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Women Pirates |
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If you are at all familiar with pirate history, then you are probably aware that some women
occasionally pop up. Probably the common of these women are Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two characters that sailed along with
Calico Jack Rackman until their sloop was caught in October of 1720.
However, you may not be as familiar with some of the other notorious female pirates.
I did not include fictional women, or those who remain anomyous.
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Mary Read (alias Mark Read)
Mary Read did not lead a charmed life. She was born in the late seventeenth
century. The beginning of her story goes two ways. Some believe that her mother, who was the wife of a captain, disguised
Mary (who was illegitimate) as the son that had been lost while its father was at sea. The other possible story goes
that Mary's mother's husband died, and suddenly the widow was alone, with no income and a daughter born of a love affair.
She went to her mother-in-law for, dressing Mary as her lost son. The mother-in-law took pity on
who she thought was her grandson, and paid Mary's mother a goodly inheiritance and allowance. However, in time that ran out.
Since Mary had been raised the boy anyway, she went out to make a living for herself
and mother. She began working for a wealthy woman as a foot boy. But when she began to get bored of her job, she
ran away and signed on aboard a man-of-war. However, she did not last long there either, and was able to join the British
Army. She prooved to be a willing and brave soldier, being promoted several times and earning the respect of her fellows.
And yet, although she had played most of her life as the man, she still found herself in love, with another soldier in her
regiment.
Seeming not to be able to bear it any longer, Mary proclaimed her true sex. The
couple were married shortly after, leaving the military and opening an inn, The Three Horseshoes.
But when Mary's new husband died, after being married only a few years, Mary fled
the inn and rejoined the military, though she didn't stay long. From there, she joined a ship's crew. This was the ship that
was captured by Captain Calico Jack Rackman (John Rackman). Mary eventually went on the account, and accepted a pirate's life.
However, also aboard the ship was Anne Bonny, the lover of Calico Jack. When she
approached Mary, Mary was forced to reveal her sex. And soon after this confession, she had to reveal herself again to Calico
Jack.
Anne and Mary spent much of their time together, enjoying eachother's company.
Both were brave and fierce in battle.
Mary was able to fall in love for probably the second time in her life, with another
pirate aboard the ship. She even purposefully made a duel with a man, just because the man and her intended were to duel.
Knowing that her intended was not as skilled a fighter, Mary staged the duel, and won, killing her oppenent.
Mary's life was still to be short, though. In October of 1720, the pirates' newly
captured sloop was taken. Mary Read, Anne Bonny, and only one man stood and fought the oncoming soldiers. The rest of crew
hid down below. Even though they fought brutally, the soldiers were too much for them, and the entire crew was arrested.
Calico Jack and his men were sentanced to hang in Jamaica. Anne Bonny and Mary
Read's sentances were postponed, as they pled their bellies. Both were with child.
Mary stated when questioned, "As to hanging, it is no great hardship." She died
in prison with her unborn babe, but she went without fear, such is a pirate's life.
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