otherwise? John ----- Original Message ---- From: jim goodman <jimgoodman@telus.net> To: Leicestershire <leicestershire-plus@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, 29 January, 2008 6:20:46 PM Subject: [LEI] Turkish captives, 1684 Any thoughts on why Turkish captives would be in this area circa 1684 jim BEQUEST TO MOST INDIGENT, POOREST, AGED, DECREPIT, MISERABLEST PAUPERS. Hallaton, Leicestershire. Valentine Goodman, by will, dated in 1684, bequeathed £800 to be laid out in land, and the profits thereof given to the "most indigent, poorest, aged, decrepit, miserablest paupers," viz. six from Easton, four from Medbourn, four from Hallaton, and two from Blaston ; and if any part of the money (was) employed for easing town levies, or not according to the intent of the testator, then he declared that the gift should cease, and the money be employed for the redemption of Turkish captives. The produce of the land in 1822, 1823, and 1824, is reported at £100 each year. The names of the recipients are regularly entered Jn a book, with the amount paid to each.— XXXII. pt. v. p. 235. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LEICESTERSHIRE-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping