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FAMOUS PIRATES: Below are our pages on some famous (or infamous) pirates. Click on their name to go to their page:
[HENRY MORGAN] [BLACKBEARD]
[WILLIAM KIDD] [BARTHOLOMEW
ROBERTS]
[ANNE
BONNY]
MARY READ:
Unfortunately her husband died, and Mary once again assumed men's clothing, attempted once
again a life in the Army, but failing at this, shipped off to the West Indies. On the way there, her ship
was taken by Captain Calico Jack Rackham.
As fate would have it, another female Pirate, Anne Bonny, was part of Calico's crew. Anne, saw a
young strapping sailor among the newly captured prize and decided she liked the young man. Mary then confessed
to Anne that she too was a woman.
Suffice to say Mary had as much spirit as Anne which may have been more than many of her male
companions. Upon being asked at her trial why a woman might turn to piracy, rather than come with
an answer that might give her pardon, she instead replied, "That as to hanging, it is no great hardship,
for were it not for that, every cowardly fellow would turn pirate and so unfit the Seas, that men of
courage must starve."
Click here to go to some questions about these bloodthirsty pirates. |
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Mary Read was a mate of Anne Bonny on the Revenge.
Mary Read led a man's life most of her life. Her parents are unknown. What little that is known is
that her widowed mother raised her as a boy. She was born in London, by the age of 13 she was
employed as a foot boy to rich French woman, but soon ran away a signed on board a man-o-war.
A few years later she jumped ship, only to enlist in the foot regiment. She fought in Flanders,
showing great bravery. She later joined a Horse regiment where she fell in love with a soldier. She
confessed her woman hood to this man and they were married. The two opened an Inn called the
"Three Horseshoes" near Castle Breda.
Mary decided that she would much rather join with Rackham and Anne rather than lead the dull
life a woman and she too became one of Calico's pirates.
As it was Calico was a fairly successful pirate and his crew manage to capture several ships. As fate
would have it Mary fell in love with a newly captive sailor who had recently signed the articles of the
ship. Their honeymoon was short lived however for shortly after, Mary,
Anne and Calico Jack were taken prisoner. They were tried at St, Jago de la Vega in Jamaica on
November 28, 1720 were they were all sentenced to be hanged.