Mary Read
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Who was Mary Read?
Mary Read, born in England around 1695, was a legendary English pirate of the early 18th century. Raised as a boy, she worked as a servant, on ships, and even joined the army.
Read's ship was seized by pirates in the West Indies, after which she became a buccaneer. In the Bahamas, she joined John "Calico Jack" Rackham's pirate ship, where she met Anne Bonny. Read continued to dress as a man, though some knew she was a woman.
Read and Bonny earned a reputation for ruthlessness. In 1720, they were captured, and Read was sentenced to death. She died in prison in Jamaica in 1721, reportedly from a fever, after her execution was postponed due to her pregnancy.
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What is Mary Read known for in history?
Mary Read, born in England around 1695, gained notoriety as an English pirate in the early 18th century. Along with her crewmate Anne Bonny, she became one of the few legendary female pirates of the time.
Read disguised herself as a man and initially served as a soldier in Flanders. Later, she worked as a sailor before joining a pirate ship in the West Indies. Read and Bonny earned a reputation for their ruthlessness. In August 1720, Read and her crewmates commandeered a ship, after which the governor of the Bahamas declared them enemies of the Crown. After being captured, Read and Bonny were sentenced to death, but their executions were postponed due to their pregnancies. Mary Read died in prison in April 1721.
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How did Mary Read become a pirate?
Mary Read, an English pirate of the 18th century, became a pirate after her ship was seized by pirates in the West Indies. During the "golden age" of piracy, Read chose or was forced to become a buccaneer.
Read and her crewmates then sailed to Nassau, Bahamas, around 1717, following a royal pardon for pirates who surrendered, though it's unclear if she accepted it. Soon after, she joined John ("Calico Jack") Rackham's pirate ship, befriending Anne Bonny. Read continued to disguise herself as a man, and she and Bonny gained a reputation for their ruthlessness.
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Why did Mary Read disguise herself as a man?
Mary Read disguised herself as a man for several reasons. Her mother initially presented her as a boy to receive financial support from her paternal grandmother following the death of her half-brother. This charade continued even after the grandmother's death. Read later worked as a servant while still dressed as a boy before joining the military. Read went back to living as a man and eventually found work as a sailor. During her time at sea, Read's ship was seized by pirates, leading her to become a buccaneer. Dressing as a man allowed her to challenge social norms and participate in activities typically reserved for men.
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Who were some famous pirates Mary Read sailed with?
Mary Read, a legendary English pirate, is known to have sailed with John "Calico Jack" Rackham and Anne Bonny. Read joined Rackham's crew after her ship was seized by pirates in the West Indies. Read, along with Bonny, earned a reputation for ruthlessness. Together with Rackham and other crew members, Read and Bonny commandeered the sloop William and pirated merchant vessels.
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What happened to Mary Read at the end of her life?
Mary Read was an English pirate who, along with Anne Bonny, earned notoriety as one of the few female pirates of the 18th century.
Read's life as a pirate concluded with capture off the coast of Jamaica in October 1720. Along with her crewmates, she was taken to Jamaica for trial.
In November 1720, Read, along with Anne Bonny, was convicted and sentenced to death. However, due to her pregnancy, her execution was postponed. While imprisoned, Mary Read died in April 1721, reportedly from a fever.
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Mary Read (born c. 1695, Englandâburied April 28, 1721, St. Catherine, Jamaica) was an English pirate of the early 18th century who, with her crewmate Anne Bonny, became legendary as one of the few female pirates.
Readâs early life is largely unknown. Much of the information is derived from Capt. Charles Johnsonâs A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates (1724), a highly disputed work. According to that book, Readâs mother was married to a sailor, with whom she had a son. After the man deserted the family, she had an affair that resulted in the birth of Mary. Following the death of her half-brother, Mary was passed off as the deceased boy in order to receive money from his paternal grandmother. Mary was 13 when the elder woman died, but the young girl continued to dress as a boy. She later worked as a servant before journeying to Flanders to serve in the military. During this time she met another soldier, and, after revealing her true sex, they later married. The couple opened an inn near Breda, Netherlands, but Readâs husband died.
Read went back to living as a man and eventually found work as a sailor. She took to the sea during an era that was considered the âgolden ageâ of piracyâa period that roughly spanned 1650 to the 1720s. When her ship was seized by pirates in the West Indies, Read decidedâor was possibly forcedâto become a buccaneer. She and her crewmates sailed to Nassau, Bahamas, in about 1717, following the issuance of a royal edict that extended a pardon to any pirate who surrendered. Although some of her crewmates accepted the offer, it is unclear if Read did. It is known, however, that she soon joined a pirate ship captained by John (âCalico Jackâ) Rackham. Among the crew was Anne Bonny, who did not hide her sexâshe was having an affair with Rackhamâexcept during battles. Read continued to masquerade as a man, although others realized that she was a woman.
Read and Bonny earned a reputation for ruthlessness and were described as âvery profligate, cursing and swearing much, and very ready and willing to do anything on board.â According to various accounts, Mary fell in love with a carpenter on Rackhamâs ship, but his life appeared in danger after a pirate challenged him to a duel. The protective Read allegedly intervened, forcing a duel with the other man and killing him.
In August 1720 Read and her crewmates commandeered the 12-ton sloop William from Nassau Harbor on New Providence Island. The following month the governor of the Bahamas declared that the hijackersâboth Read and Bonny being specifically namedâwere âEnemies to the Crown of Great Britain.â The stolen vessel was located by privateer Jonathan Barnet in October. According to legend, a number of pirates were inebriated, and Rackham quickly surrendered. The two women, however, refused and fought their would-be captors until finally being overwhelmed. The pirates were taken to Jamaica, and in November 1720 the male crew members were tried, convicted, and hanged. On November 28 the two women went on trial, and they were also convicted and sentenced to death. However, both Read and Bonny were pregnant, causing their executions to be postponed. In April 1721 Read died in prisonâreportedly after developing a feverâbut Bonny was eventually freed.