In November 2013,in the midst of construction of a new café for Durham University’s Palace Green Library, a remarkable discovery was made of the remains of 28 men by archaeologists.

Intriguingly, they were later identified as some of the 5,000 Scottish prisoners of war who had been marched south after Oliver Cromwell’s victory at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.

In this emotive talk, Rosie Serdiville will tell the story of the ‘Trail of Tears’; the death march on which around 2,000 of these prisoners died. She will also describe what happened to the survivors, most of whom ended up as indentured servants in the 'new world’ of the Americas.

Rosie Serdiville is a social historian and educator with a particular interest in the wider impact of war on civilian populations, particularly on the lives of women. She is currently responsible for delivering heritage and cultural services to the Tyneside Irish community.

Cromwell's Convicts: The Death March from Dunbar