Mary Read facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary "Mark" Read
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| Born | c. 1680–1695 |
| Died | 28 April 1721 (aged 26–41) Port Royal, Colony of Jamaica
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| Resting place | St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica |
| Piratical career | |
| Type | Pirate |
| Allegiance | English-allied infantry and cavalry in Holland |
| Years active | c. 1708–1721 |
| Rank | Privateer |
| Base of operations | Caribbean |
Mary Read (born between 1680 and 1695 – died 28 April 1721) was a famous English pirate. She is known as one of the few women to be found guilty of piracy during the "Golden Age of Piracy" in the 18th century. She sailed with another well-known female pirate, Anne Bonny.
Mary Read often dressed as a boy from a young age. At first, her mother encouraged this so they could receive money. Later, as a teenager, Mary continued to dress as a boy to join the British military. After her husband passed away, she moved to the West Indies around 1715. Around 1720, she met the pirate Jack Rackham and joined his crew, still dressing as a man. Her time as a pirate was successful but short. She, Anne Bonny, and Jack Rackham were captured in November 1720. Rackham was executed, but Mary and Anne both said they were pregnant, which delayed their sentences. Mary Read died in prison in April 1721.
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Mary Read's Early Life and Adventures
Mary Read was born in England. From a very young age, she began dressing as a boy. This was partly because her mother wanted to keep receiving money that was meant for Mary's older brother.
When Mary was about 13, still dressed as a boy, she found work as a foot-boy, which was like a servant. Later, she worked on a ship. She then joined the British military. She served bravely in different parts of the army, including a group of soldiers called a Regiment of Foot and later a Regiment of Horse. These groups fought alongside Dutch forces against the French.
While serving in the military, Mary, still disguised as a man, fell in love with a Flemish soldier. They got married, and with gifts from their fellow soldiers, they bought an inn called "The Three Horseshoes" in The Netherlands.
Sadly, Mary's husband died young. After his death, Mary went back to dressing as a man and rejoined the military in the Netherlands. When peace came, there were not many chances for her to advance in the army. So, she decided to leave and boarded a ship heading to the West Indies. This ship was later attacked by pirates. Because she was disguised as a British male, the pirate crew accepted her.
Becoming a Pirate with Calico Jack
Mary Read willingly joined the pirates who captured her ship. Around 1718 or 1719, she accepted the King's pardon, which was a chance for pirates to stop their illegal activities without being punished. After this, she took on a job as a privateer, which meant she was allowed to attack enemy ships for her country. However, she soon joined a mutiny, which is when a crew rebels against their captain, and became a pirate again.
In 1720, she joined the famous pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham and his partner, Anne Bonny. Both Jack and Anne believed Mary was a man. On August 22, 1720, the three of them stole an armed sloop (a type of sailboat) called William from a port in Nassau.
Experts are not sure how female pirates like Mary Read and Anne Bonny kept their true identity a secret in a world mostly run by men. Some think that wearing pants, called breeches, helped them hide who they were. Others believe it was simply practical clothing for working on a ship with other sailors.
One day, Anne Bonny told Mary that she was a woman because she felt a connection to her. Mary then revealed that she was also a woman. To calm Jack Rackham, who was Anne's lover and suspected something was going on between them, Anne told him that Mary was a woman. People have often wondered about the relationship between Anne and Mary, and some pictures show them fighting battles together.
A woman named Dorothy Thomas, who was captured by the pirates, described Mary Read and Anne Bonny. She said they "wore men's jackets, and long trousers, and handkerchiefs tied about their heads." She also noted that "each of them had a machete and pistol in their hands and they cursed and swore at the men to murder her [Dorothy Thomas]."
Capture and Imprisonment
On November 15, 1720, a pirate hunter named Captain Jonathan Barnet surprised Rackham's crew. They were having a party with another group of Englishmen off the coast of Colony of Jamaica. It is said that after Captain Barnet's ship fired shots that damaged the pirate vessel, Rackham's crew and their guests ran away into the ship's lower deck. Only Mary Read, Anne Bonny, and four other women, along with one man, stayed to fight Barnet's boarding party. It is said that Mary Read was very angry and shot into the lower deck, killing one person and hurting others, because the men would not come up and fight with them. Captain Barnet's crew had more people and eventually captured the women.
Rackham and his crew were arrested and taken to trial in what is now Spanish Town, Jamaica. They were all found guilty of piracy and sentenced to be hanged. Mary Read and Anne Bonny were also sentenced to hang. However, both women said they were "quick with child," meaning they were pregnant. Because of this, their executions were delayed.
Mary Read spoke to the court before her trial, but she was still found guilty. She died in prison from a severe fever. Records from St. Catherine's church in Jamaica show her burial on April 28, 1721. There is no record of her baby's burial, which suggests she might have passed away while still pregnant.
Sculptures of Mary Read
- A wooden sculpture, thought to be from the 1700s, of Mary Read is on the front of an old pub called The Earle Arms in Heydon, Norfolk, England.
- In 2020, a statue of Mary Read and Anne Bonny was revealed at Execution Dock in Wapping, London. There are plans to move this statue to Burgh Island in south Devon, England, in the future.
See also
- Women in piracy
- John Bear
Images for kids
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An illustration of Mary Read in battle.
