The Fernhurst Society
Tales from the Archives - 34
Captured by pirates!
I cannot vouch for the veracity of this story, which was written up by Edgar Baxter in the Parish Magazine sometime in the 1980s.
‘Sometime around 1640, Richard West of Fernhurst and his wife Joan went on a visit to Ireland. There Richard died and his widow Jane bravely set out on the return journey. There were many risks as ‘Barbary’ or ‘Turkish’ pirates, mostly operating out of North Africa, preyed on vessels all round the south and south west coast of England and up into the Irish Sea in those days and her ship was apparently captured by ‘Turkish’ pirates. For some unfortunates this might have been the end of the story, but Jane was not killed but taken into captivity.
We do not know exactly when or how, but she was eventually released and managed to return to England, and thence back to her own village. She was destitute. As Fernhurst had been her home, the village was legally bound to provide for her and it was stated that from Easter 1647 the Church Wardens were to pay her a dole of 12 pence her week, until she could provide for herself. This might seem meagre, but would have equated to today’s benefits payments. Her brother-in-law George West had stored her late husband’s goods and it was agreed that Jane would be placed in a cottage of her own as soon as one became available.’
There were many members of the West family living in the village at that time, including a Richard West................. so it could be true!
If you would like to know more about this story, or research other local topics, the Archive is open on Tuesdays, 2.30-5pm in the Village Hall. Other times by arrangement.
Christine Maynard
Fernhurst ArchiveOne of a series of short articles bringing you some of the incidents from our rich village history. Collated by Christine Maynard, based on documents preserved at the Fernhurst Archives, these originally were published in the monthly Fernhurst News.
The Fernhurst Archives
Fernhurst History
