Christopher Condent ::
Blackbeard ::
Black Bart
Grace O'Malley ::
Anne Bonney ::
Mary Read
Anne Bonney
Anne Bonney was born in Ireland as the illegitimate daughter of a lawyer and his servant; her
father was forced to immigrate to South Caroline and took Anne and her mother with him. By the
time she ran away with James Bonney, she was an heiress; but left the fortune behind to head to the
Bahamas with him. There, she met John Rackham, also known as Calico Jack Rackham. They stole a sloop,
and turned pirate together. Anne hid as a man at first, but later it became known that she was a woman.
Mary Reade joined the crew; and it was discovered that she was a woman also when Anne attempted to seduce
her. They were both captured in 1720, along with John Rackham. Neither were hung, both pleaded their
"bellies"; claiming to be pregnant, and were imprisoned until they could give birth. No further
information is known about Bonney.
Mary Read
Mary Read was English. Her mother became pregnant soon after her husband died, and she fled to
the country. There, Mary was born; and Mary's brother, the legitimate child of her mother and her
mother's husband died. Mary's mother brother Mary up as her dead son to get money from her husband's
parents. Mary grew up cross dressing, and continued by joining the Navy and the Cavalry. She ended
up marrying a fellow soldier for a few years, and when he died she went to the Caribbean and returned
to her men's clothing. In 1717, her ship was captured by pirates, and she elected to join them.
She ended up in the same crew as Anne Bonney and John Rackham; and was captured with them in 1720.
When captured, she avoided being hung by pleading pregnancy; however she died in a Jamaican jail in 1721.
