Anne Bonny, 18th Century Pirate

Anne Bonny (1702-1782) was an Irish woman who became a famous female pirate, operating in the Caribbean, She was a red-haired beauty and considered a... more

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Anne Bonny, 18th Century Pirate

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Anne Bonny (1702-1782) was an Irish woman who became a famous female pirate, operating in the Caribbean, She was a red-haired beauty and considered a good catch. She married a poor sailor and small-time pirate named James Bonny and the wound up in the Bahamas where Anne began mingling with pirates in the local taverns. She met John "Calico Jack" Rackham, captain of the pirate sloop Revenge, and became his mistress. In 1720 Rackham and his crew were arrested and brought to trial in Jamaica, where they were sentenced to hang for acts of piracy. Anne Bonny and Mary Read were the women known to have been convicted of piracy during the early 18th century, but they escaped the noose when they revealed they were both pregnant. Read died in prison in April 1721, but there is no record of burial of her baby. Official documents state that Read died of fever associated with childbirth. Bonny disappeared from the historical record, presumed to have lived a long life in Colonial America.

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March 13th, 2013