We have a show about two famous female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
But first let me tell you about a few other women who became famous as pirates.
Queen Teuta of Illyria
In the third century BC she was a queen regent of the Ardiaei, an area around Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia. After her husband, King Agron of the Ardiaei, died, she started plundering and raiding Roman or Greek ships along with coastal settlements.
Ladgerda, a Danish pirate
She lived in the 9th Century AD and was a “shieldmaiden”, the description the Vikings gave to women who carry a sword and shield. They are known for their ferocity and skills in battle both on land and sea. Legend has it that she rescued her husband’s fleet from a warring tribe but on saving him, murdered him with a concealed knife and took his place as the leader of the tribe!
Jeanne de Clisson, a Breton noblewoman
She raided ships of both sides during the Hundred Years’ War. They say that she had three warships she painted black, and she called her flagship, “My Revenge”. She did this for thirteen years, mainly plundering French vessels. She had the nickname of “The Lioness of Brittany.”
Sayyida al-Hurra – a queen of Tétouan
While Tétouan is a part of North Morocco, her name translates to “Lady who is free and independent”. She operated in the Mediterranean, attacking ships of the empires of Spain and Portugal. Working alongside Oruç Reis, the governor of Algiers, another known pirate, she dominated a western Mediterranean sea, which was the main area where the Barberry pirates operated.
Lady Mary Killigrew a pirate of the Elizabethan age.
She was the daughter of Lord Phillip Wolverton, a former pirate and married Sir Henry Killigrew, a pirate who was later made a Vice-Admiral by Queen Elizabeth I. While Henry was employed to uphold maritime law, ex-pirates were engaged as “privateers,” who sailed under the favour of the crown with whom they split their profits 50/50. Mary also supported her husband’s piracy. She even restructured their home to hide stolen goods, cut deals with smugglers, and, yes, she raided ships.
Grace O’Malle a formidable Irish pirate
O’Malle was the daughter of a chieftain, whose father taught her about the sea, and then she took to the seas, successfully defending her lands against both English governance and other hostile Irish clans. As the English began occupying Ireland, she then helped the rebels to fortify coastal defences and offered her support to Irish rebels.
Ching Shih, known as the most successful pirate in history
Beginning life in a Cantonese brothel in the Chinese Empire, Shih married Zheng Yi, commander of “The Red Fleet,” a fleet of pirate vessels that sailed under a red flag. When he died, she took over, growing the fleet to 1200, which allowed her to dominate the South China Sea, battling domestic and foreign empires (China, Portugal and England).
Now we come to Anne Bonny and Mary Read, about whom we have written our schools’ musical The Perfect Pirates – The Story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
Anne Bonny, the daughter of a respected plantation owner
She wanted for nothing, well, not really but she was spoilt by her stepfather, then around 1718 she married a sailor, James Bonny, however, he became a pirate and she moved with him to Nassau in the Bahamas, a sanctuary for pirates. It was there that she met Calico Jack Rackham, became his lover, then his pirate partner.
Mary Read
Was a lady who had a thirst for adventure and a fascination with the sea and seafaring men. Naturally, but only after she had joined the army, as a man! Then she ran away to sea, and eventually, after many adventures, landed at New Providence, where she also fell for Calico Jack.
The Perfect Pirates
Mary Read dressed as a man and became Calico Jack’s Lieutenant while Anne Bonny, also disguised as a man, was a fearsome member of his crew. Pretty quickly the crew realised they were women in disguise but accepted them as they both fought alongside Calico Jack as two fearsome pirates.
Eventually, in 1720, Captain Barnet on The Revenge caught up with them. Calico Jack and his men disappeared below decks to get drunk while Anne and Mary bravely held off Captain Barnet’s boarding party alone, expertly wielding heavy boarding axes.
In the end they were all put in irons and taken to Jamaica where they faced trial for piracy. Calico Jack was hanged for his crimes, along with his crew, but Anne and Mary escaped with their lives, as both women claimed to be pregnant and the law at the time prevented a pregnant woman from being hanged!
Now that is the basis for our year end show The Perfect Pirates – The Story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read which tells this story but forgets the ending! Go to https://www.history-portal.com/index.php/product/the-perfect-pirates/ where you can read two pages of script and hear two of the songs.
Isn’t History fun?
10 questions to discuss:
- Beyond plunder: While the blog mentions raids and stolen goods, did these female pirates have any other motivations beyond financial gain? Did they fight for specific causes or against certain injustices?
- Image and Perception: How were these female pirates perceived by their contemporaries? Were they celebrated as heroes, feared as villains, or something in between? Did their image change over time or based on their actions?
- Challenges and Obstacles: Being female pirates must have presented unique challenges. What specific obstacles did they face, and how did they overcome them?
- Sisterhood and Rivalry: The blog mentions some pirates working together, like Ching Shih and Zheng Yi. Did female pirates ever form alliances or communities, or were there instances of rivalry and competition?
- Life Beyond Piracy: What happened to these female pirates after their pirating careers? Did they retire peacefully, face capture and punishment, or continue their adventurous lives in different ways?
- Historical Impact: Did the actions of these female pirates have any lasting impact on history, be it on maritime law, trade routes, or even cultural portrayals of pirates?
- Accuracy and Legacy: How much of what we know about these female pirates is based on historical fact versus romanticized legends? How does separating truth from fiction affect their legacy?
- Beyond Europe: The blog focuses on European pirates. Were there any notable female pirates from other parts of the world, and if so, what were their stories?
- Anne & Mary’s Uniqueness: What sets Anne Bonny and Mary Read apart from other female pirates, making them worthy of a dedicated musical? What specific aspects of their story captured your interest?
- Inspiration and Influence: What message do you hope your musical conveys about these female pirates and their experiences? How can their stories inspire audiences today?
For more information, please go to:
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Mary-Read-Pirate
http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/famous-pirates/anne-bonny/
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/were-there-female-pirates
© Tony Dalton