A 'thought-provoking' talk on Slavery in Devon was presented to the Devon East Devon Luncheon Club by the renowned Devon historian Dr Todd Gray at its February meeting.

Dr Gray told the 86 members and guests that the topic was often a difficult subject to discuss but was much more complex than many thought.

He stated that his role as a historian was to present the evidence and not have opinions one way or the other. He gave a broad picture of slavery, including black slaves taken by black peoples and white slaves taken by white peoples, saying this showed how multifaceted the issue was.

Simon Card, chairman, said: “Dr Gray’s talk was absolutely fascinating, thought-provoking and full of interesting information. Although he has now spoken to the club twice over the years his encyclopaedic knowledge on so many subjects makes him a must for our future programme.“