Yay for Feminism in the 1700s!
Anne Bonny and Mary Read are the two most famous women pirates. Though there were many other female pirates, they aren't quite as well known. Each of their stories should be first told seperatly, in order to efficiently understand their story.
Anne Bonny was born illegitimately to a lawyer named William Cormac and the maid under his employ, Mary Brennen somewhere near Cork, Ireland and sometime between 1697 and 1700. When their affair became public he, his mistress, and his new daughter moved to America, some place near Charleston, South Carolina, where they started a new life together. William introduced Mary as his wife and was quite succesful. Soon he purchased a plantation where Anne, who was pretty much grown up now, took care of him and the house. Her mother had passed away shortly after moving. Anne began to have a reputaion of being very aggressive and it is said that she killed one of the house maids with a case knife in a rage, but that was never proven. Though it was pretty well known that she beat a man almost to death after he tried to force himself on her. Apparently he was in bed healing for a while afterwards.
The first man she married was a penniless sea captian named James Bonny, she was around 16 years old then. Her marriage was unknown to her father and when he found out he kicked her out of his house. As a result, she and her new husband moved to New Providence, also known as "a pirate's paradise." Here she made friends with many pirates. After James Bonny gave up piracy he started working for Governor Woodes Rogers, to whom he gave many of his pirate friend's names for a reward. This made Anne lose all respect for him, she had already grown tired of him. She started seeing a man named Chidley Bayard, who was very wealthy. She enjoyed traveling around with him, going to balls, and spending his money. Her relationship with him ended when, at one of the balls they attended, she punched out two teeth of the sister-in-law of
Anne Bonny was born illegitimately to a lawyer named William Cormac and the maid under his employ, Mary Brennen somewhere near Cork, Ireland and sometime between 1697 and 1700. When their affair became public he, his mistress, and his new daughter moved to America, some place near Charleston, South Carolina, where they started a new life together. William introduced Mary as his wife and was quite succesful. Soon he purchased a plantation where Anne, who was pretty much grown up now, took care of him and the house. Her mother had passed away shortly after moving. Anne began to have a reputaion of being very aggressive and it is said that she killed one of the house maids with a case knife in a rage, but that was never proven. Though it was pretty well known that she beat a man almost to death after he tried to force himself on her. Apparently he was in bed healing for a while afterwards.
The first man she married was a penniless sea captian named James Bonny, she was around 16 years old then. Her marriage was unknown to her father and when he found out he kicked her out of his house. As a result, she and her new husband moved to New Providence, also known as "a pirate's paradise." Here she made friends with many pirates. After James Bonny gave up piracy he started working for Governor Woodes Rogers, to whom he gave many of his pirate friend's names for a reward. This made Anne lose all respect for him, she had already grown tired of him. She started seeing a man named Chidley Bayard, who was very wealthy. She enjoyed traveling around with him, going to balls, and spending his money. Her relationship with him ended when, at one of the balls they attended, she punched out two teeth of the sister-in-law of