Mary Read was an 18th century pirate who dressed up as a man and loved battle and independence. Born into poverty in England, she disguised herself as a boy to receive financial support. She became a soldier and sailor before becoming a pirate, joining Calico Jack Rackham’s crew and meeting Anne Bonny. They were eventually captured by pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet, and Mary died in prison while pregnant. Scholars have speculated about her sexuality, but her disguises were likely just a means to her career.
Mary Read was a pirate on the Spanish Main during the 18th century. Her short life was driven by her apparent love of battle and independence and her habit of dressing up as a man. Mary’s fame stems primarily from her association with two other famous pirates, Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham.
Mary Read is believed to have been born around 1690 in England, to an extremely poor family. After the death of Mary’s older brother, Mary’s mother is said to have disguised young Mary as a boy, as a means of receiving continued financial support from her eccentric but wealthy grandmother. Some stories suggest that Mary and her mother survived on this income, while others believe that Mary’s grandmother hired her out as a butler to make extra money.
Experts speculate that the relative freedom of choice available to men was attractive to Mary Read, as she continued to cross-dress for professional reasons throughout much of her life. He became a soldier, serving both in the navy and on land, all the while pretending to be a man. Eventually, his disguise was discovered by one of her compatriots, whom Mary eventually married. Most accounts believe that the two left the military and opened an inn together, which they ran successfully until her husband’s sudden death.
Accustomed to difficult circumstances, Mary Read regained her former shape and went to work as a sailor. How she became a pirate is uncertain and stories vary. Some suggest she joined voluntarily in search of adventure and profit, while other accounts say her ship was captured and she was offered the choice of joining the crew or dying. Either way, always posing as a man, she Mary came to work on Calico Jack Rackham’s pirate ship during the late 1710s, soon to meet her most prized companion.
As with most aspects of his life, Mary Read’s meeting with Anne Bonny is only speculation. Many accounts suggest that the promiscuous Anna fell in love with the handsome young sailor, only to discover that she was Mary in disguise. Other stories say that Anne recognized her as a woman and befriended her. With Anne’s acceptance aboard her despite her gender, Mary was finally allowed to come out of hiding and pursue the life she loved as a woman.
Between Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Jack Rackham, the crew made substantial profits for a short while. However, their successful business caught the attention of a feared pirate hunter named Jonathan Barnet, who attacked the ship in 1720. While Jack and the crew lay drunk in the ship’s hold, Mary and Anne attempted to fend off a entire invasion force. Despite their brave fighting, the vessel was taken.
Mary was at this point pregnant and used this in her trial to stay the execution until after giving birth. She died in prison early in 1721, probably of illness, but possibly due to complications in childbirth. Anne Bonny, who also stayed execution while pregnant, was not hanged, but she has completely disappeared from the archives. She is believed to have been ransomed and there are many theories about her life after prison.
Mary Read was a career soldier, clearly preferring the dangers of battle and piracy to the relative safety of a woman’s life. Since she spent much of her life dressed as a man, scholars have often speculated that she had homosexual preferences. However, her early marriage and departure from the military and subsequent business as a pirate suggest that his disguises were a means to her career and little more than hers.
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