LERRYN HISTORY SOCIETY

Monday 16th November 2026

All are welcome to our tak about 'Barbary Pirates in Cornwall', please come and join us.

Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. Corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.