He moved his family to Truro and two of his sons became notable in their own right.  George Fitzpen became the first Master of the Truro Grammar School (1621–1635) and then a Rector at Truro’s St. Mary’s Church, later demolished to allow construction of the Cathedral, (1635 – 1661) whilst David was an early American settler who had several descendants who became famous in the American Revolution.

In the 16th and 17th century not only did English privateers roam the seas but North African (Barbary) pirates attacked English shipping and raided Cornish coastal villages intent on looting and capturing villagers as slaves. 

This fate befell Fitzpen on March 24th, 1620 whilst travelling in the Mediterranean Sea and he was held captive for seven years as a slave to the Turks in Algiers. 

In 1627, when Fitzpen and his fellow English, French and Dutch slaves were being herded on board a slave transport ship, the captives fought a three-hour battle with their captors until the Turks surrendered the ship.  Fitzpen and the other escapees sailed the corsair to Cartagena where the ship was sold for £6,000 and he made his way back to Cornwall setting up home with his family at Lamorran. 

Ironically, the American branch of the family, who changed the spelling of their surname to Thigpen, became wealthy through slave trading.