Mary (aka "Mark") Read was born in Plymouth, England, probably around 1690. When Mary was a young child, her stepfather, a sea- faring man, left her and her pregnant mother. Her brother Mark died as an infant and in order to get her family's inheritence Mary's mother dressed her as a boy and introduced her as her son. Mary posed as a boy for many years in order to receive aid from her stepfather's family.
Having lived most of her growing life disguised as a boy, Mary became quite adventurous herself, eventually working aboard a man-of-war. After a few years of gruelling hardship and abuse, Mary managed to jump ship and joined the British military. At first a lowly foot soldier, Mary showed true bravery at the battle of Flanders and was soon promoted to the Horse Regiment. Mary became friends with another soldier, who believed her to be a man, and soon she found herself in love. Mary confessed her true gender to the man and he accepted her gladly. The two were wed posthaste. They bought out their commission in the military and together opened an inn by the name of The Three Horseshoes.
Her husband sadly died young, causing their small fortune to soon run out. She reverted back to her old ways and began dressing as a man once again.
Mary found work on a Dutch ship, which was eventually taken over by none other than Captain Jack Rackham (by then known as "Calico Jack"). The life of a pirate appealed to her adventurous nature and she turned pirate at this time. Interestingly, she was still disguised as a man and no one was the wiser, until a certain Anne Bonney began making advances at Mary. Her cross-dressing was revealed and the two became great friends.
The duo of Anne and Mary were known for their fierce and violent tempers, often called "the fierce hell-cats". No one onboard ship was as bloodthirsty as these two women.
During her tour aboard Rackham's ship, Mary managed to fall in love once more, this time with a young sailor from a vessel captured by Rackham's crew. The sailor soon had trouble on his hands, however, in the shape of a large, burly pirate of longstanding. Mary feared for her lover's life when he was challenged to a duel by the strapping seaman, and so she took matters into her own hands.
She challenged the big pirate to a duel herself, demanding satisfaction immediately. Pirate law was clear on this matter, and the quartermaster promptly rowed the two combatants ashore. Mary and the other pirate, armed with both cutlass and pistol, discharged their pistols first thing, both missing the other, then proceeded with an ambitious clash of blades. The larger pirate was the stronger of the two, but Mary was a quick girl, and brilliantly cunning.
She studiously avoided the other pirate's attacks, all the while waiting for him to make a mistake. It came when the pirate stumbled while lunging at her, and Mary immediately seized the opportunity. She ripped her shirt open, exposing her breasts to the man's incredulous gaze. While he stood gaping, Mary swung her own cutlass and nearly decapitated him, killing him instantly.
Mary's sailor love proposed to her and the two were married. Their wedded bliss did not last long, however, as soon thereafter Rackham's vessel was attacked.
During this siege, when a British Navy ship tried to take over control of the Vanity, the drunken and lazy crew hid below decks while Anne and Mary fought violently, yelling to the crew, "Come up, you cowards, and fight like men!" The women proved no match for the British army and were overtaken. The members of Calico Jack's crew were sentenced to hang. Anne visited Captain Jack Rackham in his cell and said to him, "Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog."
After Calico Jack's hanging, Mary and Anne were found guilty but had one last trick hidden up their sleeves. Both women plead with the court saying, "Mi'Lord we plead our bellies." The women were both pregnant at the time and according to British law could not be hanged. Thus their sentences were stayed.
There are many rumors surrounding the fate of Anne and Mary. It is said that Mary was sentenced to hang after the birth of her child, but died of a fever before the hanging.
Anne was granted a reprieve but it is unknown what happened to her after. Possibly she returned to piracy or perhaps returned to her husband, although after living the life of a pirate one can hardly see her becoming a domestic. It seems we will never know what really happened to the mysterious Anne Bonney.
The fascinating lives of Mary Reade and Anne Bonny are offered up in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, today, September 19th. Check out the national TLAP website and learn the basics now! Once you master those you can learn pirate pick-up lines such as "Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you", and for the ladies: "That's quite a cutlass ye got thar, what ye need is a good scabbard!", and "Did ye know I've crushed seventeen men's skulls between me thighs?"
So avast ye lubbers and bilge rats, check it out smartly and start talking like the Salty Dogs ye always wanted to be. Arrrrrr!
women pirates,mary read, talk like a pirate
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