CURIOSITIES:"YO-HO-HO, and a bottle of rum!" does not immediately spring to one's lips when one enters St George's Protestant church in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. But, in the chancel, there is a memorial to the Rev Devereux Spratt - and a link to piracy.
In 1641, he embarked in Youghal on a vessel bound for Bristol, but before they were out of sight of land, the ship was boarded and captured by Barbary pirates who put all the men in irons. Upon their arrival in Algiers, they were sold as slaves. Devereux Spratt, who was 21 and had just been ordained, had already suffered during a rebellion in Kerry when he had seen "the miserable destruction of 120 men, women and children by sword, famine and many diseases, amongst whom was my mother Elizabeth and my youngest brother Joseph".
In Algiers, he was not sent as an oarsman to the galleys, as was the fate of many captives. A ransom was being negotiated when a £100 bond, which had been in his pocket when he was captured, was stolen.
This new disaster caused him to have doubts about his faith. He was sold on to a Turkish merchant who asked why he was so sad - and then comforted him by saying "God is great". These words from a Muslim caused Spratt to realise the strength of his own beliefs and as his duties as a slave were not arduous, he acted as pastor to his countrymen. Before long, the merchants of Leghorn had collected the 200 cobs or £40 to pay his ransom, but the English captives pleaded with him to stay to preach to them.
This put Spratt in a quandary, but he was determined to stay, "as he might be more use enduring the afflictions with the People of God than enjoying his liberty". He spent a further two years in Algiers and during this time, one of his congregation allowed him and his fellow conspirators to construct a folding boat in the cellar of the preaching house. The boat was launched and rowed to Mallorca, in the Balearics, though the fugitives almost died of thirst, being only saved by catching a turtle and drinking its blood. In Algiers, Devereux Spratt was fearful there would be appalling consequences when the authorities realised how the five English slaves had escaped, but nothing happened.
In 1647, all freed slaves were ordered to leave. So Devereux Spratt returned home. In 1661, he became rector of Mitchelstown. He died in 1688.
As I was reading the memorial, the organist was practising the hymns for the following Sunday, and to the thunder of the organ, I sang along: "Who would true valour see, let him come hither . . . "