Volume XVI
Number 32
THE STATE January 8
A Weekly Survey of North Carolina
1949
Entered a* lecond-clasi matter. June 1, 1933. at the Postofflce at Raleigh. North Carolina, under the Act of March 3. 1B79
Carolina’s Two Wo
en Pirates
They wore Ann Buniioy niul .Mary Head
and.
|1м1цш<д
from ai<*o»iints. wore just
aliuul as blood-thirsty oliaraotors as ovc»r
seultlori a ship or ma«l«* prisoners walk the
plank.
IN days of old when women were
none too bold there were quite a
few ferocious female pirates on
the loose along the bounding main,
according to no less an authority
than the British Museum. And two
of the baddest lady buccaneers
were Tar Heels named Ann Bonney
and Mary Read, who terrorized
shipping up and down the Atlantic
coast until they were captured by
the British in the West Indies in
October. 1780.
It seems that Ann Bonney was
the daughter of an Irish lawyer
who emigrated to America soon
after 1700, prospered, and settled
down to live in eastern North Caro¬
lina. Against her father s wishes
she ran away and secretly married
a young sailor who had been a
member of Blackboard's crew of
Carolina buccaneers, and was
promptly disowned by her hor¬
rified parents. Finding he wasn't
getting a fortune as well as a bride,
her sea-going husband deserted her
at Wilmington and went to sea
again. Ann then took up with the
notorious pirate "Calico Jack '
Rackam with whom, from all ac¬
counts. she seems to have done
pretty well for she soon became
known as one of the most danger¬
ous members of his crew of cut¬
throats until they were all seized in
October. 1780. near Jamaica, in the
British West Indies.
When they were captured by a
British sloop there was another
woman on board "Calico Jack's"
vessel by the name of Mary Read
who had a history even more ter¬
rible than that Ann Bonney
enjoyed. She had been brought up
as a boy with the idea that she
THE STATE. January 8. 1949
tty EARL
ЮЕА1Ч
would have a better chance in life
if she wore breeches, and it is said
that she sailed the seas for many
years as a sailor before her sex was
discovered. Tiring of a buccaneer's
life. Mary married a fellow pirate
and they kept an inn near Beaufort
until she got the wanderlust again,
donned her husband's clothing, and
shipped before the most on a West
India frigate. It was while she was
on this voyage that she was
captured by "Calico Jack” Rackam
and his rough crew. While on board
his vessel she was noted for her
courage, and on one occasion is said
to have fought a duel with another
pirate in which she killed her man.
After "Calico Jack" and his crew
were captured, both women were
tried by British authorities in the
West Indies for "audacious crimes
and misdemeanors on the high
seas" and were sentenced to death.
Mary was saved from execution
when she contracted a fatal fever
while in prison.
Ann. who was with child, re¬
mained in prison until her baby
was born. She was reprieved from
time to time and by some trick of
justice was finally pardoned.
Whether she continued as a sea-
bandit is not known. It is certain,
however, that she was not ex¬
ecuted and it also probably is a fact
that she was the last of the female
pirates.
Rackham. the leader of the
pirates, was condemned and ex¬
ecuted — hanged in chains. By a
special favor, just before the
execution, Ann was admitted to see
her husband. Instead of condoling
him. she glared contemptuously.
She was sorry to see him there, she
told him, but if he hud fought the
English sloop like a man. he would
not be waiting to be hanged like a
dog. And with that she walked
away.
It was Rackham. incidentally,
who had led a successful mutiny
aginst Charles Vane, a friend and
companion of Blackboard. With his
stolen vessel, he and Ann began to
terrorize the Spanish Main, steal¬
ing gold and cargoes.
When his vessel was finally de¬
feated by the English naval sloop.
Ann Bonney, with two others, was
the last to leave the bloody deck.
Just before doing so. she saw
several members of the crew seek¬
ing shelter from the enemy's
deadly cannon-fire in the hold of
the ship. Cursing them for their
cowardice, the enraged woman
fired her pistols, killing one and
wounding another of her own men.
Both women were said to have
been as blood-thirsty and as cruel
as any corsair who ravaged our
coast in those times. Both were
able to handle pistol and cutlass as
well as any man and were always
in the very thick of the lighting
when an attack was being made.
Both apparently were in love with
their tempestuous career and en¬
joyed nothing better than a good
fight. So far as can lx* ascertained,
they had a mutual res|x*ct for each
other and never had a quarrel of
their own. This is probably due to
the fact that they were too busy
quarreling with others.
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